You make up your mind, you choose the chance you take
You ride to where the highway ends and the desert breaks
Out on to an open road you ride until the day
You learn to sleep at night with the price you pay

Now with their hands held high, they reached out for the open skies
And in one last breath they built the roads they'd ride to their death
Driving on through the night, unable to break away
From the restless pull of the price you pay

CHORUS
Oh, the price you pay, oh, the price you pay
Now you can't walk away from the price you pay

Now they'd come so far and they'd waited so long
Just to end up caught in a dream where everything goes wrong
Where the dark of night holds back the light of day
And you've gotta stand and fight for the price you pay

CHORUS

Little girl down on the strand
With that pretty little baby in your hands
Do you remember the story of the promised land
How he crossed the desert sands
And could not enter the chosen land
On the banks of the river he stayed
To face the price you pay

So let the games start, you better run you little wild heart
You can run through all the nights and all the days
But just across the county line, a stranger passing through put up a sign
That counts the men fallen away to the price you pay,
and girl before the end of the day,
I'm gonna tear it down and throw it away



Lyrics submitted by oofus

Track duration: 05:27


The Price You Pay song meanings
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7 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:Notice how the song features both musical and textual metareferences to "The Promised Land". Their piano intros are (deliberately) crafted in very similar patterns and melodies, and in the lyrics, we read a clear-cut statement that the dreams that were somewhat alive on the previous albums, are now dead and gone.

    "Do you remember the story of the Promised Land?
    How he crossed the desert sands
    and could not enter the chosed land
    On the banks of the river he stayed
    To face the price you pay"
    Flag hberingson July 20, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think dillpickle got it right. There's a price you pay for every big decision you make - whether you get what you want or you don't.

    This verse kills me:
    Now they'd come so far and they'd waited so long
    Just to end up caught in a dream where everything goes wrong
    Where the dark of night holds back the light of day
    And you've gotta stand and fight for the price you pay

    When you go after your dreams with everything you've got, sometimes you fail outright but defeat is so hard to take. So you keep fighting, only now you're just fighting for the hard price you paid for chasing your dream. That's all there is left.
    Flag Nikko86on July 04, 2012   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation:Here’s my guess: The “hands held high” is an image for hopefulness and enthusiasm as is the reference to “open skies” (transcendence). He seems to be talking about the decision to venture out on your own – to chart your own path. This continues the image of standing at the end of the highway and looking into the desert. These are the words of a kindred spirit who’s about to chase a dream knowing full well that there’s no turning back and the road will be hard. Like so many others who started out before him with enthusiasm, he’s ready to see it through to the end – to his very death. Death comes to all, but he wants to meet it on his terms – on the road that he’s going to build. And he’s going into it with his eyes open – very few make it through the desert and the ones who don’t make it (as well as the ones who do), pay a heavy price. He’s made up his mind, and he’s fully ready to pay that price. (This song – the lyrics paired with the music - is Springsteen at his best.)
    Flag dillpickleon April 15, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Can anyone help me understand what these two lines mean?

    Now with their hands held high, they reached out for the open skies
    And in one last breath they built the roads they'd ride to their death
    Flag cybergrailon March 06, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I agree JGL this is one of my favorite Springsteen songs. I also wonder why more people have not commented on it.
    Flag gfmitch72on February 17, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The previous review is so true, I am surprised that there is so few comment on this song, one of the greatest of the Boss for me and there are a lot ...
    Flag JGLon July 04, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Life is hard, it must be fought for, but it's worth every damn minute of it. This is a Great Song! I love the way he tells of Moses disappointment and then comes in with the mighty bravado of "So let the games start....." And then the devil tries to discourage him, but he realizes his puprose in life is to give man hope through his music.......
    AWESOME!
    Flag montresoron December 22, 2004   Link

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