Streets of Philadelphia

Who it's for

Bruce Springsteen wrote this for Philadelphia, one of the first mainstream films about HIV/AIDS, voicing a man feeling his body and place in the world slip away.

Feelings it meets

• Chronic Illness
• Mortality
• Shame
• Loneliness

What it is

Bruce Springsteen wrote "Streets of Philadelphia" in 1993 for Jonathan Demme's film Philadelphia, and it was released as a single in February 1994. The ballad portrays a man whose body is failing from AIDS as he wanders the city's streets, cut off from an indifferent society. It won the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song and four Grammy Awards, including Song of the Year.

Where to find it

All major streaming services.

Before you start

Heads up: Themes of terminal illness.

Age: Suggested 13+

Although the world is full of suffering, it is full also of the overcoming of it.Helen Keller, Optimism: An Essay