| "Adam Raised a Cain" | |
|---|---|
| Song byBruce Springsteen | |
| from the albumDarkness on the Edge of Town | |
| Released | June 2, 1978[1] |
| Recorded | November 9, 1977 – February 17, 1978 (mixed Feb 15–17, 1978) |
| Studio | Record Plant Studios,New York, New York |
| Genre | Hard rock,blues rock,punk rock[2] |
| Length | 4:32(album version) 5:26(live version) |
| Label | Columbia[1] |
| Songwriter(s) | Bruce Springsteen |
| Producer(s) | Bruce Springsteen,Jon Landau[1] |
"Adam Raised a Cain" is the second track fromBruce Springsteen's fourth albumDarkness on the Edge of Town.
The song is notable for itshard rock sound and lyrics that use biblical images to explain the relationship between a father and son (symbolised asAdam and his son,Cain).
Springsteen calls this song "emotionally autobiographical." The bitter but loving relationship between the father and son is similar to Springsteen's with his own father, Douglas. Springsteen once said: "Our actual relationship was probably more complicated than how I presented it. Those songs were ways that I spoke to my father at the time, because he didn't speak and we didn't talk very much."[3]
In the 2010 documentaryThe Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town, sound mixerChuck Plotkin described Springsteen's instructions for how the jarring assault of this song should sound next to the more melodic tunes onDarkness. Springsteen told Plotkin to think of a movie showing two lovers having a picnic, when the scene suddenly cuts to a dead body. This song, the singer explained, is that body.[3]
Springsteen and the E Street Band released a longer version of the song on their 1986live albumLive/1975–85.
The song was used in the filmBaby It's You, directed byJohn Sayles, who would also direct Springsteen's video clips for "Born in the U.S.A.", "I'm on Fire" and "Glory Days".[3]
The song was used in Season 7 during the opening scene of episode 13 "Papa's Goods," the series finale ofSons of Anarchy. The creator ofSons of AnarchyKurt Sutter originally wanted to use the song as a cover in the final episode of Season 3, but there were issues with licensing fromSony and Springsteen did not like the idea of a cover of his song. An agreement was finally reached where the song would be played in its original version for the series finale.[4]
According to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon, and the album's liner notes:[5][6]
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