New Jersey Turnpike riding on a wet night
'Neath the refinery's glow out where the great black rivers flow
License, registration, I ain't got none
But I got a clear conscience 'bout the things that I done

Mister state trooper, please don't stop me
Please don't stop me, please don't stop me

Maybe you got a kid, maybe you got a pretty wife
The only thing that I got's been bothering me my whole life
Mister state trooper, please don't stop me
Please don't you stop me, please don't you stop me

In the wee wee hours your mind gets hazy
Radio relay towers gonna lead me to my baby
The radio's jammed up with talk show stations
It's just talk, talk, talk, talk, 'til you lose your patience
Mister state trooper, please don't stop me
Whoa
Whoo-whoo

Hey, somebody out there, listen to my last prayer
Hi ho silver-o, deliver me from nowhere
Whoa
Woo


Lyrics submitted by oofus

State Trooper Lyrics as written by Bruce Springsteen

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

State Trooper song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

10 Comments

sort form View by:
  • 0
    General Comment

    @mirrorsreflection I just listened to this song for the first time. It caught my attention so bad that I had to read the lyrics (Engish is not my native language) and I believe you're dead right. I think Bruce is trying to let the story unfold itself by the driver's rumination. Only on the second verse we're told that he worries not that much for himself as for the result of a checkpoint stop. The "I got a clear conscience 'bout the things that I done" line tells us that the driver's past actions are at odds with standard morals, or at least with the law, so it's to be expected that they will be reviewed if he got into trouble somehow. And if he's got no registration papers, it must be for some reason, right? Some reason different than not having had time to get them from the drawer...

    Alienoon May 29, 2023   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Album art
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
Album art
No Surprises
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Album art
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example: "'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Album art
Blue
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.