This Hard Land

Album: Greatest Hits (1995)
Play Video
  • Hey there mister can you tell me what happened to the seeds I've sown
    Can you give me a reason sir as to why they've never grown
    They've just blown around from town to town
    Till they're back out on these fields
    Where they fall from my hand
    Back into the dirt of this hard land

    Now me and my sister from Germantown
    We did ride
    We made our bed sir from the rock on the mountainside
    We been blowin' around from town to town
    Lookin' for a place to stand
    Where the sun burst through the cloud
    To fall like a circle
    Like a circle of fire down on this hard land

    Now even the rain it don't come 'round
    It don't come 'round here no more
    And the only sound at night's the wind
    Slammin' the back porch door
    It just stirs you up like it wants to blow you down
    Twistin' and churnin' up the sand
    Leavin' all them scarecrows lyin' face down
    Face down in the dirt of this hard land

    From a building up on the hill
    I can hear a tape deck blastin' "Home on the Range"
    I can see them Bar-M choppers
    Sweepin' low across the plains
    It's me and you Frank we're lookin' for lost cattle
    Our hooves twistin' and churnin' up the sand
    We're ridin' in the whirlwind searchin' for lost treasure
    Way down south of the Rio Grande
    We're ridin' 'cross that river
    In the moonlight
    Up onto the banks of this hard land

    Hey Frank won't ya pack your bags
    And meet me tonight down at Liberty Hall
    Just one kiss from you my brother
    And we'll ride until we fall
    We'll sleep in the fields
    We'll sleep by the rivers and in the morning
    We'll make a plan
    Well if you can't make it
    Stay hard, stay hungry, stay alive
    If you can
    And meet me in a dream of this hard land Writer/s: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
    Publisher: Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 4

  • Billy from 19007Is it land or stand? or crash and echos to wake up and rise too.
  • Scott from Sydney, AustraliaBruce perfectly captures the voice, tone and age of the character is he's singing as.
  • Tyler from Hamilton, CanadaBruce considers this one of the greatestlast verses he ever wrote " Stay hard, Stay Hungry, Stay Alive".
  • Kyle from Belleville, CanadaGood song, Bruce should play it more.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Wang Chung Pick The Top Songs Of The '80s

Wang Chung Pick The Top Songs Of The '80sSongwriter Interviews

'80s music ambassadors Wang Chung pick their top tracks of the decade, explaining what makes each one so special.

Emmylou Harris

Emmylou HarrisSongwriter Interviews

She thinks of herself as a "song interpreter," but back in the '80s another country star convinced Emmylou to take a crack at songwriting.

Charlotte Caffey of The Go-Go's

Charlotte Caffey of The Go-Go'sSongwriter Interviews

Charlotte was established in the LA punk scene when a freaky girl named Belinda approached her wearing a garbage bag.

Al Jourgensen of Ministry

Al Jourgensen of MinistrySongwriter Interviews

In the name of song explanation, Al talks about scoring heroin for William Burroughs, and that's not even the most shocking story in this one.

Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes

Chris Robinson of The Black CrowesSongwriter Interviews

"Great songwriters don't necessarily have hit songs," says Chris. He's written a bunch, but his fans are more interested in the intricate jams.

Ian Gillan of Deep Purple

Ian Gillan of Deep PurpleSongwriter Interviews

Deep Purple frontman Ian Gillan explains the "few red lights" in "Smoke On The Water" and talks about songs from their 2020 album Whoosh!