It’s about a friend.
Bruce Springsteen is well known for hits like Born in The USA, Dancing in The Dark, and Glory Days, which is one of many sports songs inspired by baseball.
Glory Days is about Joe DePugh, who was the great baseball player in the song. DePugh, who played ball with The Boss, might have played college and professional baseball had it not been for his need to find a means to support his younger brothers after their parents passed away.
The Boss ran into DePugh at a summer league game, and (after a few drinks and guitar strums) Glory Days emerged.
“Glory Days” (from Azlyrics.com)
I had a friend was a big baseball player
Back in high school
He could throw that speedball by you
Make you look like a fool boy
Saw him the other night at this roadside bar
I was walking in, he was walking out
We went back inside sat down had a few drinks
But all he kept talking about was
Glory days well they’ll pass you by
Glory days in the wink of a young girl’s eye
Glory days, glory days
Well there’s a girl that lives up the block
Back in school she could turn all the boys’ heads
Sometimes on a Friday I’ll stop by
And have a few drinks after she put her kids to bed
Her and her husband Bobby well they split up
I guess it’s two years gone by now
We just sit around talking about the old times
She says when she feels like crying
She starts laughing thinking about
Glory days well they’ll pass you by
Glory days in the wink of a young girl’s eye
Glory days, glory days
Now I think I’m going down to the well tonight
And I’m going to drink till I get my fill
And I hope when I get old I don’t sit around thinking about it
But I probably will
Yeah, just sitting back trying to recapture
A little of the glory of, well time slips away
And leaves you with nothing mister but
Boring stories of
Glory days well they’ll pass you by
Glory days in the wink of a young girl’s eye
Glory days, glory days
Well they’ll pass you by
Glory days in the wink of a young girl’s eye
Glory days, glory days
