| "Working on a Dream" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single byBruce Springsteen | ||||
| from the albumWorking on a Dream | ||||
| Released | November 21, 2008 | |||
| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 3:31 | |||
| Label | Columbia | |||
| Songwriter | Bruce Springsteen | |||
| Producer | Brendan O'Brien | |||
| Bruce Springsteen singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| Working on a Dream on Youtube.com | ||||
"Working on a Dream" is a song byBruce Springsteen, released in 2008 as the title track and first single from his sixteenth studioalbum of the same name (2009). It won theGrammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo at the52nd Annual Grammy Awards.
The song's sunny lyric develops whatRolling Stone called "a rare and timely moment of unabashed optimism" for Springsteen, possibly connected to the impending arrival of theBarack Obama administration:[1]
The title phrase is present in both the verses and chorus, and occurs some twenty times altogether in the song. The arrangement is mid-tempo, propelled by an acoustic guitar with organ and electric guitar washes throughout; the glossyBrendan O'Brien production also features partly submerged "la-la" backing vocals. The instrumental break features Springsteen whistling against a bari sax line.
"Working on a Dream" was first performed during Springsteen's November 2, 2008 appearance inCleveland forBarack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, in an acoustic performance accompanied byPatti Scialfa. A chopped-up airing of the recorded version first appeared during the November 16NBC Sunday Night Football broadcast at halftime.
The intact "Working on a Dream" began airing on radio stations and their websites on November 21, 2008,[2] and was made available for free download viaiTunes and theSony BMG website on November 24. The track entered theUK Singles Chart at position 195 the following week.[3] A music video appeared on some foreign sites showing the recording of the song. The song was a big hit on the AmericanTriple-A Charts, peaking at No. 2, blocked only by "Get On Your Boots" byU2.
"Working on a Dream" had its firstE Street Band performance on February 1, 2009, when it was included as part of Springsteen's halftime show duringSuper Bowl XLIII. This abbreviated rendition featured a full choir backing Springsteen, Scialfa, andSteve Van Zandt delivering the vocals from a pit stage in front of the main stage. Days later, during theGrammy Awards of 2009,Coldplay singerChris Martin dropped the title phrase into the group's performance of "Viva La Vida".[4]
When the 2009Working on a Dream Tour began, the song became one of the surprisingly few selections from the album to be included into the show. Augmenting-for-the-tour backing vocalistsCurtis King and Cindy Mizelle (two veterans of theSessions Band Tour) had a significant role to play in the vocal layering, and saxophonistClarence Clemons performed the whistling break in the middle of the song. Three minutes in, Springsteen inserted a modified version of this "Build a House" stage speech that had been developed during the priorMagic Tour.
| Chart (2009) | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[5] | 14 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[6] | 48 |
| CanadaHot 100 (Billboard)[7] | 91 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[8] | 65 |
| Italy (Musica e Dischi)[9] | 26 |
| Norway (VG-lista)[10] | 9 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[11] | 37 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[12] | 31 |
| USBillboard Hot 100[13] | 95 |
| USAdult Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[14] | 2 |
| Chart (2009) | Position |
|---|---|
| Hungary (Rádiós TOP 100)[15] | 171 |
