There’s a sub-genre of Springsteen staples that are simultaneously covers and not-quite-covers, and “Trapped” is one of the best-known and most-loved ones.
On the European leg of the original River Tour, Bruce walked into an airport duty-free store in Amsterdam, picked up a Jimmy Cliff cassette and was knocked out by a particular song that–much like some of Bruce’s best work–paired an optimistic, upbeat melody with more sober lyrics.
Bruce was immediately taken with the song, and it didn’t take long for him to adapt it for his band, forgoing the original reggae arrangement in favor of a simmering, slow build of a rocker.
Bruce also made changes to the lyrics, both subtle and significant.
The original version told the story of the oppressed railing against the oppressor. It was clearly a protest song, but it could be read as either a personal or political one. Cliff probably intended it that way, and that’s undoubtedly part of what drew Bruce to it.
Well it seems like I’ve fallen in your trap again
And it seems like I’ll be wearing the same old pain
But good must conquer evil and truth will set me free
So you see that somewhere I have found the key
Yes you see that somewhere I have found the key
Well it seems like I’ve been sleeping in your bed too long
And it seems like you’ve been planning to do me wrong
But evil concentrated must be disintegrated
So I know that I’ll be walking out again
Yes I know that I’ll be walking out again
Well it seems like I have played the game your way too long
And it seems the game I’ve played has made you strong
But when this game is over, I won’t end up the loser
And I know that I’ll be walking out again
Yes I know that I’ll be walking out again
Notice that In Jimmy’s original, the protagonist has already found his means of escape:
So you see that somewhere I have found the key
Yes you see that somewhere I have found the key
But in Bruce’s version, while still optimistic, the hero is still very much trapped:
And I know someday I’ll find the key
And I know somewhere I will find the key
Bruce also changed the line “evil concentrated must be disintegrated” to “I’ll teach my eyes to seen beyond these walls in front of me,” again shifting the song’s message from one of imminent escape to still-very-much-stuck.
Combined with the slow build and powerful, explosive chorus, Bruce’s “Trapped” conveys a blend of seething anger and obstinate determination missing from the more optimistic original.
Bruce debuted the song at the opening show of a six-night stand at Wembley Arena in London. Bruce was carrying some personal baggage from previous shows there, and debuting an obscure cover in a new, untried arrangement was a bold move–but it worked, fabulously so. Here’s that debut performance, from May 29, 1981:
“Trapped” remained in the set throughout the rest of the tour and was a prominent staple of the Born in the USA Tour as well, and World Tour 1992-93, the Reunion Tour… in fact, it’s easier to list the tours it hasn’t been played at (Tunnel of Love, the acoustic tours, and Seeger Sessions are the notable exceptions).
When Bruce performed the song at the Meadowlands on the BITUSA Tour, the performance was recorded and released on the benefit album We Are the World, rising all the way to the top of the Billboard Rock chart despite never being released as a single. It was re-released years later on The Essential Bruce Springsteen bonus disc. Here’s that performance, from August 6, 1984:
And just because a song this powerful deserves a video, too–here’s a great pro-shot performance, captured the following year in Paris:
Despite its frequent inclusion and rare tour absences, Bruce has never altered the original arrangement he created for “Trapped.” It’s one of those rare songs on which he has no inclination to tinker. It seems he nailed it on the first try.
Trapped
Never recorded in-studio
Released (live): We Are the World (1985), The Essential Bruce Springsteen (2003)
First performed: May 29, 1981 (London, England)
Last performed: August 24, 2023 (Foxborough, MA)
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I got it 09/01/16 and 03/27/23 and it was awesome both times! Perhaps an update is in order since he has continued to play it.
I was lucky enough to be there that night in London in May 1980 when the band debuted this song. It was my first Springsteen show and still the most memorable gig of my lifetime. It was a spellbinding performance of a song that noone in the crowd knew. Like the best cover versions, it was a totally different take on the original.