STATE TROOPER 
Album version
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, till you lose your patience
Mister state trooper, please don't stop me
Whoa!
Whooo-whooo!
Hey, somebody out there, listen to my last prayer
Hi ho silver-o deliver me from nowhere
Whoa!
Whoaaa [fades]
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Info
STATE TROOPER is a song written by Bruce Springsteen and released on his 1982 album Nebraska. The above lyrics are for Bruce Springsteen's album version of STATE TROOPER as released in 1982.
Studio Recording
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Nebraska
Following The River Tour, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band were scheduled to start recording the next album in New York City in February 1982. Springsteen felt that the upcoming band studio sessions would progress faster than they had for his previous three albums if he first records finished demos and demonstrates them to the band. He decided to record multi-channel, professional sounding, finished demos of some songs he had written during the period.
To achieve his goal, Springsteen asked his guitar technician, Mike Batlan, in December 1981 to set up a recording facility in a spare room at his home in Colts Neck, NJ. Some modification work was done to the room making it more receptive to achieving a decent sound. Batlan purchased a Teac Tascom Series 144 4-track cassette recorder, two Shure SM57 microphones, and two microphone stands. The sound was mixed through an old Gibson Echoplex and an old Panasonic boom box acted as the mix-down deck.
The four-track cassette recorder that Bruce Springsteen used to record his famous Nebraska demo tape of January 1982
Batlan told journalist David McGee, "Springsteen began organizing his work for Nebraska during the first week of December 1981 — that's when I was directed to buy the four-track... actual recording began on 17 or 18 December and ended around January 3." Some of the songs were recorded two or three times in slightly different arrangements. A cassette tape was compiled and edited at the end of the sessions, likely on 03 Jan 1982. It contained fourteen songs recorded during these late December 1981 / early January 1982 sessions plus what is almost certainly a live recording of a fifteenth song, JOHNNY BYE-BYE. It also included seven alternate takes and five alternate mixes. The first person to listen to the tape was Jon Landau. Two or three months later, Springsteen recorded two additional songs (MY FATHER'S HOUSE and THE BIG PAYBACK) at home on the same equipment — thus making a total of 17 different songs.
The solo demo tape was never conceived to result in a commercially released album, as the songs were recorded by the E Street Band with multi-instrument arrangements, during what's known by fans as the "Electric Nebraska Sessions". It should be noted that most of the songs were not recorded in "rock" arrangements. Instead, Springsteen and Max Weinberg just added light percussion, or Roy Bittan added a synth pad.
During the E Street Band sessions it became apparent to Springsteen that a majority of these songs did not lend themselves well to a full band arrangement. He later wrote in his 1998 book Songs, "I went into the studio, brought in the band, rerecorded, remixed, and succeeded in making the whole thing worse." At one point he even went back into the studio with an acoustic guitar to try and re-record the songs solo, but the result lacked the atmosphere and feeling of isolation only found on the original home demos. According to Toby Scott, Springsteen handed him the original solo demo tape in April 1982 and asked him if it was possible to just master off the tape, with the intention to release some of the songs as a solo album. It took Scott a few weeks before eventually saying yes and in May a decision was taken to release a solo album ahead of the still-in-progress E Street Band album.
Most of the E Street Band arrangements of these songs were discarded and ten of the original solo demos from the tape were released on the Nebraska album. Max Weinberg revealed to Rolling Stone in June 2010 that the recording of the "Electric Nebraska Sessions" does exist. He said that "the E Street Band actually did record all of Nebraska and it was killing [...] It was all very hard-edged. As great as it was, it wasn't what Bruce wanted to release. There is a full band Nebraska album, all of those songs are in the can somewhere."
"Open All Night" and "January 3, 1982" were considered as titles for the album, but ultimately "Nebraska" was chosen. The album was produced by Bruce Springsteen and was commercially released on 20 Sep 1982 by Columbia Records.
Bruce Springsteen -- Nebraska
Nebraska features 10 new Springsteen compositions and clocks at 40:50.
Other Official Releases
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Various artists -- The Sopranos - Music From The HBO Original Series
CD - Play-Tone / Columbia (CK 63911) - USA, 1999
2xLP - SRC Vinyl (SRC074US2015) - USA, 2015
Bruce Springsteen -- The Albums Collection Vol. 1, 1973-1984 - Radio Sampler
CD-R - Columbia / Legacy (no catalog number) - USA, 2014
US-only promotional CD-R radio sampler tying with the release of Springsteen's box set of his first seven albums in remastered form.
Other versions of STATE TROOPER were also officially released.
The live 17 Nov 1990 version of STATE TROOPER was released on The Christic Shows, November 16 & 17, 1990 official live download in 2016.
The live 31 Jul 2005 version of STATE TROOPER was released on the Schottenstein Center, Ohio 2005 official live download in 2015.
Live History
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Appearance in Movies
Bruce Springsteen's album version of STATE TROOPER appears in one movie.
De Rouille Et D'os
It was used in the French-Belgian 2012 film Rust And Bone (French: De Rouille Et D'os), directed by Jacques Audiard and starring Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts. The song was not included in the film's soundtrack album.
Covers
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At least 27 artists have recorded and released Bruce Springsteen's STATE TROOPER.
The Roulette Rockers -- State Trooper
CD-R EP - no label (no catalog number) - Holland, 1996
This is a live Bruce Springsteen tribute EP, issued by the Bruce Springsteen Dutch fanclub for their annual "Springsteen Day". Only fifty copies were pressed. The songs were recorded on 05 Oct 1996 at Flint in Amersfoort, The Netherlands.
Various artists -- Badlands - A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska
CD - Sub Pop (SPCD 525) - USA, 2000
CD - Sub Pop (9878-70525-2) - Germany, 2000
CD - Sub Pop (WPCR-10845) - Japan, 2000
This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album. STATE TROOPER is performed by Deana Carter.
Various artists -- Light Of Day: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen
2xCD - Schoolhouse Records / Big Daddy (SHR0022-2) - USA, 2003
2xCD - Good Sounds / DiscMedi Blau (DM 797E-02) - Spain, 2003
3xCD - Good Sounds / DiscMedi Blau (DM 797-02) - Spain, 2003
2xCD - Schoolhouse Records / Revolver (REV XD244) - UK, 2004
2xCD - Revolver / Sony (MHCP 928-9) - Japan, 2005
This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album. There are five issues of this album (with three track configurations) and this track was included on all five issues listed above. STATE TROOPER is performed by Steve Wynn.
Paul Baribeau & Ginger Alford -- Darkness On The Edge Of Your Town Tour
CD-R - no label (no catalog number) - USA, 2006
CD-R - no label (no catalog number) - USA, 2009
This is a live Bruce Springsteen tribute album. CD-R copies were sold on tour and online. The 2006 issue contains 10 tracks and the 2009 reissue includes 5 additional tracks. STATE TROOPER can only be found on the 2009 reissue.
Big Fat Teddy -- Hurt
CD - Back Seat Vinyl (no catalog number) - USA, 2008
Include three Bruce Springsteen covers: FURTHER ON (UP THE ROAD), HIGHWAY PATROLMAN, and STATE TROOPER.
Mark Wright -- Real World: The Bruce Springsteen Project
CD - Revolver (REV XD 271) - UK, 2008
This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
The Bruceband -- Nebraska Electric
CD - no label (88690-2) - Holland, 2008
This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Various artists -- Play More Pool
Digital EP - Where It's At Is Where You Are (WIA056) - UK, 2009
This is a free download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute EP. STATE TROOPER is performed by Black Lodge.
Various artists -- For You 2: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen
2xCD - Route 66 Music (DTCDA005-2) - Italy, 2010
This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album. STATE TROOPER is performed by Pj Faraglia.
Jon Bingham -- Deliver Me From Nowhere
Digital album - no label (no catalog number) - USA, 2012
This is a free download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Various artists -- Long Distance Salvation: A Tribute To Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska
LP - no label (no catalog number) - USA, 2012
Digital album - no label (no catalog number) - USA, 2012
This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album, available in downloadable digital form and on limited edition colored vinyl. The digital version contains three tracks not found on the LP issue. STATE TROOPER is performed by Jonah Tolchin.
Various artists -- Return To Nebraska
Digital album - no label (no catalog number) - Holland, 2012
This is a free download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute album. STATE TROOPER is performed by The Cosmic Carnival.
Various artists -- The Nebraska Sessions - A Tribute
CD - Clubhouse Records (no catalog number) - UK, 2012
Digital album - Clubhouse Records (no catalog number) - UK, 2012
This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album, available in downloadable digital form and on CD. The digital version contains two tracks not found on the CD issue. STATE TROOPER is performed by Steve Arlene.
Various artists -- The Nebraska Sessions - A Tribute
CD - Clubhouse Records (no catalog number) - UK, 2012
Digital album - Clubhouse Records (no catalog number) - UK, 2012
This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album, available in downloadable digital form and on CD. The digital version contains two tracks not found on the CD issue. STATE TROOPER is performed by Israel Nash Gripka. The song is one of the tracks found only on the digital version.
Pony Face -- Pony Face Presents Nebraska
2xLP - Cobra Snake Necktie Records (unknown catalog number) - Australia, 2014
CD - Love & Theft Recording Co. (LNT022) - Australia, 2014
This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Various artists -- Tramps Like Us - My Music Factory's Bruce Springsteen Tribute
Digital album - no label (no catalog number) - unknown country, 2014
This is a free download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute album. STATE TROOPER is performed by Xav Feugray.
Moa Holmsten -- Bruised Arms & Broken Rhythm
CD - Fill In The Blank Records (no catalog number) - USA, 2015
This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Jesse Dayton -- Mixtape Volume 1
LP - Blue Élan Records (BER1175) - USA, 2019
MC - Blue Élan Records (BER1175) - USA, 2019
CD - Blue Élan Records (BER1175) - USA, 2019
The LP version was pressed on black vinyl, red vinyl, and white vinyl, the latter being limited to 100 copies.
Jim DiBattista -- Nebraska - A Tribute
Digital album - Big Lump Records (no catalog number) - USA, 2019
This is a download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute album. It can be streamed on
YouTube and
Soundcloud.
Stormy Mondays -- Nebraska
CD - Electric Satellite Records (ESR 002) - Spain, 2019
LP - Electric Satellite Records (ESR 002-LP) - Spain, 2021
This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Aoife O'Donovan -- Aoife O'Donovan Plays Nebraska
Digital album - Yep Roc Records (no catalog number) - USA, 2021
This is a download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute album. It was recorded live on 09 May 2020 at Aoife’s home in New York City, NY.
Leonardo And Riccardo Sgavetti -- Nebraska Replayed
CD - Esagono Dischi (ED 2021/01) - Italy, 2021
This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
Carter Town -- Bruce Synthsteen
Digital EP - Peanie Palace Records (no catalog number) - USA, 2022
This is a free download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute EP.
Ryan Adams -- Nebraska
Digital album - Pax Americana Record Company (no catalog number) - USA, 2022
This is a free download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute album.
The Operating Tracks -- State Trooper
Digital single - Cold School (no catalog number) - Sweden, 2022
This is a free download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute 2-track single.
Lucifer's Aid -- State Trooper
MiniCD EP - Progress Productions (PROCD131) - Sweden, 2024
This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute EP.
Various artists -- Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska: A Celebration In Words And Music
CD - unknown label (unknown catalog number) - USA, 2024
This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album. It's the soundtrack album for the PBS special that first aired on 10 Aug 2024 and was offered with a donation to the American public broadcaster. STATE TROOPERLumineers.
Available Versions
List of available versions of STATE TROOPER on this website:
STATE TROOPER [Album version]
STATE TROOPER [Cowboy Junkies' cover version]
Page last updated: 10 Jan 2016
