"Point Blank" is a song written by

Bruce Springsteen Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer and songwriter. He has released 21 studio albums, most of which feature his backing band, the E Street Band. Originally from the Jersey Shore, he is an originat ...

and first released on Springsteen's 1980 album '' The River''. In Europe, it was also released as a single in 1981, backed by another song from ''The River'', "

Ramrod A ramrod (or scouring stick) is a metal or wooden device used with muzzleloading firearms to push the projectile up against the propellant (mainly blackpowder). The ramrod was used with weapons such as muskets and cannons and was usually held i ...

". Although it was not released as a single in the US, it did reach #20 on the

Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks Mainstream Rock is a music chart in ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States, a category that combines the formats of active rock and heritage rock. The chart was launched in Ma ...

chart.

Lyrics and music

"Point Blank" is recorded in the key of

B minor B minor is a minor scale based on B, consisting of the pitches B, C, D, E, F, G, and A. Its key signature has two sharps. Its relative major is D major and its parallel major is B major. The B natural minor scale is: : Changes neede ...

with a

soft rock Soft rock is a form of rock music that originated in the late 1960s in Southern California and the United Kingdom which smoothed over the edges of singer-songwriter and pop rock, relying on simple, melodic songs with big, lush productions. S ...

tempo In musical terminology, tempo (Italian, 'time'; plural ''tempos'', or ''tempi'' from the Italian plural) is the speed or pace of a given piece. In classical music, tempo is typically indicated with an instruction at the start of a piece (often ...

of 116 beats per minute with Springsteen’s vocals ranging from B3 to A5 while the song follows a

chord progression In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...

of Bm-G-A-F#m-F#7. The song was written in 1978, and was the first song Springsteen wrote after completing the ''

Darkness on the Edge of Town ''Darkness on the Edge of Town'' is the fourth studio album by American rock singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on June 2, 1978, by Columbia Records. The album marked the end of a three-year gap between albums brought on by contractua ...

'' album. "Point Blank" had its live premiere on July 7, 1978 in a concert on the

Darkness Tour Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's Darkness Tour was a concert tour of North America that ran from May 1978 through the rest of the year, in conjunction with the release of Springsteen's album ''Darkness on the Edge of Town''. (Like most ...

at the Roxy Theatre in

West Hollywood, California West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. It is considered one of the most ...

, at which "

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...

" was also premiered. In its 1978 incarnation, the lyrics dealt with the singer's girlfriend's drug addiction. A live 1978 performance from Houston, Texas is included on a DVD in '' The Promise'' box set. After several lyrical revisions, Point Blank was recorded on August 23–25, 1979 at

Power Station A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electrical grid. Many p ...

Studios, New York City, NY. In 2015, Springsteen stated that he regards "Point Blank," " Stolen Car," "

" and the title track as being "the heart and soul" of ''The River'' album. "Point Blank", along with the

title track A title track is a song that has the same name as the album or film in which it appears. In the Korean music industry, the term is used to describe a promoted song on an album, akin to a single, regardless of the song's title. Title track may al ...

, " Wreck on the Highway" and "

", is one of the verse-chorus songs on ''The River'' that was essentially a short story or character sketch. As with "The River" and "Independence Day", this song deals with the disappointments of working-class family life. With ''The River'', Springsteen figured out how to create an album on which happy songs like "Sherry Darling" could co-exist with painful songs like "Point Blank". And "Point Blank" is one of the most painful songs on the album. The emotions covered by the song include disappointment, fear, loneliness and desperation. "Point Blank" is also one of several songs on the album dealing with the conflict between dreams and reality. The singer dreams that he is still with his former girlfriend and they are dancing together. But waking up, he realizes he saw the girlfriend standing in the doorway trying to stay out of the rain, looking "like just another stranger waitin' to get blown away." The ex-girlfriend is the subject of the song's narrative. She grew up fast, but rather than getting the life she wanted, she ended up on

welfare Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specificall ...

. The singer sings that: :''I was gonna be your Romeo you were gonna be my Juliet'' :''These days you don't wait on Romeos'' :''You wait on that welfare check'' This was the third reference to a

Romeo Romeo Montague () is the male protagonist of William Shakespeare's tragedy ''Romeo and Juliet''. The son of Lord Montague and his wife, Lady Montague, he secretly loves and marries Juliet, a member of the rival House of Capulet, through a priest ...

in a Springsteen-penned song, earlier ones being "

Incident on 57th Street "Incident on 57th Street" is a song written by Bruce Springsteen that was first released on his 1973 album ''The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle''. It has been described by critics as a key development in Springsteen's songwriting caree ...

" from the 1973 album ''

The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle ''The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle'' is the second studio album by American rock singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen. It was recorded by Springsteen with the E Street Band at 914 Sound Studios, Blauvelt, New York, and released on No ...

'' and "

Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material (the fuel) in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. At a certain point in the combustion reaction, called the ignition ...

", which was covered by

Robert Gordon Robert Gordon may refer to: Entertainment * Robert Gordon (actor) (1895–1971), silent-film actor * Robert Gordon (director) (1913–1990), American director * Robert Gordon (singer) (1947–2022), American rockabilly singer * Robert Gordon (scr ...

in 1978. The music is highlighted by

Roy Bittan Roy J. Bittan (born July 2, 1949) is an American musician best known as a long-time member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. Nicknamed "The Professor", Bittan joined the E Street Band in 1974. He plays the piano, organ, accordion and synthe ...

's sensitive piano playing and Springsteen's singing, alternating between vulnerability, disbelief and anger.

Themes

Author Rob Kirkpatrick describes the theme of the "Point Blank" as "you're born dying." Jeffrey Symynkywicz described the theme as being that "there is an inexorable decline that is carved at the heart of life." Springsteen has stated that one of the themes of the song is the fact that if you ease up as you get older, you effectively cease to exist. When introducing the song at a 1981 concert, Springsteen stated:

A song ain't no good until somebody hears it. By yourself you can't have an effect. You have to reach out. This is a song about someone who loses that power, which is the most powerful thing in the world – your ability to affect your friends' lives ... and my life ... and maybe I can do somethin' for you. So ... this is called "Point Blank."

There are at least two theories as to the origin of the title. One theory is that it comes from the 1967

Lee Marvin Lee Marvin (born Lamont Waltman Marvin Jr.; February 19, 1924August 29, 1987) was an American film and television actor. Known for his bass voice and premature white hair, he is best remembered for playing hardboiled "tough guy" characters. Alth ...

movie ''

Point Blank Point-blank range is any distance over which a certain firearm can hit a target without the need to compensate for bullet drop, and can be adjusted over a wide range of distances by sighting in the firearm. If the bullet leaves the barrel paral ...

''. Another is that it came from a comment made by an ex-girlfriend during the heat of an argument.

Critical reception

Rolling Stone Magazine ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its cov ...

'' critic

Dave Marsh Dave Marsh (born March 1, 1950) is an American music critic, and radio talk show host. He was an early editor of ''Creem'' magazine, has written for various publications such as ''Newsday'', ''The Village Voice'', and ''Rolling Stone (magazine), ...

described the song as "portentous." Author June Skinner Sawyers described the song as "a song of shadows, of lives going nowhere, of broken relationships, and broken promises."

Personnel

According to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon: *

– vocals, guitars *

– piano *

Clarence Clemons Clarence Anicholas Clemons Jr. (January 11, 1942 – June 18, 2011), also known as The Big Man, was an American musician and actor. From 1972 until his death in 2011, he was the saxophonist for The E Street Band. Clemons released several s ...

– triangle, guiro *

Danny Federici Daniel Paul Federici (January 23, 1950 – April 17, 2008) was an American musician, best known as the organ, glockenspiel, and accordion player and a founding member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band. In 2014, Federici was posthumously induct ...

– organ *

Garry Tallent Garry Wayne Tallent (born October 27, 1949), sometimes billed as Garry W. Tallent, is an American musician and record producer, best known for being bass player and founding member of the E Street Band, Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band si ...

– bass *

Steven Van Zandt Steven Van Zandt (né Lento; born November 22, 1950), also known as Little Steven or Miami Steve, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor. He is a member of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band, in which he plays guitar and mandolin ...

– guitars, vocal harmonies *

Max Weinberg Max Weinberg (born April 13, 1951) is an American drummer and television personality, most widely known as the longtime drummer for Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band and as the bandleader for Conan O'Brien on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' a ...

– drums

References

External links

Lyrics & Audio clips from Brucespringsteen.net
{{Authority control 1980 songs 1981 singles Bruce Springsteen songs Songs written by Bruce Springsteen Song recordings produced by Jon Landau Columbia Records singles Song recordings produced by Bruce Springsteen Song recordings produced by Steven Van Zandt