Streets of Philadelphia
Encyclopedia
"Streets of Philadelphia" is an Oscar winning song, written and performed by American rock musician Bruce Springsteen
for the first mainstream film on HIV/AIDS in the 1993 film
, Philadelphia
. Released in 1994, the song was a hit in many countries, particularly Canada, France, Germany, Ireland and Norway, where it topped the singles charts.
The song was a critical success and went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song
and four Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year
, Best Rock Song
, Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo
, and Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television
.
director Jonathan Demme
asked Springsteen to write a song for the in-progress film, and in June, after the conclusion of the "Other Band" Tour, Springsteen did so. It was recorded with Springsteen supplying almost all of the instrumentation, with bass and background vocals from "Other Band" member Tommy Sims
. Additional saxophone
and vocal parts by Ornette Coleman
and "Little" Jimmy Scott, respectively, were recorded but never used - although those elements are used in a brief scene in the film when Tom Hanks
exits Denzel Washington
's office. Released in early 1994 as the main single
from the film's original soundtrack, it became a huge success for Springsteen all over Europe and North America.
"Streets of Philadelphia" achieved greater popularity in Europe than in the United States. While it peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100
chart, it became a number-one single in Germany, France and Austria. It peaked at number two in the United Kingdom, becoming Springsteen's highest charting hit in that country, and number four in Australia. , "Streets of Philadelphia" ranks as his most recent top ten hit. The song was included on the album All Time Greatest Movie Songs
, released by Sony
in 1999.
for the song, directed by Jonathan Demme and his nephew Ted Demme
, begins by showing Springsteen walking along desolate city streets, followed by a bustling park and schoolyard, interspersed with footage from the film. After a quick shot of Rittenhouse Square
, it ends with Springsteen walking along the Delaware River, with the Benjamin Franklin Bridge
in the background. Tom Hanks
is also visible as the lead character he plays in the film, looking on as Bruce begins the final verse.
The vocal track for the video was recorded live during the shooting, using a hidden microphone, to a pre-recorded instrumental
track. This was a technique, appropriate for emotionally intense songs for which conventional video lip-syncing would seem especially false, that John Mellencamp
pioneered in his 1985 "Rain on the Scarecrow" video, and that Springsteen himself had used on his 1987 "Brilliant Disguise
" video. Springsteen would go on to use the same technique in his "Lonesome Day" video in 2002.
in March 1994, at the MTV Video Music Awards
in September 1994, and at the Grammy Awards of 1995
in March 1995. Between this, Philadelphias good box office, and the single being a top 10 pop hit, "Streets of Philadelphia" became one of Springsteen's best-known songs to the general music audience.
Nonetheless, Springsteen went on to perform the song only sparingly in his own concerts. In solo guitar form and missing the song's trademark synthesizers-and-drums feel, it was performed semi-regularly on the solo and stark 1995-1997 Ghost of Tom Joad Tour
. After that, the song became a rarity, only appearing a dozen times on the 1999-2000 E Street Band Reunion Tour
, and, as of September 2006, only a couple of times across the three tours after that.
and David Gray
. Recorded covers have been released by Ray Conniff
(on his 1997 album, I Love Movies), Casiotone for the Painfully Alone
, Marah
, Liv Kristine
, Molly Johnson
, Bettye Lavette
, SALEM
and I Muvrini with Anggun
. Philadelphia rappers, Cassidy & the Larsiny Family
have made a cover of this song on the Put Ya L in the Sky mixtape, in an effort to stop crime in the city. French artist Patrick Bruel
covered the song, translating the lyrics into French
while retaining the music.
CD maxi / Maxi cassette
The B-sides were selected from the previous year's live album In Concert/MTV Plugged
.
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
for the first mainstream film on HIV/AIDS in the 1993 film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, Philadelphia
Philadelphia (film)
Philadelphia is a 1993 American drama film that was one of the first mainstream Hollywood films to acknowledge HIV/AIDS, homosexuality and homophobia. It was written by Ron Nyswaner and directed by Jonathan Demme. The film stars Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington...
. Released in 1994, the song was a hit in many countries, particularly Canada, France, Germany, Ireland and Norway, where it topped the singles charts.
The song was a critical success and went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song
Academy Award for Best Original Song
The Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
and four Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year
Grammy Award for Song of the Year
The Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
, Best Rock Song
Grammy Award for Best Rock Song
The Grammy Award for Best Rock Song is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs in the rock music genre...
, Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo
Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to male recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the rock music genre...
, and Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television
Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media
The Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media has been awarded since 1988 and is awarded to songs written for films, television, video games or other visual media...
.
History
In early 1993, PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia (film)
Philadelphia is a 1993 American drama film that was one of the first mainstream Hollywood films to acknowledge HIV/AIDS, homosexuality and homophobia. It was written by Ron Nyswaner and directed by Jonathan Demme. The film stars Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington...
director Jonathan Demme
Jonathan Demme
Robert Jonathan Demme is an American filmmaker, producer and screenwriter. Best known for directing The Silence of the Lambs, which won him the Academy Award for Best Director, he has also directed the acclaimed movies Philadelphia, Rachel Getting Married, the Talking Heads concert movie Stop...
asked Springsteen to write a song for the in-progress film, and in June, after the conclusion of the "Other Band" Tour, Springsteen did so. It was recorded with Springsteen supplying almost all of the instrumentation, with bass and background vocals from "Other Band" member Tommy Sims
Tommy Sims
Tommy Sims is a renowned bassist, songwriter, record producer and bandleader.-Music career:From 1987 to 1989 he was the bassist of the popular Christian rock band White Heart which he left to become a studio musician and producer. During 1992-1993, he played bass on the Bruce Springsteen and the...
. Additional saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
and vocal parts by Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman
Ornette Coleman is an American saxophonist, violinist, trumpeter and composer. He was one of the major innovators of the free jazz movement of the 1960s....
and "Little" Jimmy Scott, respectively, were recorded but never used - although those elements are used in a brief scene in the film when Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
exits Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and film producer. He first rose to prominence when he joined the cast of the medical drama, St. Elsewhere, playing Dr...
's office. Released in early 1994 as the main single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
from the film's original soundtrack, it became a huge success for Springsteen all over Europe and North America.
"Streets of Philadelphia" achieved greater popularity in Europe than in the United States. While it peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart, it became a number-one single in Germany, France and Austria. It peaked at number two in the United Kingdom, becoming Springsteen's highest charting hit in that country, and number four in Australia. , "Streets of Philadelphia" ranks as his most recent top ten hit. The song was included on the album All Time Greatest Movie Songs
All Time Greatest Movie Songs (Album)
All Time Greatest Movie Songs is a joint effort with Columbia Records of Sony Music UK to released movie compilations in 1999.-Track listing:#"My Heart Will Go On" - Celine Dion#"Men in Black" - Will Smith...
, released by Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
in 1999.
Music video
The music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
for the song, directed by Jonathan Demme and his nephew Ted Demme
Ted Demme
Edward K. "Ted" Demme was an American film director and producer.- Early life and career :Born in New York City, Demme grew up in Rockville Centre on Long Island, New York and attended South Side Senior High School. He graduated from SUNY-Cortland in 1985. His media career likely began with a...
, begins by showing Springsteen walking along desolate city streets, followed by a bustling park and schoolyard, interspersed with footage from the film. After a quick shot of Rittenhouse Square
Rittenhouse Square
Rittenhouse Square is one of the five original open-space parks planned by William Penn and his surveyor Thomas Holme during the late 17th century in central Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The park cuts off 19th Street at Walnut Street and also at a half block above Manning Street. Its boundaries are...
, it ends with Springsteen walking along the Delaware River, with the Benjamin Franklin Bridge
Benjamin Franklin Bridge
The Benjamin Franklin Bridge , originally named the Delaware River Bridge, is a suspension bridge across the Delaware River connecting Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Camden, New Jersey...
in the background. Tom Hanks
Tom Hanks
Thomas Jeffrey "Tom" Hanks is an American actor, producer, writer, and director. Hanks worked in television and family-friendly comedies, gaining wide notice in 1988's Big, before achieving success as a dramatic actor in several notable roles, including Andrew Beckett in Philadelphia, the title...
is also visible as the lead character he plays in the film, looking on as Bruce begins the final verse.
The vocal track for the video was recorded live during the shooting, using a hidden microphone, to a pre-recorded instrumental
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
track. This was a technique, appropriate for emotionally intense songs for which conventional video lip-syncing would seem especially false, that John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp, previously known by the stage names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor known for his catchy, populist brand of heartland rock that eschews synthesizers and other artificial sounds...
pioneered in his 1985 "Rain on the Scarecrow" video, and that Springsteen himself had used on his 1987 "Brilliant Disguise
Brilliant Disguise
"Brilliant Disguise" is a song by Bruce Springsteen from his 1987 album Tunnel of Love. It was released as the first single from the album, reaching the #5 position on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart in the United States...
" video. Springsteen would go on to use the same technique in his "Lonesome Day" video in 2002.
Live performance history
Because of the song's sterling achievements in the awards world, Springsteen played the song live in three high-visibility, prime-time awards show broadcasts: at the 66th Academy Awards66th Academy Awards
The 66th Academy Awards were presented March 21, 1994, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Los Angeles. The show was landmark in that it featured a female African American host for the first time, Whoopi Goldberg, and represented a direct contrast in edgy style from Billy Crystal who had hosted the...
in March 1994, at the MTV Video Music Awards
MTV Video Music Awards
An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
in September 1994, and at the Grammy Awards of 1995
Grammy Awards of 1995
The 37th Grammy Awards were presented March 1, 1995. They recognized accomplishments by musicians from the previous year.-Award winners:*Record of the Year**Bill Bottrell & Sheryl Crow for "All I Wanna Do"*Album of the Year...
in March 1995. Between this, Philadelphias good box office, and the single being a top 10 pop hit, "Streets of Philadelphia" became one of Springsteen's best-known songs to the general music audience.
Nonetheless, Springsteen went on to perform the song only sparingly in his own concerts. In solo guitar form and missing the song's trademark synthesizers-and-drums feel, it was performed semi-regularly on the solo and stark 1995-1997 Ghost of Tom Joad Tour
Ghost of Tom Joad Tour
The Ghost of Tom Joad Tour was a lengthy, worldwide concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen performing alone on stage in small halls and theatres, that ran off and on from late 1995 through the middle of 1997. It followed the release of his 1995 album The Ghost of Tom Joad.-Itinerary:The tour...
. After that, the song became a rarity, only appearing a dozen times on the 1999-2000 E Street Band Reunion Tour
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Reunion Tour
The Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Reunion Tour was a lengthy, top-grossing concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band that took place over 1999 and 2000....
, and, as of September 2006, only a couple of times across the three tours after that.
Cover versions
The song has been covered live by Melissa EtheridgeMelissa Etheridge
Melissa Lou Etheridge is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician.Etheridge is known for her mixture of confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals...
and David Gray
David Gray (musician)
David Gray is an English singer-songwriter. He released his first studio album in 1993 and received worldwide attention after the release of White Ladder six years later...
. Recorded covers have been released by Ray Conniff
Ray Conniff
Joseph Raymond Conniff was an American bandleader and arranger best known for his Ray Conniff Singers during the 1960s.-Biography:...
(on his 1997 album, I Love Movies), Casiotone for the Painfully Alone
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone was the musical solo-project of musician Owen Ashworth of Redwood City, California.-History:Ashworth started CFTPA after he dropped out of film school in 1997...
, Marah
Marah
Marah may refer to:* Marah or Manroot, a kind of wild cucumber* Marah , an American country band* Marah , one of the locations which the Torah identifies as having been travelled through by the Israelites during the Exodus...
, Liv Kristine
Liv Kristine
Liv Kristine Espenæs Krull , better known as Liv Kristine, is the former vocalist for the band Theatre of Tragedy and current vocalist for the band Leaves' Eyes.- Career :...
, Molly Johnson
Molly Johnson
Molly Johnson, OC is a Canadian Juno Award-winning singer-songwriter of pop and jazz.-Biography:Johnson began as a child performer, receiving formal training from the National Ballet School and the Banff School of Fine Arts...
, Bettye Lavette
Bettye LaVette
Bettye LaVette is an American soul singer-songwriter who made her first record at sixteen, but achieved only intermittent fame until 2005, with her album, I've Got My Own Hell to Raise...
, SALEM
Salem (Michigan band)
Salem is a US-midwest band from Traverse City and Chicago, composed of John Holland, Heather Marlatt, and Jack Donoghue. The band's debut release, Yes I Smoke Crack, was released on Acéphale in summer 2008 - the EP, gaining fast popularity, sold out in pre-sales. Salem formed in Chicago in 2006,...
and I Muvrini with Anggun
Anggun
Anggun Cipta Sasmi is an Indonesian singer-songwriter. She has released 12 studio albums and one soundtrack album , and her songs have also been included on various compilation albums. Her musical career began in childhood, and she achieved commercial success in Indonesia when she was 12 years old...
. Philadelphia rappers, Cassidy & the Larsiny Family
Larsiny Family
Larsiny or Larsiny Family is a hip hop group/label from North Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Rapper Cassidy helped found the crew Larsiny with his home-town-friends Cal Akbar and Shiz Lansky, who is featured on the song "I Pray" on the B.A.R.S. The Barry Adrian Reese Story album...
have made a cover of this song on the Put Ya L in the Sky mixtape, in an effort to stop crime in the city. French artist Patrick Bruel
Patrick Bruel
Patrick Bruel is a French singer, actor, and professional poker player of Algerian Jewish descent.-Biography:...
covered the song, translating the lyrics into French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
while retaining the music.
Awards won
- Academy AwardsAcademy AwardsAn Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
- Academy Award for Best Original SongAcademy Award for Best Original SongThe Academy Award for Best Original Song is one of the awards given annually to people working in the motion picture industry by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . It is presented to the songwriters who have composed the best original song written specifically for a film...
- Academy Award for Best Original Song
- Golden Globe Awards
- Golden Globe Award for Best Original SongGolden Globe Award for Best Original SongGolden Globe Award for Best Original Song was awarded for the first time in 1962 and has been awarded annually since 1965 by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.-1960s:...
- Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song
- Grammy Awards
- Song of the YearGrammy Award for Song of the YearThe Song of the Year is one of the four most prestigious awards in the Grammy Awards ceremony, if not in all of the American music industry. It has been awarded since 1959 and unlike the Record of the Year award, which goes to the performer and production team of a single song, Song of the Year...
- Best Rock SongGrammy Award for Best Rock SongThe Grammy Award for Best Rock Song is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to recording artists for quality songs in the rock music genre...
- Best Male Rock Vocal PerformanceGrammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal PerformanceThe Grammy Award for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance was an award presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to male recording artists for works containing quality vocal performances in the rock music genre...
- Best Song Written for a Motion PictureGrammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual MediaThe Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media has been awarded since 1988 and is awarded to songs written for films, television, video games or other visual media...
- Song of the Year
- MTV Video Music AwardsMTV Video Music AwardsAn MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos...
- Best Video from a FilmMTV Video Music Award for Best Video from a FilmThe MTV Video Music Award for Best Video from a Film was first awarded in 1987, recognizing the best videos whose songs were a part of a movie soundtrack or featured in a film. As time went on, though, music videos taken from movie soundtracks became more rare, and so the last of this award was...
- Best Video from a Film
Track listings
CD single / 7" single / Cassette- "Streets of Philadelphia" – 3:15
- "If I Should Fall Behind" – 4:43
CD maxi / Maxi cassette
- "Streets of Philadelphia" – 3:15
- "If I Should Fall Behind" – 4:43
- "Growin' Up" – 3:13
- "The Big Muddy" – 4:11
The B-sides were selected from the previous year's live album In Concert/MTV Plugged
In Concert/MTV Plugged
In Concert/MTV Plugged is a 1992 concert video and 1993 live album by Bruce Springsteen.It is part of MTV's Unplugged series, recorded on September 22, 1992 at the Warner Hollywood Studios in Los Angeles during the midst of Springsteen's "Other Band" Tour.Bruce Springsteen famously played one song,...
.
Peak positions
| Chart (1994) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart ARIA Charts The ARIA charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling singles and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA commenced compiling its own charts in-house from the week ending 26 June... |
4 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Canadian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
6 |
| Eurochart Hot 100 | 1 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 1 |
| German Singles Chart | 1 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
1 |
| Italian Singles Chart | 1 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart | 3 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 1 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 3 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 2 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 9 |
| U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock Tracks Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue... |
25 |
| U.S. Billboard Top 40 Mainstream | 13 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1994) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 39 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 4 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 13 |
| French Singles Chart | 5 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 12 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 54 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Austria | Gold | May 18, 1994 | 15,000 |
| France | Silver | June 14, 1994 | 125,000 |
| Germany | Gold | 1994 | 150,000 |
| Norway | Gold | 1994 | 5,000 |
| UK | Silver | March 1, 1994 | 200,000 |
| U.S. | Gold | April 26, 1994 | 500,000 |
See also
- Cultural depictions of Philadelphia
- List of number-one hits of 1994 (Austria)
- List of RPM number-one singles of 1994
- List of European number-one hits of 1994
- List of number-one hits of 1994 (France)
- List of number-one hits of 1994 (Germany)
- List of number-one singles of 1994 (Ireland)
- List of number-one hits in Norway
External links
- Brucebase history of song
- [ "Streets of Philadelphia" review at Allmusic]
- [ Information on the "Streets of Philadelphia" single at Allmusic]