Spare Parts
Producers
Spare Parts Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Bobby said he'd pull out, Bobby stayed in
Janey had a baby, it wasn't any sin
They were set to marry on a summer day
Bobby got scared and he ran away
[Verse 2]
Jane moved in with her ma out on Shawnee Lake
She sighed, "Ma sometimes my whole life feels like one big mistake"
She settled in in a back room, time passed on
Later that winter, a son come along
[Chorus]
Spare parts and broken hearts
Keep the world turnin' around
[Verse 3]
Now Janey walked that baby across the floor night after night
But she was a young girl and she missed the party lights
Meanwhile in South Texas in a dirty oil patch
Bobby heard about his son bein' born and swore he wasn't ever goin' back
[Chorus]
Spare parts and broken hearts
Keep the world turnin' around
Bobby said he'd pull out, Bobby stayed in
Janey had a baby, it wasn't any sin
They were set to marry on a summer day
Bobby got scared and he ran away
[Verse 2]
Jane moved in with her ma out on Shawnee Lake
She sighed, "Ma sometimes my whole life feels like one big mistake"
She settled in in a back room, time passed on
Later that winter, a son come along
[Chorus]
Spare parts and broken hearts
Keep the world turnin' around
[Verse 3]
Now Janey walked that baby across the floor night after night
But she was a young girl and she missed the party lights
Meanwhile in South Texas in a dirty oil patch
Bobby heard about his son bein' born and swore he wasn't ever goin' back
[Chorus]
Spare parts and broken hearts
Keep the world turnin' around
[Bridge]
Janey heard about a woman over in Calverton
Put her baby in the river, let the river roll on
She looked at her boy in the crib where he lay
Got down on her knees, cried 'til she prayed
[Verse 4]
Mist was on the water, low run the tide
Janey held her son down at the riverside
Waist deep in the water, how bright the sun shone
She lifted him in her arms and carried him home
[Verse 5]
As he lay sleeping in her bed, Janey took a look around at everything
Went to a drawer in her bureau and got out her old engagement ring
Took out her wedding dress, tied that ring up in its sash
Went straight down to the pawn shop man and walked out with some good cold cash
[Chorus]
Spare parts and broken hearts
Keep the world turnin' around
Janey heard about a woman over in Calverton
Put her baby in the river, let the river roll on
She looked at her boy in the crib where he lay
Got down on her knees, cried 'til she prayed
[Verse 4]
Mist was on the water, low run the tide
Janey held her son down at the riverside
Waist deep in the water, how bright the sun shone
She lifted him in her arms and carried him home
[Verse 5]
As he lay sleeping in her bed, Janey took a look around at everything
Went to a drawer in her bureau and got out her old engagement ring
Took out her wedding dress, tied that ring up in its sash
Went straight down to the pawn shop man and walked out with some good cold cash
[Chorus]
Spare parts and broken hearts
Keep the world turnin' around
About
Genius Annotation
“This is a song about a woman struggling to understand the value of her own independent existence. The value of the life of her child. To put down her old dreams and parts of her past that are keeping her down. Trying to find something new and beautiful and meaningful in her life today.”
-Bruce Springsteen, Spare Parts music video.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
- 1.Born to Run
- 4.Badlands
- 5.Hungry Heart
- 10.Cover Me
- 12.I’m on Fire
- 13.Glory Days
- 14.I’m Goin’ Down
- 15.My Hometown
- 16.War
- 18.Tunnel of Love
- 19.One Step Up
- 21.Spare Parts
- 22.Human Touch
- 23.Better Days
- 25.Roll of the Dice
- 27.Secret Garden
- 29.Dead Man Walkin’
- 30.Blood Brothers (Alternate Version) (Missing Lyrics)
- 32.American Beauty
Credits
Producers
Writer
Recording Engineer
Label
Vocals
Guitar
Harmonica
Organ
Percussion
Bass
Mixing Engineer
Mastering Engineer
Released on
October 9, 1987
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