Come on, rise up!

a blood red circle

the church door is thrown open

the organ

the congregation

my city of ruins...

bells

to drift

scattered leaves

boarded up windows

empty streets

knees

my city of ruins...

Come on, rise up!

with these hands

I pray Lord

There is a blood red circle on the cold dark ground and the rain is falling down. The church door is thrown open I can hear the organ's song but the congregation's gone. My city of ruins, my city of ruins

Now the sweet bells of mercy drift through the evening trees young men on the corner like scattered leaves. The boarded up windows, the empty streets while my brother's down on his knees. My city of ruins, my city of ruins

Come on, rise up!

(now with these hands, with these hands, with these hands, with these hands) I pray Lord (with these hands, with these hands) I pray for the strength, Lord (with these hands, with these hands) I pray for the faith, Lord I pray for your love, Lord I pray for the strength, Lord I pray for your love, Lord we pray for the faith, Lord I pray for the strength, Lord come on, come on, rise up! Come on, rise up!

My City of ruins was written in 2000 and dedicated to Asbury Park (New Jersey).

Once a popular resort destination in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Asbury Park had succumbed to significant amounts of blight for a variety of reasons, including the ill-effects of the Great Depression, the opening of the Garden State Parkway, and race riots.

Bruce Springsteen named his first album "Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J." in 1973 and described his early life there.

New Jersey beach towns such as Asbury Park inspired the themes of ordinary life in Bruce Springsteen's music.

Today’s song, despite being written in 2000 and dedicated to Asbury Park, was then included in the 2002 Springsteen’s record “The rising”, dedicated to 9/11.

It was included in that record because it took on an entirely new meaning soon after the September 11 attacks.

Bruce Springsteen is an American musician, born in 1949 in Long Branch (New Jersey).

So far, he has recorded many beautiful songs, among which there are: The River, Thunder road, Racing in the street, Atlantic City, Cover me, My hometown, Bobby Jean and many more.