Lyrics

WRECKING BALL

Album version


I was raised out of steel here in the swamps of Jersey, some misty years ago
Through the mud and the beer, and the blood and the cheers, I've seen champions come and go
So if you got the guts mister, yeah, if you got the balls
If you think it's your time, then step to the line, and bring on your wrecking ball

Bring on your wrecking ball
Bring on your wrecking ball
Come on and take your best shot, let me see what you got
Bring on your wrecking ball

Now my home's here in these meadowlands where mosquitoes grow big as airplanes
Here where the blood is spilled, the arena's filled, and giants played their games
So raise up your glasses and let me hear your voices call
Because tonight all the dead are here, so bring on your wrecking ball

Bring on your wrecking ball
Bring on your wrecking ball
Come on and take your best shot, let me see what you got
Bring on your wrecking ball

One, two, a one two three four!

Yeah! Hey!

Yeah, we know that come tomorrow, none of this will be here
So hold tight on your anger, you hold tight on your anger
Hold tight to your anger, don't fall to your fears

Now when all this steel and these stories, they drift away to rust
And all our youth and beauty, it's been given to the dust
When the game has been decided and we're burning down the clock
And all our little victories and glories have turned into parking lots
When your best hopes and desires are scattered through the wind
And hard times come, and hard times go
And hard times come, and hard times go
And hard times come, and hard times go
And hard times come, and hard times go
And hard times come, and hard times go
Yeah just
to come again

Bring on your wrecking ball
Bring on your wrecking ball
Come on and take your best shot, let me see what you got
Bring on your wrecking ball
Bring on your wrecking ball (bring on your wrecking ball)
Bring on your wrecking ball (bring on your wrecking ball)
Come on and take your best shot, let me see what you got
Bring on your wrecking ball

One, two, a one two three four!
(Whoa whoa whoa-whoa)
(Whoa whoa-whoa)
(Whoa whoa-whoa)
(Whoa whoa-whoa)
(Whoa whoa-whoa)
(Whoa whoa-whoa)
(Whoa whoa-whoa)

(Whoa whoa whoa-whoa)
(Whoa whoa-whoa)
(Whoa whoa-whoa)
(Whoa whoa-whoa)
(Whoa whoa-whoa)
(Whoa whoa-whoa)
(Whoa whoa-whoa)
(Whoa whoa-whoa)
(Whoa whoa-whoa)
(Whoa whoa-whoa)
(Whoa whoa-whoa)
(Whoa whoa-whoa)
(Whoa whoa-whoa)
(Whoa whoa-whoa)
(Whoa whoa-whoa) bring on your wrecking ball
(Whoa whoa whoa-whoa) bring on your wrecking ball
(Whoa whoa-whoa)
(Whoa whoa-whoa)
(Whoa whoa-whoa)

Info

WRECKING BALL is a song written by Bruce Springsteen and released on his 2012 album Wrecking Ball. The above lyrics are for Bruce Springsteen's album version of WRECKING BALL as released in 2012.


The album version of WRECKING BALL debuted on 27 Feb 2012, streaming on Mashable.com.

The album version of WRECKING BALL was included on the Collection: 1973-2012 compilation album and the Chapter And Verse compilation album.

Writing and Recording

WRECKING BALL must have been written around Aug-Sep 2009, about the 2010 demolition of Giants Stadium. On the opening night of his 2009 stand at Giants Stadium, Springsteen took the stage and told the crowd: "Join us tonight to shut the old lady down! We've had a lot of great nights here, let's make this another one. This is something I wrote for tonight." He then opened the show with WRECKING BALL, a brand new song written specially for the occasion. The song starts slow-paced on acoustic guitar, and then the E Street Band joins in after a few verses, with a trumpet solo from Curt Ramm. The song had been sound-checked ten days earlier, prior to the 20 Sep 2009 show in Chicago, IL. According to eyewitnesses, that version was much slower and more intense and drawn out.

Wachovia Spectrum was also due for demolition. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band did four shows at the venue between 13 and 20 Oct 2009. WRECKING BALL was performed on the first and last of these dates, with slightly altered lyrics to suit the venue. Wachovia Spectrum closed on 31 Oct 2009 with a final concert by Pearl Jam, and was demolished about a year later.

A studio version was included on Springsteen's Wrecking Ball album. It was apparently recorded in early 2011, before the passing of Clarence Clemons. The line-up on this track is Bruce Springsteen, Ron Aniello (backing vocals and more), Max Weinberg (drums), Charles Giordano (B-3 organ), Rob Lebert (electric guitar and backing vocals), Curt Ramm (trumpet and/or cornet), Clarence Clemons (saxophone), Soozie Tyrell (violin and backing vocals), Patti Scialfa (backing vocals), Lisa Lowell (backing vocals), Ross Peterson (backing vocals), Cliff Norrell (backing vocals), and the New York String Section (strings). Steven Van Zandt is not credited on this track, but his background vocals are clearly audible, and this was also confirmed by Ron Aniello.

Giants Stadium

Giants Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. It was closed and demolished in 2010 and replaced by MetLife Stadium, located adjacent to its former site. As a concert venue, the Giants Stadium is mostly associated with Bruce Springsteen, who played there a total of 24 nights in his career:

  • 6 nights in the summer of 1985 during the Born In The U.S.A. Tour
  • 10 nights in the summer of 2003 during The Rising Tour
  • 3 nights in the summer of 2008 during the Magic Tour
  • 5 nights in the summer/fall or 2009 during the Working On A Dream Tour

The five Working On A Dream Tour dates are the last concerts that were held at the stadium.

Wrecking Ball

Wrecking Ball is Bruce Springsteen's seventeenth studio album. It was produced by Ron Aniello with Bruce Springsteen and executive producer Jon Landau and features special guest appearances from Tom Morello and Matt Chamberlain. The album features 11 new Springsteen recordings and a special edition includes two bonus tracks. All 13 tracks are Springsteen compositions, three of which have previously been released as live versions.

In 2010-2011, before the album came together, Springsteen was originally working on another project. In a December 2013 interview for Rolling Stone, Ron Aniello told Andy Greene: "Those were about 30 or 40 songs. They were very unique for him, unlike anything I'd ever heard." It was on 09 Jan 2011 that Aniello first went to Colts Neck to help Springsteen finish arrangements for the project he was working on. Those songs would eventually become the core of Western Stars, which wasn't released until 2019.

After they had been working together for about a month, Springsteen wrote EASY MONEY which was a different style of song to what they've been working on before. He had also written JACK OF ALL TRADES, WE TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN, WRECKING BALL, SHACKLED AND DRAWN, and ROCKY GROUND. The latter two were originally written for a gospel film project he was working on and on which he spent on-and-off about a year. As Aniello told WCHR-FM's Tom Cunningham, "things just started steam rolling into this other record, you know, not sure what was going round in his mind." Springsteen was bringing in more songs, and it was evident that the direction of the music was changing. Jon Landau came in, listened to the music, and after a discussion with Springsteen they decided to do a new album. "Literally, this man bought in a new song every day. He just bulldozed us with these songs," Aniello explained.

Springsteen was coming in every morning with a new song and it would start with just him and his guitar. He would then sing a rhythm to Aniello or sit down at the drums and play a beat. Aniello was looping these drum beats – no drum machines were used on Wrecking Ball – and adding other layers, like loops of percussion, also played by Springsteen. According to Aniello, this was done just for convenience because they were alone in studio, songs were coming in quick, and there were no other musicians there. The loops stayed, and other instruments were added at later stages. "Ron brought a large library of sound that allowed me to explore – like maybe a hip-hop drum loop or country-blues stomp loop," Springsteen told Rolling Stone in 2012. "The actual drums came later. There was no preconceived set of instruments that needed to be used, I could go anywhere, do anything, use anything. It was very wide open." Everybody who was around was participating in the recording. They even jumped on pieces of plywood, built some risers to stomp on, and hit couches to makes noises.

Wrecking Ball was mainly recorded at Stone Hill Studio, Springsteen's home studio at his Colts Neck, NJ farmhouse. The album was released on Columbia Records on 05 Mar 2012 in the UK, 06 Mar 2012 in the United States, and 21 Mar 2012 in Japan.

Bruce Springsteen -- Wrecking Ball
Bruce Springsteen -- Wrecking Ball

Wrecking Ball was recorded with a large ensemble of musicians. There's a core of six musicians and the others were just guest artists. Some E Street Band members appear on a few of the tracks. According to Ron Aniello, the album credits are "a mess" and will be revised in future reissues.

  • Bruce Springsteen (lead vocals, guitars, banjo, piano, organ, drums, percussion, and loops) appears on all of the album's tracks.
  • Ron Aniello (guitar, bass, keyboards, drums, loops, percussion, hurdy gurdy, and backing vocals) appears on all of the album's tracks. He is also the album producer.
  • Matt Chamberlain (drums and percussion) is an American musician, drummer, producer, songwriter, and session player. He appears on track 3, track 5, and track 8.
  • Max Weinberg (drums) is a member of The E Street Band and appears on track 7, track 11, and track 13.
  • Steve Jordan (percussion) has previously appeared on Springsteen's Devils & Dust, playing drums and percussion. He appears on track 2.
  • Kevin Buell (drums and backing vocals) is Springsteen's guitar technician. He appears on track 5.
  • Charles Giordano (accordion, piano, B-3 organ, and celeste) recorded and toured with The Seeger Sessions Band and became an unofficial member of The E Street Band in 2008. He appears on most of the album's tracks.
  • Marc Muller (pedal steel guitar) is a multi-instrumentalist who mainly plays string instruments. He plays pedal steel guitar on track 3.
  • Tom Morello (electric guitar) appears on track 4 and track 6.
  • Greg Leisz (banjo, mandola, and lap steel) is a multi-instrumentalist, mainly playing lap and pedal steel guitars, guitar, mandolin, and bass. He appears on track 8 and track 11.
  • Rob Lebert (electric guitar and backing vocals) appears on track 5, track 7, track 8, track 12, and track 13.
  • Darrell Leonard (trumpet and bass trumpet) is a Los Angeles based trumpet player, composer and arranger. He appears on track 11.
  • Curt Ramm (trumpet and cornet) toured with The Seeger Sessions Band. He appears on track 3, track 4, track 7, track 8, track 9, and track 10.
  • Clark Gayton (trombone) toured with The Seeger Sessions Band. He appears on track 3, track 4, track 8, track 9, and track 10.
  • Stan Harrison (clarinet, alto sax, and tenor sax) has previously appeared on Springsteen's The Promise, playing tenor saxophone. He appears on track 3, track 4, track 8, track 9, and track 10.
  • Ed Manion (tenor sax and baritone sax) is a member of The Miami Horns and he toured with The E Street Band in 1988 and recorded and toured with The Seeger Sessions Band. He appears on track 3, track 4, track 8, track 9, and track 10.
  • Dan Levine (alto horn and euphonium) is a New York City based musician who plays several horn instruments. He appears on track 3, track 4, track 9, and track 10.
  • Art Baron (euphonium, tuba, sousaphone, and penny whistle) recorded and toured with The Seeger Sessions Band. He appears on track 3, track 4, track 5, track 9, and track 10.
  • Clarence Clemons (saxophone) was a member of The E Street Band and appears on track 7 and track 10.
  • Soozie Tyrell (violin and backing vocals) started touring with The E Street Band in 2002 and toured with The Seeger Sessions Band in 2006. She appears on most of the album's tracks.
  • Patti Scialfa (backing vocals and vocal arrangements) is Springsteen's wife and a member of The E Street Band since 1984. She appears on most of the album's tracks.
  • Lisa Lowell (backing vocals) has been singing backup vocals on several Springsteen albums since 1992 and recorded and toured with The Seeger Sessions Band. She appears on track 1, track 2, track 3, track 6, track 7, track 10, and track 12.
  • Cindy Mizelle (background vocals) toured with The Seeger Sessions Band and The E Street Band in 2009. She appears on track 3.
  • Ross Peterson (backing vocals) appears on track 3, track 5, track 7, track 8, track 12, and track 13.
  • Cliff Norrell (tuba and backing vocals) is the album's recording engineer. He appears on track 3, track 5, track 7, track 8, track 12, and track 13.
  • New York String Section (strings), also known as the New York Chamber Consort, consists of Rob Mathes (orchestration), Sandy Park (string contractor), Lisa Kim (concertmaster), Myumju Lee (violin), Ann Lehmaan (violin), Lizz Lim (violin), Johanna Marher (violin), Annaliesa Place (violin), Fiona Simon (violin), Sharon Yamada (violin), Jung Sun Yu (violin), Karen Dreyfus (viola), Daniel Panner (viola), Robert Rinehart (viola), Mina Smith (cello), and Alan Stepansky (cello). It appears on track 1, track 4, and track 7.
  • Victorious Gospel Choir (backing vocals) has previously appeared on Springsteen's The Rising. On Wrecking Ball, the choir includes Michelle Moore, Antoinette Savage, Corinda Carford, Tiffeny Andrews, Soloman Cobbs, and Lillie Brown. It appears on track 2, track 9, and track 10. Michelle Moore is credited separately on the three tracks. The remaining singers are credited individually on track 2, and as the Victorious Gospel Choir on track 9 and track 10.
  • Jeremy McCoy (bass violin) is an orchestral double bass player. He appears on track 12.
  • Dan Shelly (bassoon) is an orchestral bassoon player. He appears on track 12.
  • Mark Romatz (contrabassoon) is an orchestral bassoon player. He appears on track 12.
  • Steven Van Zandt (mandolin and backing vocals) is a member of The E Street Band. He appears on track 7, track 10, and track 13.

Wrecking Ball is available in three configurations: standard CD edition, special CD edition, and double-disc LP. The special CD edition features two bonus tracks and exclusive packaging. The double-disc LP is pressed on 180-gram vinyl and includes the standard CD edition of the album.

The album topped the charts in 16 countries, including the United States and the UK.

Countries in which Wrecking Ball charted

Country Chart Peak position
Australia Aria Top 50 Albums Chart 2
Austria Alben Top 75 1
Belgium Ultratop 50 Albums (Flanders) 1
Belgium Ultratop 50 Albums (Wallonia) 3
Canada Billboard Top Canadian Albums 3
Croatia Arhiva Kombiniranih (all artists chart) 1
Croatia Arhiva Stranih (foreign artists sub-chart) 1
Czech Republic ČNS IFPI - CZ Albums Top 100 4
Denmark Album 40 1
Finland Suomen Virallinen Albumilista 1
France Top 200 Albums 3
Germany Media Control Charts Top 100 Albums 1
Greece 24
Hong Kong 22
Hungary Top 40 Albums 2
Ireland Top 100 Individual Artist Albums 1
Israel 3
Italy Top 20 Albums 1
Japan Japan Hot 100 16
New Zealand Album Top 40 1
Norway VG Lista Topp 40 Album 1
Poland Poland Albums Top 50 10
Portugal Albums Top 30 4
Slovenia 3
Spain Album Top 100 1
Sweden Sverigetopplistan Albums Top 60 1
Switzerland Albums Top 100 1
The Netherlands GFK Dutch AlbumTop 100 1
UK Official UK Albums Top 100 1
USA Billboard 200 1

Collection: 1973-2012

Collection: 1973-2012 is a Bruce Springsteen compilation album released on Columbia Records in 2013. It was released on 08 Mar 2013 in Australia and 15 Apr 2013 in Europe. The compilation was not released commercially in the United States. Instead, a promotional version was given out exclusively to $1,500 ticket holders at the "MusiCares Person Of The Year" tribute event held in Los Angeles, CA, on 08 Feb 2013. The event honoured Springsteen for both his artistic achievements and philanthropic efforts. The compilation consists of 18 previously released studio tracks.

Bruce Springsteen -- Collection: 1973-2012
Bruce Springsteen -- Collection: 1973-2012

Chapter And Verse

Chapter And Verse is a Bruce Springsteen compilation album released on Columbia Records on 23 Sep 2016 in the U.S. It was officially announced on 28 Jul 2016. The album is an audio companion to Springsteen's autobiography Born To Run, which was published four days later, on 27 Sep 2016, by Simon & Schuster.

The album is a career retrospective consisting of 18 tracks. It spans almost half a century of Springsteen's career, from as early as 1966. According to the press release, Springsteen selected the songs to reflect the themes and sections of the autobiography. The first five tracks have not been previously released.

Tracks 1 and 2 are from The Castiles era, track 3 is from the Steel Mill era, and track 4 is from The Bruce Springsteen Band era. Tracks 5 and 6 are Springsteen solo, from around the time he signed his record deal with CBS. The remaining 12 tracks are compiled from 12 different Bruce Springsteen studio albums, from 1973 to 2012. All song were written by Bruce Springsteen, except tracks 1 (co-written by Bruce Springsteen and George Theiss) and track 2 (written by Willie Dixon). Track 2 is only song on the album recorded live.

Bruce Springsteen -- Chapter And Verse
Bruce Springsteen -- Chapter And Verse

Chapter And Verse is available as a single-disc CD and as a double-disc LP, as well as digital download and streaming.

Other Official Releases

Other versions of WRECKING BALL were also officially released.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Wrecking Ball (Live)
The live 02 Oct 2009 version of WRECKING BALL was released as a single in 2009.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 10/20/09
The live 20 Oct 2009 version of WRECKING BALL was released on the Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 10/20/09 official live download in 2017.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- MSG 11.07.09
The live 07 Nov 2009 version of WRECKING BALL was released on the MSG 11.07.09 official live download in 2020.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- MSG Nov 08, 2009
The live 08 Nov 2009 version of WRECKING BALL was released on the MSG Nov 08, 2009 official live download in 2018.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- HSBC Arena, Buffalo, NY 11/22/2009
The live 22 Nov 2009 version of WRECKING BALL was released on the HSBC Arena, Buffalo, NY 11/22/2009 official live download in 2016.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Apollo Theater 03/09/12
The live 09 Mar 2012 version of WRECKING BALL was released on the Apollo Theater 03/09/12 official live download in 2014.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Gothenburg July 28, 2012
The live 28 Jul 2012 version of WRECKING BALL was released on the Gothenburg July 28, 2012 official live download in 2020.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Olympiastadion, Helsinki July 31, 2012
The live 31 Jul 2012 version of WRECKING BALL was released on the Olympiastadion, Helsinki July 31, 2012 official live download in 2017.
Bruce Springsteen -- East Rutherford, NJ 09.22.12
The live 22 Sep 2012 version of WRECKING BALL was released on the East Rutherford, NJ 09.22.12 official live download in 2019.
Various artists -- 12-12-12: The Concert For Sandy Relief
The live 12 Dec 2012 version of WRECKING BALL was released on the 12-12-12: The Concert For Sandy Relief album and home video in 2013.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- St. Paul, MN Nov 12, 2012
The live 12 Nov 2012 version of WRECKING BALL was released on the St. Paul, MN Nov 12, 2012 official live download in 2020.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Leeds July 24, 2013
The live 24 Jul 2013 version of WRECKING BALL was released on the Leeds July 24, 2013 official live download in 2018.
live.brucespringsteen.net
Audio recordings for most High Hopes Tour shows were officially released on live.brucespringsteen.net. These include 18 versions of WRECKING BALL.

  1. 29 Jan 2014 at Bellville Velodrome, Cape Town, South Africa
  2. 01 Feb 2014 at FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
  3. 05 Feb 2014 at Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
  4. 08 Feb 2014 at Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
  5. 11 Feb 2014 at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, Australia
  6. 22 Feb 2014 at Hope Estate, Hunter Valley, Australia
  7. 01 Mar 2014 at Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
  8. 08 Apr 2014 at U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati, OH
  9. 12 Apr 2014 at Farm Bureau Live At Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach, VA
  10. 15 Apr 2014 at Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
  11. 19 Apr 2014 at Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC
  12. 22 Apr 2014 at Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PA
  13. 24 Apr 2014 at PNC Arena, Raleigh, NC
  14. 26 Apr 2014 at Aaron's Amphitheatre At Lakewood, Atlanta, GA
  15. 29 Apr 2014 at BB&T Center, Sunrise, FL
  16. 01 May 2014 at MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa, FL
  17. 06 May 2014 at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston, TX
  18. 14 May 2014 at Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, PA
live.brucespringsteen.net
Audio recordings for all The River Tour 2016 shows were officially released on live.brucespringsteen.net. These include 17 versions of WRECKING BALL.

  1. 16 Jan 2016 at Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PA
  2. 27 Jan 2016 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  3. 29 Jan 2016 at Verizon Center, Washington, DC
  4. 31 Jan 2016 at Prudential Center, Newark, NJ
  5. 08 Feb 2016 at Times Union Center, Albany, NY
  6. 12 Feb 2016 at Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
  7. 16 Feb 2016 at BB&T Center, Sunrise, FL
  8. 18 Feb 2016 at Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
  9. 15 Mar 2016 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  10. 19 Mar 2016 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  11. 21 May 2016 at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
  12. 05 Jun 2016 at Wembley Stadium, London, England
  13. 19 Jun 2016 at Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany
  14. 25 Jun 2016 at Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
  15. 28 Jul 2016 at Frogner Parken, Oslo, Norway
  16. 23 Aug 2016 at Metlife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  17. 25 Aug 2016 at Metlife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
live.brucespringsteen.net
Audio recordings for all the Summer '17 Tour shows were officially released on live.brucespringsteen.net. These include X versions of WRECKING BALL.

  1. 25 Jan 2017 at Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
  2. 30 Jan 2017 at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, Australia
  3. 02 Feb 2017 at AAMI Park, Melbourne, Australia
  4. 07 Feb 2017 at Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia
  5. 11 Feb 2017 at Hanging Rock, Macedon, Australia
  6. 14 Feb 2017 at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
  7. 18 Feb 2017 at Hope Estate, Hunter Valley, Australia
  8. 25 Feb 2017 at Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand

Live History: on-tour

WRECKING BALL was performed 15 times during the Working On A Dream Tour (83 dates, April to November 2009), all in the United States in the tour's last two months. These included the five-night stand at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, and two nights at Wachovia Spectrum in Philadelphia, PA. The song was often the show opener, and always featured Curt Ramm on trumpet. The live 02 Oct 2009 version of WRECKING BALL was released as a single in 2009. The live 20 Oct 2009 version of WRECKING BALL was released on the Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 10/20/09 official live download in 2017. The live 07 Nov 2009 version of WRECKING BALL was released on the MSG 11.07.09 official live download in 2020. The live 08 Nov 2009 version of WRECKING BALL was released on the MSG Nov 08, 2009 official live download in 2018. The live 22 Nov 2009 version of WRECKING BALL was released on the HSBC Arena, Buffalo, NY 11/22/2009 official live download in 2016.

List of Working On A Dream Tour performances

  1. 30 Sep 2009 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  2. 02 Oct 2009 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  3. 03 Oct 2009 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  4. 08 Oct 2009 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  5. 09 Oct 2009 at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  6. 13 Oct 2009 at Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  7. 20 Oct 2009 at Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
  8. 25 Oct 2009 at Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO
  9. 07 Nov 2009 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  10. 08 Nov 2009 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  11. 10 Nov 2009 at Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH
  12. 13 Nov 2009 at The Palace Of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI
  13. 18 Nov 2009 at Sommet Center, Nashville, TN
  14. 20 Nov 2009 at 1st Mariner Arena, Baltimore, MD
  15. 22 Nov 2009 at HSBC Arena, Buffalo, NY

WRECKING BALL was performed 128 times during the Wrecking Ball Tour (133 dates, March 2012 to September 2013). The live 28 Jul 2012 version of WRECKING BALL was released on the Gothenburg July 28, 2012 official live download in 2020. The live 31 Jul 2012 version of WRECKING BALL was released on the Olympiastadion, Helsinki July 31, 2012 official live download in 2017. The live 22 Sep 2012 version of WRECKING BALL was released on the East Rutherford, NJ 09.22.12 official live download in 2019. The live 12 Nov 2012 version of WRECKING BALL was released on the St. Paul, MN Nov 12, 2012 official live download in 2020. The live 24 Jul 2013 version of WRECKING BALL was released on the Leeds July 24, 2013 official live download in 2018.

List of Wrecking Ball Tour performances

  1. 18 Mar 2012 at Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
  2. 19 Mar 2012 at Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
  3. 23 Mar 2012 at Tampa Bay Times Forum, Tampa, FL
  4. 26 Mar 2012 at TD Garden, Boston, MA
  5. 28 Mar 2012 at Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
  6. 29 Mar 2012 at Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
  7. 01 Apr 2012 at Verizon Center, Washington, DC
  8. 03 Apr 2012 at Izod Center, East Rutherford, NJ
  9. 04 Apr 2012 at Izod Center, East Rutherford, NJ
  10. 06 Apr 2012 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  11. 09 Apr 2012 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  12. 12 Apr 2012 at The Palace Of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI
  13. 13 Apr 2012 at First Niagara Center, Buffalo, NY
  14. 16 Apr 2012 at Times Union Center, Albany, NY
  15. 17 Apr 2012 at Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH
  16. 24 Apr 2012 at HP Pavilion At San Jose, San Jose, CA
  17. 26 Apr 2012 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  18. 27 Apr 2012 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  19. 29 Apr 2012 at New Orleans Fairgrounds, New Orleans, LA
  20. 02 May 2012 at Prudential Center, Newark, NJ
  21. 13 May 2012 at Estadio Olimpico De La Cartuja, Seville, Spain
  22. 15 May 2012 at Estadio De Gran Canaria, Las Palmas, Spain
  23. 17 May 2012 at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain
  24. 18 May 2012 at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys, Barcelona, Spain
  25. 25 May 2012 at Commerzbank-Arena, Frankfurt, Germany
  26. 27 May 2012 at Rheinenergiestadion, Cologne, Germany
  27. 28 May 2012 at Megaland, Landgraaf, The Netherlands
  28. 30 May 2012 at Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany
  29. 02 Jun 2012 at Estadio Anoeta, Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain
  30. 03 Jun 2012 at Bela Vista Park, Lisbon, Portugal
  31. 07 Jun 2012 at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy
  32. 10 Jun 2012 at Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence, Italy
  33. 11 Jun 2012 at Stadio Nereo Rocco, Trieste, Italy
  34. 17 Jun 2012 at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
  35. 19 Jun 2012 at Park & Suites Arena, Montpellier, France
  36. 21 Jun 2012 at Stadium Of Light, Sunderland, England
  37. 22 Jun 2012 at Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England
  38. 24 Jun 2012 at Seaclose Park, Isle Of Wight, England
  39. 04 Jul 2012 at Palais Omnisports De Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
  40. 05 Jul 2012 at Palais Omnisports De Paris-Bercy, Paris, France
  41. 07 Jul 2012 at Festivalpladsen, Roskilde, Denmark
  42. 09 Jul 2012 at Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland
  43. 11 Jul 2012 at Synot Tip Arena, Prague, Czech Republic
  44. 12 Jul 2012 at Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria
  45. 14 Jul 2012 at Hyde Park, London, England
  46. 17 Jul 2012 at RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
  47. 18 Jul 2012 at RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
  48. 21 Jul 2012 at Valle Hovin Stadion, Oslo, Norway
  49. 23 Jul 2012 at Koengen, Bergen, Norway
  50. 24 Jul 2012 at Koengen, Bergen, Norway
  51. 27 Jul 2012 at Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
  52. 28 Jul 2012 at Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
  53. 31 Jul 2012 at Olympiastadion, Helsinki, Finland
  54. 14 Aug 2012 at Fenway Park, Boston, MA
  55. 15 Aug 2012 at Fenway Park, Boston, MA
  56. 18 Aug 2012 at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
  57. 24 Aug 2012 at Rogers Centre, Toronto, Canada
  58. 26 Aug 2012 at Magnetic Hill, Moncton, Canada
  59. 29 Aug 2012 at Vernon Downs Raceway, Vernon, NY
  60. 02 Sep 2012 at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
  61. 03 Sep 2012 at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
  62. 07 Sep 2012 at Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
  63. 08 Sep 2012 at Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL
  64. 14 Sep 2012 at Nationals Park, Washington, DC
  65. 19 Sep 2012 at Metlife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  66. 21 Sep 2012 at Metlife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  67. 22 Sep 2012 at Metlife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  68. 19 Oct 2012 at Scotiabank Place, Ottawa, Canada
  69. 21 Oct 2012 at Copps Coliseum, Hamilton, Canada
  70. 23 Oct 2012 at John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, VA
  71. 25 Oct 2012 at XL Center, Hartford, CT
  72. 27 Oct 2012 at Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PA
  73. 31 Oct 2012 at Blue Cross Arena At The War Memorial, Rochester, NY
  74. 01 Nov 2012 at Penn State University, University Park, PA
  75. 03 Nov 2012 at KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, KY
  76. 11 Nov 2012 at Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, MN
  77. 12 Nov 2012 at Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, MN
  78. 15 Nov 2012 at Centurylink Center, Omaha, NE
  79. 17 Nov 2012 at Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO
  80. 19 Nov 2012 at Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
  81. 26 Nov 2012 at Rogers Arena, Vancouver, Canada
  82. 28 Nov 2012 at Rose Garden, Portland, OR
  83. 30 Nov 2012 at Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA
  84. 04 Dec 2012 at Honda Center, Anaheim, CA
  85. 06 Dec 2012 at Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, AZ
  86. 10 Dec 2012 at Palacio De Los Deportes, Mexico City, Mexico
  87. 14 Mar 2013 at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
  88. 16 Mar 2013 at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
  89. 18 Mar 2013 at Allphones Arena, Sydney, Australia
  90. 20 Mar 2013 at Allphones Arena, Sydney, Australia
  91. 22 Mar 2013 at Allphones Arena, Sydney, Australia
  92. 24 Mar 2013 at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
  93. 26 Mar 2013 at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
  94. 27 Mar 2013 at Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
  95. 30 Mar 2013 at Hanging Rock, Macedon, Australia
  96. 31 Mar 2013 at Hanging Rock, Macedon, Australia
  97. 29 Apr 2013 at Telenor Arena, Oslo, Norway
  98. 30 Apr 2013 at Telenor Arena, Oslo, Norway
  99. 03 May 2013 at Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden
  100. 04 May 2013 at Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden
  101. 07 May 2013 at HK Areena, Turku, Finland
  102. 08 May 2013 at HK Areena, Turku, Finland
  103. 11 May 2013 at Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden
  104. 14 May 2013 at Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark
  105. 16 May 2013 at Jyske Bank Boxen, Herning, Denmark
  106. 23 May 2013 at Piazza Del Plebiscito, Naples, Italy
  107. 26 May 2013 at Olympiastadion, Munich, Germany
  108. 28 May 2013 at AWD-Arena, Hannover, Germany
  109. 31 May 2013 at Stadio Euganeo, Padua, Italy
  110. 03 Jun 2013 at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy
  111. 15 Jun 2013 at Wembley Stadium, London, England
  112. 18 Jun 2013 at Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland
  113. 20 Jun 2013 at Ricoh Arena, Coventry, England
  114. 22 Jun 2013 at Goffertpark, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
  115. 26 Jun 2013 at Estadio Municipal El Molinón, Gijón, Spain
  116. 29 Jun 2013 at Stade De France, Saint-Denis, France
  117. 30 Jun 2013 at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, England
  118. 05 Jul 2013 at Borussia-Park, Mönchengladbach, Germany
  119. 07 Jul 2013 at Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, Germany
  120. 13 Jul 2013 at Festivalpark, Werchter, Belgium
  121. 16 Jul 2013 at Thomond Park, Limerick, Ireland
  122. 18 Jul 2013 at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, Cork, Ireland
  123. 20 Jul 2013 at King's Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland
  124. 23 Jul 2013 at Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
  125. 24 Jul 2013 at First Direct Arena, Leeds, England
  126. 27 Jul 2013 at Nowlan Park, Kilkenny, Ireland
  127. 28 Jul 2013 at Nowlan Park, Kilkenny, Ireland
  128. 12 Sep 2013 at Movistar Arena, Santiago, Chile

WRECKING BALL was performed 21 times during the High Hopes Tour (34 dates, January to May 2014). Audio recordings for most High Hopes Tour shows are officially available for purchase.

List of High Hopes Tour performances

  1. 29 Jan 2014 at Bellville Velodrome, Cape Town, South Africa
  2. 01 Feb 2014 at FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
  3. 05 Feb 2014 at Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
  4. 08 Feb 2014 at Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
  5. 11 Feb 2014 at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, Australia
  6. 16 Feb 2014 at AAMI Park, Melbourne, Australia
  7. 22 Feb 2014 at Hope Estate, Hunter Valley, Australia
  8. 01 Mar 2014 at Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
  9. 06 Apr 2014 at Old Reunion Arena Site, Dallas, TX
  10. 08 Apr 2014 at U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati, OH
  11. 12 Apr 2014 at Farm Bureau Live At Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach, VA
  12. 15 Apr 2014 at Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
  13. 19 Apr 2014 at Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC
  14. 22 Apr 2014 at Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PA
  15. 24 Apr 2014 at PNC Arena, Raleigh, NC
  16. 26 Apr 2014 at Aaron's Amphitheatre At Lakewood, Atlanta, GA
  17. 29 Apr 2014 at BB&T Center, Sunrise, FL
  18. 01 May 2014 at MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa, FL
  19. 03 May 2014 at New Orleans Fairgrounds, New Orleans, LA
  20. 06 May 2014 at Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston, TX
  21. 14 May 2014 at Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, PA

In preparation for The River Tour 2016, WRECKING BALL is known to have been practiced during at least one of the private rehearsals that took place in January 2016 prior to the tour's first leg.

List of The River Tour 2016 rehearsals performances

  1. Jan 2016 at Expo Theater, Fort Monmouth, NJ (private rehearsal)

WRECKING BALL was performed 17 times during The River Tour 2016 (75 dates, January to September 2016). Audio recordings for all The River Tour 2016 shows are officially available for purchase.

List of The River Tour 2016 performances

  1. 16 Jan 2016 at Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PA
  2. 27 Jan 2016 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  3. 29 Jan 2016 at Verizon Center, Washington, DC
  4. 31 Jan 2016 at Prudential Center, Newark, NJ
  5. 08 Feb 2016 at Times Union Center, Albany, NY
  6. 12 Feb 2016 at Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
  7. 16 Feb 2016 at BB&T Center, Sunrise, FL
  8. 18 Feb 2016 at Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
  9. 15 Mar 2016 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  10. 19 Mar 2016 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  11. 21 May 2016 at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain
  12. 05 Jun 2016 at Wembley Stadium, London, England
  13. 19 Jun 2016 at Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany
  14. 25 Jun 2016 at Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
  15. 28 Jul 2016 at Frogner Parken, Oslo, Norway
  16. 23 Aug 2016 at Metlife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
  17. 25 Aug 2016 at Metlife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ

WRECKING BALL was performed 8 times during the Summer '17 Tour (14 dates, January and February 2017). Audio recordings for all Summer '17 Tour shows are officially available for purchase.

List of Summer '17 Tour performances

  1. 25 Jan 2017 at Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
  2. 30 Jan 2017 at Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, Australia
  3. 02 Feb 2017 at AAMI Park, Melbourne, Australia
  4. 07 Feb 2017 at Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia
  5. 11 Feb 2017 at Hanging Rock, Macedon, Australia
  6. 14 Feb 2017 at Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
  7. 18 Feb 2017 at Hope Estate, Hunter Valley, Australia
  8. 25 Feb 2017 at Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand

Live History: off-tour

WRECKING BALL was performed off-tour on 27 Feb 2012 at Rockefeller Center in New York City, NY, during a TV appearance on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. The song was played with the E Street band. See the live 27 Feb 2012 version for more details.

WRECKING BALL was performed off-tour on 09 Mar 2012 at Apollo Theater in New York City, NY, during the Sirius Satellite Radio 10-year anniversary celebration. The song was played with the E Street Band. The live 09 Mar 2012 version of WRECKING BALL was released on the Apollo Theater 03/09/12 official live download in 2014.

WRECKING BALL was performed off-tour on 15 Mar 2012 at Moody Theater in Austin, TX, during the South By Southwest music festival. The song was played with the E Street Band. The song was played with the E Street Band. See the live 15 Mar 2012 version for more details.

WRECKING BALL was performed off-tour on 12 Dec 2012 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY, during the "12-12-12: The Concert For Sandy Relief" benefit. The live 12 Dec 2012 version of WRECKING BALL was released on the 12-12-12: The Concert For Sandy Relief album and home video in 2013.

Covers

At least 2 artists have recorded and released Bruce Springsteen's WRECKING BALL.

Pam Millar -- Echoes
Pam Millar -- Echoes

CD EP - Tree Ring Records (no catalog number) - Canada, 2015

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute EP.
A Voice In The World -- We Sing For Our Blood
A Voice In The World -- We Sing For Our Blood

Digital album - no label (no catalog number) - Portugal, 2022

This is a free download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute album.

Request

If you have any corrections or additional info, please contact me via the below form or by email: .

Available Versions

List of available versions of WRECKING BALL on this website:

WRECKING BALL [Album version]
WRECKING BALL [Live 02 Oct 2009 version]
WRECKING BALL [Live 27 Feb 2012 version]
WRECKING BALL [Live 09 Mar 2012 version]
WRECKING BALL [Live 15 Mar 2012 version]
Page last updated: 04 Apr 2020