Songtext Jungeland Bruce Springsteen

Jungeland

(early version)

Well the rangers had a home-coming in harlem late last night

And the magic rat piloted his sleek machine across the jersey state line

Barefoot girl sits drinking warm beer on the hood of an old dodge

In the soft summer rain

Rat rolls up his pants, together theyd make a stab at romance

And move down flamingo lane

Well now the maximum lawmen they run down the flamingo chasing the rat

And the barefoot girl

But the kids they live like shadows in empty doorways
(but they live like shadows in the vacant doorways)

Always silent, holding hands

The rat pulls her close (the rat pulls mary close)

And from the churches to the jails there is silence in the world
(all is silent in the world)

For tonight theyd take their chance

Down here in jungleland

Well thers a crazy kind of light tonight

Brighter than the one that sparkles for prophets

Brighter than the giant exxon sign that brings this fair city light

Theres an opera out on the turnpike, theres a ballet being fought outside
The
Alley

Well the cops they let their faces show and rips this holy night

The streets alive with tough-kid jets in nova-light machines

Boys flash guitars like bayonets and rip holes in their jeans

Then the hungry and the haunted explode into rock n roll bands

They face off against each other when they meet

Down here in jungleland

The streetss on fire in a classic death waltz

Between the masters of flesh and fantasy

The poets down here dont write nothin at all, they just stand and and let

It all be

And in the quick of the night they reach for their moment to make an honest
Stand

But they wind up wounded, not rightly dead, down here in jungleland - yes

They do

Oh beneath the city their hearts beat, soul cool engines tired and brave

Oh as the young (jungle) girls stand by fire angels fallen in the city

In the tunnels of machines theyll hear the screams

Drowned out by the roarin trains

Them rats above, oh locked in love

The rat saves her from the edge of an on-coming train

That angel rides a...

Down here in jungleland - oh yes they do

They hear the animals sing - oh oh oh

Alternative verses:

In the parking lots the visionairies are dressed in the latest rage

As the spanish angels dance soft and low in a blacked arcade

But the lights are so bright as he crosses the room

The band moves into the song

He takes her hand, looks in her eyes and theyre gone - gone

In the tunnel of machines the rat chases his dreams

On that forever (lasting) burning light

So the barefoot girl crawls into bed, shakes her head

And with a kiss and a sigh she shuts out all the light

Beneath the city their hearts beat, soul cool engines silent and...

Oh until the girls cry like silent angels in port authority halls

In the tunnel of machines theyll hear the screams

Drowned out by the roarin train

And layers above, oh locked in love

The rat reappears on flamingo lane

Then an angel rises from the sands

And disappears - down in jungleland