Woke up this morning my house was cold
Checked out the furnace she wasn't burnin'
Went out and hoped in my old Ford
Hit the engine but she ain't turnin'
We've given each other some hard lessons lately
But we ain't learnin'
We're the same sad story that's a fact
One step up and two steps back

Bird on a wire outside my motel room
But he ain't singin'
Girl in white outside a church in June
But the church bells they ain't ringing
I'm sittin' here in this bar tonight
But all I'm thinkin' is
I'm the same old story same old act
One step up and two steps back

It's the same thing night on night
Who's wrong baby who's right
Another fight and I slam the door on
Another battle in our dirty little war
When I look at myself I don't see
The man I wanted to be
Somewhere along the line I slipped off track
I'm caught movin' one step up and two steps back

There's a girl across the bar
I get the message she's sendin'
Mmm she ain't lookin' to married
And me well honey I'm pretending
Last night I dreamed I held you in my arms
The music was never-ending
We danced as the evening sky faded to black
One step up and two steps back


Lyrics submitted by oofus

One Step Up Lyrics as written by Bruce Springsteen

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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One Step Up song meanings
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18 Comments

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  • +4
    General Comment

    One of the subtly saddest songs ever written. I think every guy out there can relate to these feelings of failure, regret and dissapointment.

    When I look at myself I don't see The man I wanted to be Somewhere along the line I slipped off track

    Those lines cut right through me...

    But, then the last verse, he picks up a stranger in a bar, AND while sleeping in bed next to her dreams of his wife and what they could, or should, have had.....WOW.

    Bruce is simply a master. BTW, fordtrucker, your entry here is amazingly touching.

    dedazon January 29, 2009   Link

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