About the song
One Step Up by Bruce Springsteen is a poignant song from his 1987 album Tunnel of Love. Here’s a breakdown of its background and themes:
Background:
- The song was written during a difficult time in Springsteen’s personal life, reflecting on the struggles of his first marriage which ended in divorce the following year [American Songwriter].
- It was one of the first times Springsteen tackled love and its pitfalls in such a raw and introspective way [American Songwriter].
- Unlike his usual E Street Band sound, Springsteen plays all the instruments himself on this track, creating a more intimate atmosphere [Wikipedia].
Themes:
- Relationship struggles: The lyrics paint a picture of a deteriorating relationship with constant arguments and a sense of lost connection (“We’re giving each other some hard lessons lately/ But we ain’t learnin’ “).
- Self-reflection and regret: The narrator wrestles with his own shortcomings and feels he’s strayed from the person he wanted to be (“When I look at myself I don’t see/ The man I wanted to be”).
- Stagnation and missed opportunities: The title metaphor “One step up and two steps back” captures the feeling of being stuck in a cycle with no progress.
- Loneliness and temptation: The imagery of a bar and a woman across the room hints at the temptation for solace outside the relationship (“Girl across the bar… I get the message she’s sendin’ “).
Overall, One Step Up is a powerful ballad about the complexities of love, loss, and the struggle to maintain connection.
Video
Lyrics
Woke up this morning my house was coldChecked out the furnace she wasn’t burnin’Went out and hoped in my old FordHit the engine but she ain’t turnin’We’ve given each other some hard lessons latelyBut we ain’t learnin’We’re the same sad story that’s a factOne step up and two steps back
Bird on a wire outside my motel roomBut he ain’t singin’Girl in white outside a church in JuneBut the church bells they ain’t ringingI’m sittin’ here in this bar tonightBut all I’m thinkin’ isI’m the same old story same old actOne step up and two steps back
It’s the same thing night on nightWho’s wrong baby who’s rightAnother fight and I slam the door onAnother battle in our dirty little warWhen I look at myself I don’t seeThe man I wanted to beSomewhere along the line I slipped off trackI’m caught movin’ one step up and two steps back
There’s a girl across the barI get the message she’s sendin’Mmm she ain’t lookin’ to marriedAnd me well honey I’m pretendingLast night I dreamed I held you in my armsThe music was never-endingWe danced as the evening sky faded to blackOne step up and two steps back