“Born to Run,” covered by Amy Macdonald … (Rock / Folk Rock – Music to Your Ears, Covers–11)

Will you walk with me out on the wire? Cuz, baby, I'm just a scared and lonely rider.

Amy Macdonald – “Born to Run”

“Born to Run” (2014 – original from 1975)

With nothing more than the modest but potent strumming of her guitar, Amy Macdonald gives us one of the finest versions of this classic Bruce Springsteen hit.    

On Springsteen’s original “Born to Run,”  much of the song’s force and energy came from the wall of sound created by the multi-instrumental E Street Band. Paired with the evocative lyrics and the driving vocals, the song became a power-pop anthem. 

Light Curtain of Sound

On Amy’s excellent acoustic version, there is no wall of sound. There are no instruments but her guitar and her voice, with which she creates a light, diaphanous curtain of sound. Still, she manages to harness as much energy and power as in the original.

Apart from this version, Amy has also covered “Born to Run,”  with her full band. But somehow, this acoustic version remains her best interpretation of the song.

Amy Macdonald

Amy Macdonald is a Scottish guitarist and singer-songwriter. At the age of 12, she started teaching herself to play guitar, and soon started writing songs. By the time she was 15, she was playing in coffee shops and bars in Glasgow.

In 2007, around the time she was 20, she had signed a recording contract. Over the following years, she received several “Best Newcomer” awards. Since then, several of her albums have gone gold or platinum in various countries. _{(Image source)} Editorial note to Amy – The phrase is “fuel-injected,”  not “fuel-injection.”  It’s an adjective, in parallel with “chrome-wheeled.”  Not that it matters much …  

In the day we sweat it out on the streets of a runaway American dream
At night we ride through mansions of glory in suicide machines
Sprung from cages out on Highway 9
Chrome-wheeled, fuel-injected, and steppin' out over the line
Oh, baby, this town rips the bones from your back
It's a death trap, it's a suicide rap
We gotta get out while we're young
'Cause tramps like us
Baby, we were born to run

Yes, girl, we were

Wendy, let me in, I wanna be your friend
I wanna guard your dreams and visions
Just wrap your legs 'round these velvet rims
And strap your hands 'cross my engines
Together we could break this trap
We'll run 'til we drop, baby, we'll never go back
Oh, will you walk with me out on the wire?
'Cause, baby, I'm just a scared and lonely rider
But I gotta know how it feels
I wanna know if love is wild
Babe, I want to know if love is real

Oh, can you show me?

Beyond the Palace, hemi-powered drones scream down the boulevard
Girls comb their hair in rear-view mirrors, and the boys try to look so hard
The amusement park rises bold and stark, kids are huddled on the beach in a mist
I wanna die with you, Wendy, on the streets tonight in an everlasting kiss

The highway's jammed with broken heroes on a last-chance power drive
Everybody's out on the run tonight, but there's no place left to hide
Together, Wendy, we can live with the sadness
I'll love you with all the madness in my soul
Oh, someday, girl, I don't know when
We're gonna get to that place where we really wanna go
And we'll walk in the sun
But 'til then tramps like us
Baby, we were born to run

Oh, honey, tramps like us
Baby, we were born to run

Come on, Wendy, tramps like us
Baby, we were born to run

Ru-uh-uh-un, Mm-mm-mm-mm
Uh-uh-uh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Ru-uh-uh-uh-un, Mm-mm-mm-mm
Whoa-oh-oh-oh, Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Ru-uh-uh-un  _{(Image source)}

        Bruce Springsteen – “Born to Run”    
          _{(Right-click to hear on YouTube)}

Lyrics by Bruce Springsteen, courtesy of – AZLyrics.com
Reference – Wikipedia
Reference – Wikipedia

Into your ears … through 5 channels

 The various posts are categorized into 5 channels _{(Right-Click to see details)}
         1 – “Music to Your Ears” (MTYE)
         2 – “Cover Versions”
         3 – “Honor Roll”
         4 – “Documentaries”
         5 – “Mock’n’Roll”

Links to my other series ...

          Lou Reed – "Anthology of Memorable Lyrics, Part 1"
          Lou Reed – "Anthology of Memorable Lyrics, Part 2"

          Great Lyrics, a compilation – “Part One – My Lyrics Posts 3~30”
          Great Lyrics, a compilation – “Part Two – My Lyrics Posts 31~60”  

          Vocab-Ability – "Introduction to Vocab-Ability"  
          Vocab-Ability – "Index"  to all Chapters and Sections  

          Notes from Under the Tatami Mats – "Part One – Notes 1~50"  
          Notes from Under the Tatami Mats – "Part Two – Notes 51~87"