"Born to Run" is a rock composition written by Bruce Springsteen, begun in late 1973 when the title came to him while on the road in Tennessee, with writing and recording spanning into 1974-1975. Released as the title track of his third album on Columbia Records in August 1975, it became his breakthrough single, reaching number 23 on the U.S. charts. The composition opens with a signature guitar riff inspired by Duane Eddy's twangy style, bending from a minor to major third, and builds into an anthemic vocal melody that draws on rock and roll, rockabilly, and Tin Pan Alley influences. Springsteen crafted the arrangement using a Phil Spector-influenced Wall of Sound approach, layering up to 72 tracks of guitars, piano, horns, strings, glockenspiel, and backing vocals into a dense, cinematic production. The lyrics tell the story of two young lovers seeking escape from a dead-end town, with Springsteen drawing on earlier material including his 1970 Steel Mill song "Oh Mama" for the opening line while extensively rewriting to avoid rock cliches. Clarence Clemons's tenor saxophone solo provides a central instrumental passage that has become one of the most recognizable moments in rock music. The song marks a pivotal point in Springsteen's artistic development, establishing his template of character-driven narratives exploring themes of entrapment and liberation that would define his subsequent career across decades of work.
