“Back in Your Arms”
“Back in Your Arms” is an emotional ballad co-written and performed by Bruce Springsteen, first released in his box set of unreleased material, Tracks (1998). Recorded on January 12, 1995, at The Hit Factory in New York City, the song showcases the retro-soul sound that characterized much of Springsteen’s mid-90s work. Originally intended for the Greatest Hits sessions, it was ultimately left out and later included in Tracks, where its lyrical vulnerability and arrangement—featuring organ, saxophone, and guitar—evoke both classic soul and Springsteen’s narrative sensibility.
The song was first performed live on August 4, 1999, in East Rutherford, NJ, during the Reunion Tour, and it remained an occasional part of Springsteen’s setlists through 2017. On stage, Springsteen has described it as “a song about letting go of something good,” emphasizing its confessional tone. The instrumentation, which includes the E Street Band with saxophone solos by Clarence Clemons and organ by Danny Federici, contributes to the song’s emotional depth, turning it into a true torch song that in some cases surpasses its studio version in power and intimacy.
Technical details “Back in Your Arms”
- Title: Back in Your Arms
- Artist: Bruce Springsteen (with the E Street Band)
- Written by: Bruce Springsteen
- Studio recording date: January 12, 1995, The Hit Factory, NYC
- Release date: November 9, 1998 (as part of the Tracks box set)
- Producers: Bruce Springsteen, Chuck Plotkin, Jon Landau, Roy Bittan
- Engineering and mixing: Toby Scott (engineer), Bob Clearmountain (mixing)
- Featured musicians:
- Bruce Springsteen – vocals and guitar
- Steven Van Zandt – guitar
- Roy Bittan – keyboards
- Danny Federici – organ
- Clarence Clemons – saxophone
- Garry Tallent – bass
- Max Weinberg – drums
- Frank Pagano – percussion
- First live performance: August 4, 1999, Reunion Tour, East Rutherford, NJ
- Last known performance: February 14, 2017, Brisbane, Australia
- Musical style: Torch song with retro-soul influence
You can listen to the official studio version here:
Lyrics
“In my dream our love was lost, I lived by luck and fate
I carried you inside of me, prayed it wouldn’t be too late
Now I’m standin’ on this empty road where nothin’ moves but the wind
Once I was your treasure and I saw your face in every star
But the promises we make at night, oh that’s all they are
Unless we fill them with faith and love they’re empty as the howlin’ wind
And honey I just wanna be back in your arms
Back in your arms again
You came to me with love and kindness
But all my life I’ve been a prisoner of my own blindness
I met you with indifference and I don’t know why
Now I wake from my dream, I wake from my dream to this world
Where all is shadow and darkness and above me a dark sky unfurls
And all the love I’ve thrown away and lost I’m longin’ for again
Now darlin’ I just wanna be back in your arms
Back in your arms again”
180 Gramos, 12″ vinyl sleeve-jacket.
Click on the image to buy.
Access all the information about Bruce Springsteen’s songs at the following link of Bruce The Boss: https://brucetheboss.com/category/songs/
