Bruce Springsteen - Streets of Philadelphia Meaning

Streets of Philadelphia Lyrics

I was bruised and battered and I couldn't tell
what I felt
I was unrecognizable to myself
Saw my reflection in a window I didn't know
my own face
Oh brother are you gonna leave me
wasting away
On the streets of Philadelphia

I walked the avenue...

1. anonymous

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   Aug 18th 2019 !⃝

   My son was STRUGGLING WITH DRUGS,& I SENT HIM THIS SONG SO HE COULD TAKE A HARD LOOK AT WHERE HIS LIFE WAS HEADED!! AND HE LISTEN TO IT AND PULLED HIS SELF BACK OUT THE RABBIT HOLE OF DRUGS!! EVERY TIME I LISTEN TO THIS SONG IT BRINGS TEARS TO MY EYES CAUSE I BELIEVE IT SAVED MY SONS LIFE. THANK U BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN!!! ( ITS A REALITY SONG) PS. MY SON DID A MUSIC VIDEO W/ BRUCE AT RITTEN HOUSE SQUARE WHEN THEY NEEDED EXTRAS FROM THE PERFORMING ARTS SCHOOL
   SINCERELY,L.G.
2. anonymous

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   Apr 30th 2018 !⃝

   It's about the stigma of certain diseases and how it's lonely and hopeless...in particular, AIDS, HIV, drug addiction...
3. anonymous

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   Oct 16th 2017 !⃝

   Really nice song.
4. anonymous

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   Jun 13th 2016 !⃝

   A song to influence people's conscience and awareness to honestly care, especially the power leaders on the perverted far left and the nut far right to come together and find a healthy middle path to give a helping hand to the ones who became unrecognizable, hollowed out and a shadow of their human selves, dying on ''the streets of Philadelphia'' and throughout the country from poverty, hunger,mental problems, homelessness,drugs, etc., and of course the plague of aids that thousands were dying from, being in need for support and love with whatever hope left in them to wish the political politicians would unite together and help the ones that are slowly perishing to find a cure for their disease caused by the aids virus that came into our culture.
5. anonymous

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   Sep 21st 2013 !⃝

   It's a true story, also a move,Philadelphia, starring Tom Hanks, and it tells the story of a Gay Attorney , Clarence Cain who was wrongfully fired when the company found out he had Aids, he won his legal battle in 1990, just before he died.
6. anonymous

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   Jan 3rd 2013 !⃝

   Obviously it's about a guy dying of Aids. The non-obvious part are the several references to a 'friend'. 'It's just you and I my friend'. The 'friend' is the disease - Aids - itself. They are all alone together as the guy's life is ending sadly with no support.
7. anonymous

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   Mar 27th 2012 !⃝

   The guy telling the story is homeless, down on his luck and nobody wants him. It's set in Philly because it's big city.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway