Land of Hope and Dreams – English Lyrics

• By: Bruce Springsteen

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a journey of hope and unity with Bruce Springsteen's "Land of Hope and Dreams." This iconic song, blending rock, gospel, and soul, offers a powerful lesson in inclusivity, welcoming all aboard the train to a better world. Discover the rich layers of meaning, from its roots in American folk to its message of perseverance, and learn how Springsteen uses music to inspire and uplift.

[English]

Good evening!

It's great to be in Manchester and back in the UK.

Welcome to the Land of Hope and Dreams tour.

The mighty E Street Band is here tonight

to call upon the righteous power of art, of music, of rock and roll in dangerous times.

In my home, the America I love,

the America I've written about,

that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years is currently in the hands

of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration.

Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experience

to rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism and let freedom ring!

This is Land of Hope and Dreams.

One, two, three, four!

Grab your ticket and your suitcase

Thunder's rolling down this track

Well, you don't know where you're going now

but you know you won't be back

Well darlin' if you're weary

lay your head upon my chest

We'll take what we can carry

Yeah and we'll leave the rest

Big wheels roll through fields where sunlight streams

Meet me in a land of hope and dreams

Well I will provide for you

and I'll stand by your side

You'll need a good companion now

for this part of the ride

Yeah, leave behind your sorrows

let this day be the last

Well, tomorrow there'll be sunshine

and all this darkness past

Big wheels roll through fields where sunlight streams

Meet me in a land of hope and dreams

Well this train carries saints and sinners

This train carries losers and winners

This train carries whores and gamblers

This train carries lost souls

I said this train, dreams will not be thwarted

This train, faith will be rewarded

This train, hear the steel wheels singin'

This train, bells of freedom ringin'

Yeah!

Well this train carries saints and sinners

This train carries losers and winners

This train carries whores and gamblers

This train carries lost souls

I said this train carries broken-hearted

This train, thieves and sweet souls departed

This train carries fools and kings

This train, all aboard

I said now this train, dreams will not be thwarted

This train, faith will be rewarded

This train, hear the steel wheels singin'

This train, bells of freedom ringin'

Come on this train

Come on this train

Come on this train

Let me see your hands!

Come on this train

Train

Train

People get ready

There's a train a-comin'

There's a train a-comin'

You don't need no ticket

All you got to do is...

Get on board

Ooh-Ooh-Ooh-Ooh-Ooh-Ooh

Key Grammar Structures

• It's great to be in Manchester and back in the UK.

  ➔ Present continuous tense

  ➔ The phrase 'It's great to be' uses the present continuous tense to express an action happening now or a temporary situation. Here, it emphasizes the speaker's current feeling of happiness.

• The mighty E Street Band is here tonight

  ➔ Present simple tense

  ➔ The sentence uses the present simple tense to state a fact or a scheduled event. 'Is here tonight' indicates a specific arrangement or occurrence.

• to call upon the righteous power of art, of music, of rock and roll

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose

  ➔ The phrase uses the infinitive form 'to call upon' to express purpose after the verb 'is'. It explains why the band is present.

• that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years

  ➔ Present perfect tense

  ➔ The phrase uses the present perfect tense 'has been' to describe an action that started in the past and continues to the present. It emphasizes the ongoing role of America as a beacon.

• Well, tomorrow there'll be sunshine and all this darkness past

  ➔ Future contraction

  ➔ The phrase 'there'll be' is a contraction of 'there will be', used to express a future action or prediction. It conveys hope for a better future.

• This train carries saints and sinners

  ➔ Present simple tense with 'carries'

  ➔ The sentence uses the present simple tense with 'carries' to describe a habitual or general action. It emphasizes the ongoing role of the train in carrying diverse groups.

• You don't need no ticket

  ➔ Double negative

  ➔ The phrase uses a double negative 'don't need no' for emphasis, which is common in informal or poetic language. It strongly asserts that no ticket is required.

• All you got to do is... Get on board

  ➔ Emphatic structure

  ➔ The phrase uses an emphatic structure 'All you got to do is' to highlight the simplicity of the action required. It directs attention to 'Get on board'.