| "For You" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Song by Bruce Springsteen from the album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. | ||||
| Released | January 5, 1973 | |||
| Recorded | 1972 914 Sound Studios, Blauvelt, New York |
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| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 4:40 | |||
| Label | Columbia Records | |||
| Writer | Bruce Springsteen | |||
| Producer | Mike Appel, Jim Cretecos | |||
| Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. track listing | ||||
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"For You" is a song by Bruce Springsteen from the album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. in 1973. It was later included on the compilation album The Essential Bruce Springsteen. It has also been covered by Manfred Mann's Earth Band, The Format, and Greg Kihn.
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Like most of the songs on Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., "For You" was recorded at 914 Sound Studios in Blauvelt, New York between July and September, 1972.[1] Musicians participating in these sessions included future E Street Band members David Sancious, Garry Tallent and Vini Lopez.[1] It is a climactic, percussion-driven song. Unlike many other songs on Springsteen's debut album, it takes the time to pace and build.[2]
The lyrics[3] are about a woman who has attempted suicide.[4][5] She does not need the singer's "urgency" even though her life is "one long emergency" as Springsteen sings in the chorus (along with "and your cloud line urges me, and my electric surges free"). The singer is committed to doing anything to save her, and admires her ability to hang on.[4] Once again, the lyrics are evocative of images and not details, and little can be said in description.
Like "Blinded By The Light" and "Spirit in the Night" (on The Roaring Silence), this song was covered by Manfred Mann's Earth Band for their album Chance.[6] As with Manfred Mann Earth Band's previous Springsteen covers, they used a more forceful, rockier sound in "For You" than Springsteen did.[6] The Earth Band version built from a more temperate beginning to an explosion of sound in the bridge, and incorporates five guitars and an impressive keyboard solo by Manfred Mann 3/4 of the way into the song.[6] The song was also included on the compilation albums The Best of Manfred Mann's Earth Band and Blinded by the Light & Other Hits.[6] However, the single release did not achieve the success of their other Springsteen covers.
The song was also covered by Greg Kihn on his 1977 album Greg Kihn Again.[7] Kihn's cover received favorable comments from Springsteen.[7] It was also included on the compilation album Best of Kihn.[8]
This song was also covered by The Format on their B-Sides & Rarities album.