Wreck on the Highway
Encyclopedia
"Wreck on the Highway" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen
and the E Street Band
. It was originally released as the final track on his fifth album, The River. The version released on The River was recorded at The Power Station
in New York
in March-April 1980.
A melancholic song with a false ending, "Wreck on the Highway" features prominent organ
and acoustic guitar
parts. The lyrics describe a man who witnesses a hit-and-run auto accident
on a rainy, isolated highway
, and subsequently haunted by the vision and unable to sleep. It is directly inspired by Roy Acuff
's country
song of the same name and similar theme from the 1940s, which is a cover version of the 1938 recorded song I Didn't Hear Nobody Pray by the Dixon Brothers
. While Springsteen's song has elements of a country arrangement, its music is more haunted and less sentimental.
Along with the title track
, "Independence Day
" and "Point Blank", it is one of the verse-chorus songs on The River that was essentially a short story or character sketch. "Wreck on the Highway", and a few other songs on The River, such as the title track
and "Stolen Car
", mark a new direction in Bruce Springsteen's songwriting: these ballads imbued with a sense of hopelessness anticipate his next album, Nebraska
as well as a turn towards pessimism in Springsteen's overall artistic and personal world-view. Bruce Springsteen himself has noted that "Wreck on the Highway" is one of the songs reflecting a shift in his songwriting style, linking The River to Nebraska.
A slow-tempo song, "Wreck on the Highway" has not been particularly common in concert, with about 100 performances in Bruce Springsteen concerts through 2008. Nearly all of those performances occurred during the 1980–1981 River Tour
. The song was revived occasionally for electric piano
performances on the 2005 solo Devils & Dust Tour
.
In the UK, "Wreck on the Highway" was released as the B-side of the single "Cadillac Ranch
."
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
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...
. It was originally released as the final track on his fifth album, The River. The version released on The River was recorded 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 New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in March-April 1980.
A melancholic song with a false ending, "Wreck on the Highway" features prominent organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
and acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
parts. The lyrics describe a man who witnesses a hit-and-run auto accident
Hit and run (vehicular)
Hit-and-run is the act of causing a traffic accident , and failing to stop and identify oneself afterwards...
on a rainy, isolated highway
Highway
A highway is any public road. In American English, the term is common and almost always designates major roads. In British English, the term designates any road open to the public. Any interconnected set of highways can be variously referred to as a "highway system", a "highway network", or a...
, and subsequently haunted by the vision and unable to sleep. It is directly inspired by Roy Acuff
Roy Acuff
Roy Claxton Acuff was an American country music singer, fiddler, and promoter. Known as the King of Country Music, Acuff is often credited with moving the genre from its early string band and "hoedown" format to the star singer-based format that helped make it internationally successful.Acuff...
's country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
song of the same name and similar theme from the 1940s, which is a cover version of the 1938 recorded song I Didn't Hear Nobody Pray by the Dixon Brothers
Dorsey Dixon
Dorsey Murdock Dixon was an American old-time and country music songwriter and musician. He was also a millworker who spent much of his life working in textile mills in North and South Carolina...
. While Springsteen's song has elements of a country arrangement, its music is more haunted and less sentimental.
Along with the title track
The River (Bruce Springsteen song)
"The River" is a song written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen, accompanied by the E Street Band. It was the title track of his fifth album, The River, and was a hit single in parts of Europe. It reached #25 in the Netherlands, and reached the top 10 in both Sweden and Norway...
, "Independence Day
Independence Day (Bruce Springsteen song)
"Independence Day" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. It was originally released on his fifth album, The River...
" and "Point Blank", it is one of the verse-chorus songs on The River that was essentially a short story or character sketch. "Wreck on the Highway", and a few other songs on The River, such as the title track
The River (Bruce Springsteen song)
"The River" is a song written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen, accompanied by the E Street Band. It was the title track of his fifth album, The River, and was a hit single in parts of Europe. It reached #25 in the Netherlands, and reached the top 10 in both Sweden and Norway...
and "Stolen Car
Stolen Car (Bruce Springsteen song)
"Stolen Car" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. It was originally released on his fifth album, The River...
", mark a new direction in Bruce Springsteen's songwriting: these ballads imbued with a sense of hopelessness anticipate his next album, 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...
as well as a turn towards pessimism in Springsteen's overall artistic and personal world-view. Bruce Springsteen himself has noted that "Wreck on the Highway" is one of the songs reflecting a shift in his songwriting style, linking The River to Nebraska.
A slow-tempo song, "Wreck on the Highway" has not been particularly common in concert, with about 100 performances in Bruce Springsteen concerts through 2008. Nearly all of those performances occurred during the 1980–1981 River Tour
The River Tour
The River Tour was a concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band that took place in 1980 and 1981, beginning concurrently with the release of Springsteen's album The River.-Itinerary:...
. The song was revived occasionally for electric piano
Electric piano
An electric piano is an electric musical instrument.Electric pianos produce sounds mechanically and the sounds are turned into electrical signals by pickups. Unlike a synthesizer, the electric piano is not an electronic instrument, but electro-mechanical. The earliest electric pianos were invented...
performances on the 2005 solo Devils & Dust Tour
Devils & Dust Tour
The Devils & Dust Tour was a 2005 concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen performing alone on stage on a variety of instruments. It followed the release of his 2005 album Devils & Dust.-Approach:...
.
In the UK, "Wreck on the Highway" was released as the B-side of the single "Cadillac Ranch
Cadillac Ranch (Bruce Springsteen song)
"Cadillac Ranch" is a song written by Bruce Springsteen that was first released on Springsteen's 1980 album The River. In 1981 it was released as single in Europe, backed by "Be True" in France and by "Wreck on the Highway" in the UK. Although it was not released as a single in the US, it did...
."