“Streets of Philadelphia”: Bruce Springsteen Video Locations and Local Significance
Bruce Springsteen released “Streets of Philadelphia” as a single in 1993 for the movie Philadelphia.
Philadelphia tells the story of an attorney who gets fired by employers who find out about his homosexuality and HIV status. Tom Hanks won the Oscar for best actor for his role in the film, and Denzel Washington also played a lead role.
The “Streets of Philadelphia” title still draws local attention, but the lyrics don’t contain many specific references to the City of Brotherly Love. The movie also isn’t one of the most commonly associated with Philadelphia (ironically).
The song’s official music video, however, provides the most direct references to the city of Philadelphia.
Streets of Philadelphia
The official music video features Bruce Springsteen walking the streets in recognizable neighborhoods. Identifiable spots include South Philly, Port Richmond, Northern Liberties, Society Hill, and Center City.
Peaches Goodrich undertook an incredibly creative “Covid-19 passion project” to identify the video’s background locations using Google Maps and Street View.
"I was bruised and battered
— The Extreme Music Enthusiast (@TheExtremeMusi1) August 8, 2023
I couldn't tell what I felt
I was unrecognizable to myself
Saw my reflection in a window
And didn't know my own face
Oh brother are you gonna leave me wastin' away
On the #StreetsOfPhiladelphia?"
— Bruce Springsteen pic.twitter.com/5rVa144qa1
The first set of locations is upward toward Northeast Philly. Peaches used the St. John Neumann Shrine on 5th Street and Girard Ave. as the primary reference point to determine the locations.
The second set of scenes is between Ellsworth and Federal Streets in South Philly near Sacks Playground. Other locations include Rittenhouse Square and the blocks of Fairmount.
The background images of mural art across the city, especially in neighborhoods of West Philly, authentically represent the feel of the city for its residents.
Shots of City Hall, the Ben Franklin Bridge, the skyline, and the Liberty Bell also appear in the music video. Some of the overhead shots also appear in the film Philadelphia.
Local Bruce Springsteen Connections
The Boss grew up in Freehold, New Jersey, and he has glorified the Jersey Shore more than any national celebrity. A Springsteen concert at the Wells Fargo Center is still a sure sellout. He even has the sellout banner hanging in the rafters to prove it.
A city that lets local connections run deep will never push away the singer of “Streets of Philadelphia.”
16 Bruce Springsteen Songs with Inspiring Lyrics
Born to Run
Together we could break this trap
We’ll run till we drop, baby we’ll never go back
Tramps like us, baby we were born to run
The Promised Land
I’ve done my best to live the right way
I get up every morning and go to work each day
But your eyes go blind and your blood runs cold
Sometimes I feel so weak I just want to explode
Well there’s a dark cloud rising from the desert floor
I packed my bags and I’m heading straight into the storm
Gonna be a twister to blow everything down
That ain’t got the faith to stand its ground
Blow away the dreams that tear you apart
Blow away the dreams that break your heart
Blow away the lies that leave you nothing but lost and brokenhearted
Dancing in the Dark
I check my look in the mirror
I wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face
Man, I ain’t getting nowhere
I’m just living in a dump like this
There’s something happening somewhere
Baby, I just know that there is
Brilliant Disguise
God have mercy on the man
Who doubts what he’s sure of
Badlands
Poor man wanna be rich, rich man wanna be king
And a king ain’t satisfied till he rules everything
Well I believe in the love that you gave me
I believe in the faith that could save me
I believe in the hope and I pray that some day
It may raise me above these… BADLANDS
Rosalita (Come out Tonight)
Someday we’ll look back on this and it will all seem funny
Growin' Up
And I swear I found the key to the universe
In the engine of an old parked car
Thunder Road
With a chance to make it good somehow
Hey what else can we do now
Except roll down the window and let the wind blow back your hair
Well the night’s busting open
These two lanes will take us anywhere
It’s a town full of losers
And I’m pulling out of here to win
Prove It All Night
You hear their voices telling you not to go
They made their choices and they’ll never know
Out In The Street
All day you’ve been working that hard line
Now tonight you’re gonna have a good time
And Monday when the foreman calls time
I’ve already got Friday on my mind
Jersey Girl
Cause down the shore everything’s all right
You and your baby on a Saturday night
You know all my dreams come true
When I’m walking down the street with you
Darkness on the Edge of Town
Well everybody’s got a secret, son
Something that they just can’t face
Some folks spend their whole lives trying to keep it
They carry it with them every step that they take
The Rising
Lost track of how far I’ve gone
How far I’ve gone, how high I’ve climbed
On my back’s a sixty pound stone
On my shoulder, a half-mile line
Waitin' on a Sunny Day
It’s raining, but there ain’t a cloud in the sky
Must’ve been a tear from your eye
Everything will be okay
Hard times, baby well they come to us all
Sure as the ticking of the clock on the wall
Sure as the turning of the night into day
The River
Now all them things that seemed so important
Well, mister, they vanished right into the air
Now those memories come back to haunt me
They haunt me like a curse
Is a dream a lie if it don’t come true
Or is it something worse
Glory Days
I think I’m going down to the well tonight
And I’m gonna drink till I get my fill
And I hope when I get old I don’t sit around thinking about it
But I probably will
Well time slips away and leaves you with nothing, mister, but
Boring stories of glory days
