Working on the Highway
Encyclopedia
"Working on the Highway" is a 1984 song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen
. It was released on the album Born in the U.S.A.
and has remained a popular concert song for Springsteen and the E Street Band
.
As with some of the other songs on the Born in the U.S.A. album, including "Downbound Train
" and the title track
, "Working on the Highway" was originally recorded in a solo acoustic version on the demo that eventually became the Nebraska
album. The acoustic version of the song had a working title of "Child Bride" and did not include the rock melody or the catchy title refrain that is a memorable part of the ultimate effort. The version of the song that was released on the album was recorded in March and April 1982 at the Power Station
in one of the early Born in the U.S.A. recording sessions.
Although "Working on the Highway" was not one of the seven Born in the U.S.A. songs to be released as a single, it remained popular in concert, with 271 performances through 2008. At a July 26, 1992 performance of the song, Springsteen's mother danced with her son towards the end of the song, prompting Springsteen to say "A boy's best friend is his mother," referencing a line from the Alfred Hitchcock
film Psycho
.
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
. It was released on the album Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A. is the seventh studio album by American rock singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on June 4, 1984. A critical and commercial triumph, it found Springsteen marking a departure in his sound...
and has remained a popular concert song for Springsteen and the E Street Band
E Street Band
The E Street Band has been rock musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972.The band has also recorded with a wide range of other artists including Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Nicks, Tom Morello, Sting, Ian...
.
As with some of the other songs on the Born in the U.S.A. album, including "Downbound Train
Downbound Train
"Downbound Train" is a song that appears on the 1984 Bruce Springsteen album Born in the U.S.A.. The song is a lament to a lost spouse, and takes on a melancholy tone....
" and the title track
Born in the U.S.A. (song)
"Born in the U.S.A." is a 1984 song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen. Taken from the album of the same name, it is one of his best-known singles. Rolling Stone ranked the song 275th on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". In 2001, the RIAA's Songs of the Century placed...
, "Working on the Highway" was originally recorded in a solo acoustic version on the demo that eventually became the Nebraska
Nebraska (album)
-Themes:The album begins with "Nebraska", a first-person narrative based on the true story of 19-year-old spree killer Charles Starkweather and his 14-year-old girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate, and ends with "Reason to Believe", a complex narrative that renders its title phrase into contemptuous sarcasm...
album. The acoustic version of the song had a working title of "Child Bride" and did not include the rock melody or the catchy title refrain that is a memorable part of the ultimate effort. The version of the song that was released on the album was recorded in March and April 1982 at the Power Station
Avatar Studios
Avatar Studios, formerly known as The Power Station, is a recording studio at 441 West 53rd Street in Manhattan, New York City.The building was originally a Consolidated Edison power plant; but after a period of vacancy, it was used as a sound stage for the television game show Let's Make a Deal...
in one of the early Born in the U.S.A. recording sessions.
Although "Working on the Highway" was not one of the seven Born in the U.S.A. songs to be released as a single, it remained popular in concert, with 271 performances through 2008. At a July 26, 1992 performance of the song, Springsteen's mother danced with her son towards the end of the song, prompting Springsteen to say "A boy's best friend is his mother," referencing a line from the Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
film Psycho
Psycho (1960 film)
Psycho is a 1960 American suspense/psychological horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins. The film is based on the screenplay by Joseph Stefano, who adapted it from the 1959 novel of the same name by Robert Bloch...
.