Bruce Springsteen performed “My City of Ruins” for 9/11 tribute

My City of Ruins Bruce Springsteen

Writer(s): Bruce Springsteen (see lyrics here) First Performed: December 17, 2000 Released: July 30, 2002 (album cut from The Rising) Peak: 1 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 3.3 video, -- streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: Bruce Springsteen wrote “My City of Ruins” in November 2000 for a Christmas benefit show in Asbury Park, New Jersey which was focused on the revitalizing of that city. Asbury Park was a resort town near where Springsteen grew up that had been popular in the late 19th century and early 20th century, but deteriorated as a result of various factors including the Great Depression, the opening of the Garden State Parkway, and race riots. WK Springsteen starts the song by describing the city with imagery such as boarded-up windows and men loitering on a street corner. However, he later evokes a cry for the city to “rise up” from its decay. He performed it for the first time at Asbury Park Convention Hall on December 17, 2000. WK After the September 11, 2001 attacks, the song took on a different meaning, “offering a message of hope and rising from the ruins.” WK Springsteen performed the song live with a few altered lyrics on September 21, 2001 for America: A Tribute to Heroes. He opened the national telethon calling the song “a prayer for our fallen brothers and sisters.” WK A studio recording of the song followed and was included in the July 2002 release of his twelfth studio album, The Rising. Other significant performances have included an appearance at the 2006 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in response to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and again in 2009 as a tribute to the victims of an earthquake in the Italian city of l’Aquila. WK The song gained attention again after the February 22, 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand when it became an official anthem for the city. WK It was subsequently released as a single in New Zealand, reaching #17. Springsteen also performed the song at the December 12, 2012 Concert for Sandy Relief, a response to Hurricane Sandy. WK At the 32nd annual Kennedy Center Honors which paid tribute to Springsteen and others on December 29, 2009, Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam performed the song. His version charted, reaching #92 on the Billboard Hot 100. WK Proceeds went to Artists for Peace and Justice Haiti Relief. SF Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Bruce Springsteen SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 2/28/2023.