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Songs

Chimes Of Freedom

This song was 54 x played live .

This songs has been heard live by 2737 users.

First time played on: 01/09/1978

Latest time played on: 03/07/2025

Podcast

Bruce Springsteen Sings the Alphabet

Episode: Chimes Of Freedom

Source: www.alphabeticalspringsteen.com

From the albums:

Lyrics

Far between sundown's finish an' midnight's broken toll
We ducked inside the doorway, thunder crashing
As majestic bells of bolts struck shadows in the sounds
Seeming to be the chimes of freedom flashing
Flashing for the warriors whose strength is not to fight
Flashing for the refugees on the unarmed road of flight
An' for each an' ev'ry underdog soldier in the night
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.


In the city's melted furnace, unexpectedly we watched
With faces hidden while the walls were tightening
As the echo of the wedding bells before the blowin' rain
Dissolved into the bells of the lightning
Tolling for the rebel, tolling for the rake
Tolling for the luckless, the abandoned an' forsaked
Tolling for the outcast, burnin' constantly at stake
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.


Through the mad mystic hammering of the wild ripping hail
The sky cracked its poems in naked wonder
That the clinging of the church bells blew far into the breeze
Leaving only bells of lightning and its thunder
Striking for the gentle, striking for the kind
Striking for the guardians and protectors of the mind
An' the unpawned painter behind beyond his rightful time
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.


Through the wild cathedral evening the rain unraveled tales
For the disrobed faceless forms of no position
Tolling for the tongues with no place to bring their thoughts
All down in taken-for-granted situations
Tolling for the deaf an' blind, tolling for the mute
Tolling for the mistreated, mateless mother, the mistitled prostitute
For the misdemeanor outlaw, chased an' cheated by pursuit
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.


Even though a cloud's white curtain in a far-off corner flashed
An' the hypnotic splattered mist was slowly lifting
Electric light still struck like arrows, fired but for the ones
Condemned to drift or else be kept from drifting
Tolling for the searching ones, on their speechless, seeking trail
For the lonesome-hearted lovers with too personal a tale
An' for each unharmful, gentle soul misplaced inside a jail
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.


Starry-eyed an' laughing as I recall when we were caught
Trapped by no track of hours for they hanged suspended
As we listened one last time an' we watched with one last look
Spellbound an' swallowed 'til the tolling ended
Tolling for the aching ones whose wounds cannot be nursed
For the countless confused, accused, misused, strung-out ones an' worse
An' for every hung-up person in the whole wide universe
An' we gazed upon the chimes of freedom flashing.
Played in:
01/09/1978Masonic Temple, Detroit, MIUnited States
29/06/1988Stadion Feijenoord, RotterdamNetherlands
02/07/1988Stockholm Stadion, StockholmSweden
03/07/1988Stockholm Stadion, StockholmSweden
07/07/1988RDS Arena, DublinIreland
09/07/1988Bramall Lane, SheffieldGreat Britain
10/07/1988Bramall Lane, SheffieldGreat Britain
12/07/1988Waldstadion, Frankfurt am MainGermany
14/07/1988St. Jakob Stadium, BaselSwitzerland
17/07/1988Equestrian Stadium Riem, MunichGermany
19/07/1988Trabrennbahn, BerlinGermany
22/07/1988Waldbuhne, BerlinGermany
25/07/1988Idraetsparken, CopenhagenDenmark
27/07/1988Valle Hovin, OsloNorway
30/07/1988Weserstadion, BremenGermany
02/08/1988Estadio Vicente Calderón, MadridSpain
03/08/1988Camp Nou, BarcelonaSpain
02/09/1988Wembley Stadium, LondonGreat Britain
04/09/1988AccorHotels Arena, ParisFrance
05/09/1988AccorHotels Arena, ParisFrance
06/09/1988Nepstadion, BudapestHungary
08/09/1988Stadio Comunale, TorinoItaly
10/09/1988Camp Nou, BarcelonaSpain
13/09/1988Estadio Nacional, San JoseCosta Rica
15/09/1988Maple Leaf Gardens, TorontoCanada
17/09/1988Olympic Stadium, MontrealCanada
19/09/1988John F. Kennedy Stadium, Philadelphia, PAUnited States
21/09/1988Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CAUnited States
23/09/1988Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, CAUnited States
27/09/1988Tokyo Dome, TokyoJapan
30/09/1988Jawaharlal Stadium, New DehliIndia
03/10/1988Olympic Stadium, AthensGreece
07/10/1988National Sports Stadium, HarareZimbabwe
09/10/1988F.Houphouet Stadium, AbidjanIvory Coast
12/10/1988Estadio Palmeiras, São PauloBrazil
14/10/1988Estadio Mendoza, MendozaArgentina
15/10/1988River Plate, Buenos AiresArgentina
27/09/2004Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJUnited States
14/05/2025Co-op Live, ManchesterGreat Britain
17/05/2025Co-op Live, ManchesterGreat Britain
20/05/2025Co-op Live, ManchesterGreat Britain
24/05/2025Decathlon Arena - Stade Pierre-Mauroy, LilleFrance
27/05/2025Decathlon Arena - Stade Pierre-Mauroy, LilleFrance
31/05/2025Orange Vélodrome, MarseilleFrance
04/06/2025Anfield, LiverpoolGreat Britain
07/06/2025Anfield, LiverpoolGreat Britain
11/06/2025Olympia Stadion, BerlinGermany
15/06/2025Letnany Airport, PragueCzech Republic
18/06/2025Deutsche Bank Park, Frankfurt am MainGermany
21/06/2025Estadio de Anoeta, San SebastiánSpain
24/06/2025Estadio de Anoeta, San SebastiánSpain
27/06/2025Veltins-Arena, GelsenkirchenGermany
30/06/2025San Siro, MilanItaly
03/07/2025San Siro, MilanItaly