Studio version
Everything in your shadow turns to vapor
You pierce my heart like it was paper
Radio's crackling with the headlines
Something on your shoulder, winds in the phone line
American beauty will you be mine
Out on this highway counting white lines
Hot and bloody summer, drifting blue eyes
We're in the high grass, I finger your hemline
Boot heels click clacking, honey, when you shine
Autumn blue skies, hair sweet as the southern pines
American beauty forever in time
Out on this highway counting white lines
Your hand cups your breast, pledging your time
Things we carried, shining skylines
Falling sparrow, sky torn apart
Dark shining arrow, your kiss pierces my heart
American beauty forever mine
Out on this highway counting white lines
AMERICAN BEAUTY is a song written by Bruce Springsteen and released on his 2014 EP American Beauty. The above lyrics are for Bruce Springsteen's studio version of AMERICAN BEAUTY as released in 2014.
The studio version of AMERICAN BEAUTY was included on the Japanese Singles Collection -Greatest Hits- compilation album.
In a December 2013 interview for Rolling Stone, Ron Aniello told Andy Greene that at least 20 tracks were recorded for the High Hopes album. Among the tracks that didn't make the album cut were COLD SPOT, HEY BLUE EYES, AMERICAN BEAUTY, and MARY MARY.
In a March 2014 interview for Rolling Stone, Bruce Springsteen told Sean Sennett that he believes AMERICAN BEAUTY was originally a demo that he made during the Brendan O'Brien period but he didn't end up cutting it with him.
The studio version of AMERICAN BEAUTY was released on American Beauty was produced by Ron Aniello with Bruce Springsteen. The performing musicians line-up on the track is:
In the liner notes to American Beauty that were posted on his official website, Bruce Springsteen wrote: "In the song 'American Beauty,' I get to sing in a part of my range I don't often visit and that along with its 'guitar wall of sound' gives it a little 'exile on E Street' power."
The melody in AMERICAN BEAUTY is very similar to the one of MY LUCKY DAY. The song contains some lyrics that were used in DOWN IN THE HOLE, GYPSY BIKER, and LIVIN' IN THE FUTURE.
American Beauty is a Bruce Springsteen 4-track EP that was released on 19 Apr 2014. Limited to 7,500 copies, the EP was issued on 12-inch vinyl and was distributed exclusively to independent stores throughout North America and Europe that participated in the 7th annual "Record Store Day" campaign. The EP was also released digitally on 22 Apr 2014.
In a March 2014 interview for Rolling Stone, Bruce Springsteen told Sean Sennett: "It's got some nice things on it. This is material from the past decade. Some were demos that I never cut. [...] I thought it's a nice time to support the record stores, which are dwindling, and get some new music out at the same time."
In the liner notes to American Beauty that were posted on his official website, Bruce Springsteen wrote: "American Beauty is a collection of songs I cut at home. Upon revisiting them for High Hopes I recognized their potential and Ron Aniello and I worked on them until we'd turned them into the music before you."
A music video for AMERICAN BEAUTY was released on 22 Apr 2014 on both Bruce Springsteen's official website and Bruce Springsteen's YouTube channel. The video was shot on 19 Apr 2014 at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, NC, during the sound-check for that night's High Hopes Tour show at the arena. The video was directed by Thom Zimny and uses audio dubbed from the studio version of the song. On his website, Springsteen introduces the clip: "Shot in Charlotte before the show. A big thanks to Thom Zimny, Chris Hilson and our film crew."
Japanese Singles Collection -Greatest Hits- is a Bruce Springsteen compilation album released by Sony Music Japan in 2023. The compilation, which was exclusively released in Japan, consists of previously released 35 audio tracks and 62 video tracks. The collection is part of a 26-title reissue campaign to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen's debut album. The series, issued in three waves (25 Oct 2023, 22 Nov 2023, and 20 Dec 2023), includes 25 albums originally released between 1973 and 2014 plus a new compilation album that includes all of Springsteen's singles released in Japan from 1975 to 1999. All audio CD's were manufactured using Sony Japan's Blu-spec CD2 format.
Disc 1: (audio CD)
Disc 2: (audio CD)
Disc 3: (DVD)
Disc 4: (DVD)
AMERICAN BEAUTY was sound-checked prior to the 19 Apr 2014 show in Charlotte, NC, (as far as it's known) but it was not performed on any of the High Hopes Tour's regular shows.
As far as it's known, no artist has recorded and released Bruce Springsteen's AMERICAN BEAUTY.
Thanks Andy Holding, estreeter4life, and Max I for the lyrics corrections.
If you have any additions, corrections, or comments, please contact me via the below form or by email: .
List of available versions of AMERICAN BEAUTY on this website:
AMERICAN BEAUTY [Studio version]
