"Youngstown" Bruce Springsteen Cover

"Youngstown" -Bruce Springsteen

Here in northeast Ohio, back in eighteen-o-three
James and Danny Heaton found the ore that was linin' Yellow Creek
They built a blast furnace here along the shore
And they made the cannon balls that helped the Union win the war

Here in Youngstown, here in Youngstown
My sweet Jenny I'm sinkin' down
Here darlin' in Youngstown

Well my daddy worked the furnaces, kept 'em hotter than hell
I come home from 'Nam worked my way to scarfer, a job that'd suit the devil as well
Well taconite coke and limestone fed my children and made my pay
Them smokestacks reachin' like the arms of God into a beautiful sky of soot and clay

Here in Youngstown, here in Youngstown
Sweet Jenny I'm sinkin' down
Here darlin' in Youngstown

Well my daddy come on the Ohio works when he come home from World War Two
Now the yard's just scrap and rubble, he said "Them big boys did what Hitler couldn't do."
Yeah these mills they built the tanks and bombs that won this country's wars
We sent our sons to Korea and Vietnam, now we're wondering what they were dyin' for

Here in Youngstown, here in Youngstown
My sweet Jenny I'm sinkin' down
Here darlin' in Youngstown

From the Monongahela valley to the Mesabi iron range
To the coal mines of Appalachia, the story's always the same
Seven hundred tons of metal a day, now sir you tell me the world's changed
Once I made you rich enough, rich enough to forget my name

And Youngstown, and Youngstown
My sweet Jenny I'm sinkin' down
Here darlin' in Youngstown

When I die I don't want no part of heaven, I would not do heaven's work well
I pray the devil comes and takes me to stand in the fiery furnaces of hell

YOUNGSTOWN is a tribute to the family line of steel workers in Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley. It ponders the corporate bosses who built a steel plant in Youngstown, used up the local resources, and then walked away. The narrator's father says: "Them big boys did what Hitler couldn't do". That particular scenario is directly taken from Journey To Nowhere, in which laid off Youngstown steelworkers Joe Marshall Sr. and Jr. are poking through the rubble of the Campbell Works, whose six 10-story blast furnaces have been dynamited: "How could they shut us down?" The older man pauses. "What Hitler couldn't do, they did it for him."


The Jeanette Blast Furnace (nicknamed Sweet Jenny in the song) once stood along the Mahoning River at the Brier Hill Plant of the Youngstown Sheet And Tube Company (YS&T). Built in 1917-1918 and lighted on 20 Sep 1918 by its namesake, Mary Jeanette Thomas, daughter of W.A. Thomas who was the President of Brier Hill Steel. The Jeanette furnace went out of blast in September 1977 when the Brier Hill Plant was shut down. It was one of the oldest blast furnaces in the United States, and the last of its kind in Youngstown. It was demolished on 29 Jan 1997.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Bruce Springsteen
• youngstown
• ohio
• sweet
• jenny
• steel
• workers
• NE
• Ohio
• guitar
• acoustic
• cover

[teeterqh]

Made me cry! I grew up in Struthers playing in Yellow Creek Park and meeting my grandfather as he walked home from Youngstown Sheet & Tube. My father worked there as well until it closed down and then we were incredibly poor for awhile. My dad still works in a steel mill today.

[eighthavenue]

@teeterqh

Thanks friend for that touching comment. All of us from NE Ohio have suffered with the erosion of the steel industry. But none worse than the families directly effected. Peace -8th

[eighthavenue]

Thanks man! My fan club in Serbia is up to two!! lol

[ElephantRage]

Hat off.

[eighthavenue]

@ElephantRage

Thanks man! Do appreciate that!

[lismaren]

I saw the author who inspired this song on DemocracyNow today so I searched YouTube for a video of the song. Thought Bruce would have a poignant video, but yours is so well done illustrating the essence of the song. Thanks for explaining "Sweet Jenny." We need more jobs in America! This is our 2nd Great Depression and Prez Obama and the Dems in Congress don't have the courage to do what FDR did.... Fight for the Poor and the Middle Class!

[eighthavenue]

@lismaren

Thanks so much! And I couldntn agree more. The working class in this country continues to shoulder the burdens of our society. Greed, dirty politicians, congress, and unfair trade laws have destroyed our ability to manufacture and compete. Thus destroying the lives of hard working men and women across this country.  And yes, we need a man like FDR to make the difficult decisions and get us back on track. We dont want hand outs we want jobs!

[eighthavenue]

@westonsz

We can thank them for passing import/export laws that have made China the steel capitol of the world. Time we all said ENOUGH!

[MrShamus70]

Sept. 19, 1977 Black Monday. Youngstown's Katrina. Where's the bail out for all the lost children of Youngstown or those who have remained? Just like the steel our fathers made, we were born hotter than hell and over time have become cold rolled steel.

A toast to all my fellow rust belt refugees; May industry and livable wages return to Youngstown so we can finally come home. I've been gone for thirty years, I grew up in DC but never fell right calling it home.

ASNF. (A son Never Forgets)

[v8stanguy]

@eighthavenue were also affected here in east chicago indiana bethlehem,us steel and inland teel are all slowly failing... sad to see a great giant wounded on its knees glad ive had the privilege to work in such a wonderful amazing place

[joavim]

very nice

[ManojloRnR1988]

Nice one dude... I really enjoyed your voice and how u did cover...

Good job.

Greetings from Serbia. (Friend showed me this video XD)

[dillontrain]

@MrShamus70 - very close to my bday sept 22, 1977 and i was born in youngstown. Now live in San Fran.