“No Surrender” by Bruce Springsteen

"No Surrender" almost didn't make Born in the U.S.A.; it landed on the 1984 album only because Steven Van Zandt dug his heels in and insisted. It's a blast of pure momentum, Max Weinberg's drums charging, Roy Bittan's piano rolling, Danny Federici's organ and glockenspiel glinting and Clarence Clemons blowing sax, with Bruce Springsteen out front hollering like the whole night is still up for grabs. Bob Clearmountain mixed it.

On the tour that followed, Springsteen slowed it down to acoustic guitar and harmonica, then played it less and less; he later admitted he'd grown uneasy with a song about always holding out, when real life means compromise, defeat and plenty of gray. It became a staple of his concerts all the same, and in 2004 John Kerry made it the theme of his presidential campaign.

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