"Working on a Dream"
Single by Bruce Springsteen
from the album Working on a Dream
ReleasedNovember 21, 2008
GenreRock
Length3:31
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Bruce Springsteen
Producer(s)Brendan O'Brien
Bruce Springsteen singles chronology
"Girls in Their Summer Clothes"
(2008)		 "Working on a Dream"
(2008)		 "My Lucky Day"
(2008)

"Working on a Dream" is the title song to, and first single from, Bruce Springsteen's 2009 album Working on a Dream. At the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards, it won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Solo.

History

The song's sunny lyric develops what Rolling Stone called "a rare and timely moment of unabashed optimism" for Springsteen, possibly connected to the impending arrival of the Barack Obama administration:[1]

I'm working on a dream,
Though sometimes it feels so far away ...
I'm working on a dream,
And I know it will be mine someday.

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 glossy Brendan 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 in Cleveland for Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign, in an acoustic performance accompanied by Patti Scialfa. A chopped-up airing of the recorded version first appeared during the November 16 NBC 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 via iTunes and the Sony BMG website on November 24. The track entered the UK 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 American Triple-A Charts, peaking at No. 2, blocked only by "Get On Your Boots" by U2.

Deep blue stage lighting matched the album cover's look and feel during a Working on a Dream Tour performance of the title song; the band looks on as Clarence Clemons does the whistling break. Hartford Civic Center, April 24, 2009.

"Working on a Dream" had its first E Street Band performance on February 1, 2009, when it was included as part of Springsteen's halftime show during Super Bowl XLIII. This abbreviated rendition featured a full choir backing Springsteen, Scialfa, and Steve Van Zandt delivering the vocals from a pit stage in front of the main stage. Days later, during the Grammy Awards of 2009, Coldplay singer Chris Martin dropped the title phrase into the group's performance of "Viva La Vida".[4]

When the 2009 Working 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 vocalists Curtis King and Cindy Mizelle (two veterans of the Sessions Band Tour) had a significant role to play in the vocal layering, and saxophonist Clarence 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 rap that had been developed during the prior Magic Tour.

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "Working on a Dream"
Chart (2009) Peak
Position
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Flanders)[5] 14
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[6] 48
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)[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
US Billboard Hot 100[13] 95
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)[14] 2

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "Working on a Dream"
Chart (2009) Position
Hungary (Rádiós TOP 100)[15] 171

References

  1. ↑ Hiatt, Brian (January 21, 2009). "Album Review: Working on a Dream". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 23, 2009. Retrieved January 28, 2009.
  2. ↑ Goldstein, Stan (November 20, 2008). "Hear "Working on a Dream" on Friday". The Star Ledger. Retrieved November 25, 2008.
  3. ↑ UK Singles Chart, chart date December 6, 2008.
  4. ↑ DeLuca, Dan (February 9, 2009). "Duo dominates Grammy night". The Philadelphia Inquirer. Archived from the original on February 14, 2009. Retrieved February 9, 2009.
  5. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen – Working On A Dream" (in Dutch). Ultratip. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen – Working On A Dream" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen the e street band Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  8. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen – Working On A Dream" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved June 1, 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, with "Working on a dream" in the "Titolo" field, click "cerca".
  10. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen – Working On A Dream". VG-lista. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  11. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen – Working On A Dream". Singles Top 100. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen – Working On A Dream". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen the e street band Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen the e street band Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved June 1, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Éves összesített listák – MAHASZ Rádiós TOP 100 (súlyozott)". Mahasz. Mahasz.
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