The song is often paired with "Jungleland" in concert, though without the Randy Brecker trumpet part from the record and with regular bass guitarist Garry Tallent.
The song is a dark character sketch featuring a soft, haunting trumpet played by Randy Brecker, piano backing from E Street Band member Roy Bittan and upright bass from jazz veteran Richard Davis.
[2] The lyrics describe a low-level criminal, down on his luck but with one last chance at success for him and his friend, Eddie, that involves meeting a man across the river.
Original pressings of Born to Run billed the song as "The Heist", suggesting the man across the river is paying the narrator and Eddie to commit a robbery.
"Meeting Across the River" is in some ways similar in theme to The Velvet Underground's "I'm Waiting for the Man", which depicts a drug deal in New York City.