- Home
-
Lyrics
-
- Collection
-
Bootlegs
-
Intro / Wanted list
-
- Links
- Forum
-
-
-
Live 17 Jul 1970 version
Well ah hey hey hey
Hey, hey, ha yo hey yo hey-yo-hey
Calling out around the world, are you ready for a brand new beat
Summer's here and the time just right for dancing in the street
Well up in New York City
Yeah down in New Orleans
Philadelphia PA
All that you need is music, sweet music
There'll be music everywhere
The swinging and swaying, the records playing
It's a dance that you just can't beat
Oh!
Brothers and sisters throughout the world, I want you all to stand
The time has come, the time has come, I wanna see you get up and dance
Out in Chicago
They're doing it in San Francisco
Ah you know it's just moving along
And all that you need is music, sweet music
There'll be music everywhere
The swinging and swaying, the records playing
It's a dance that you just can't, yeah!
It don't matter what you wear
Just as long as you are there
Every guy grab a girl
Everywhere around the world
Hey yeah yeah!
Calling out around the world, are you ready for a brand new beat
Summer's here and the time is just right for dancing in the street
Well up in New York City
Down in old Virginny
Philadelphia PA
All that you need is music, sweet music
There'll be music everywhere
Swinging and swaying, got them records playing
It's a dance that you just can't
Haw!
It don't matter what you wear
Just as long as you are there
Every guy grab a girl
Everywhere around the world
Ah dancing in the street
Dancing in the street
Dancing in the street
Dancing in the street
You know we're rocking
We're swinging
Oh we're rioting
Oh we're, oh we're picking in and demonstrating
Oh in the street, hmm hmm hmm hmm
[Someone else in the band:] You have a seat
[Spoken outro:] Thank you. Yeah. Yeah.
[Spoken (someone else in the band):] Thanks Karen.
[Spoken outro:] It's happening out there in the street. So what are we all doing in here?
DANCING IN THE STREET is a 1964 song by Martha And The Vandellas. See the original Martha And The Vandellas version for more details.
Bruce Springsteen performed DANCING IN THE STREET live in 1970 and 1971 with his 1969-1971 band Steel Mill. See the "Live History" section below for more details. During The Reunion Tour, a snippet of DANCING IN THE STREET was played as introduction to DON'T LOOK BACK. See the live 09 Sep 1999 version of DON'T LOOK BACK for an example. During The Rising Tour, a snippet of DANCING IN THE STREET was played as part of MARY'S PLACE. See the live 22 Jun 2003 version of MARY'S PLACE for an example.
The title and the chorus of Bruce Springsteen's RACING IN THE STREET are a clear homage to Martha And The Vandellas' DANCING IN THE STREET.
The above lyrics are for the live 17 Jul 1970 performance of DANCING IN THE STREET at Sunshine In in Asbury Park, NJ. On the soundboard tape, drummer and background vocalist Vini Lopez's voice microphone is abnormally dominant in the mix, sounding like he was a co-lead singer. The parts above in bold correspond to Vini Lopez joining in on vocals. The parts in bold italic are by Vini Lopez alone.
SECTION NOT YET COMPLETED
Steel Mill performed on 17 and 18 Jul 1970 at Sunshine In in Asbury Park, NJ. These were double-bill shows, with Steel Mill headlining and Lotus opening. A good quality 58-minute soundboard recording of one of the two nights is in circulation among collectors. The tape does not represent the complete show; it seems to include the first three and last two songs of the night. Brucebase has attributed this audio to 17 Jul 1970, but it could also be from the following night's show.
In the banter during GIRLFRIEND BLUES, Springsteen referenced the 1970 Asbury Park race riots that happened between 04 Jul and 10 Jul 1970. The seven days of rioting, looting, and destruction were a major civil disturbance in Asbury Park, NJ. He joked: "From what I've seen there must've been a bargain sale in Asbury. Run in as fast as you can, take what you can get, and split." He also tells a story about an encounter with the state troopers and policemen that happened "about in the middle of last week some time." All this evidence supports the belief that this audio recording is from the two-night residency at Sunshine In.
DANCING IN THE STREET is known to have been performed at least 6 times in Bruce Springsteen's early years (pre-October 1972). Very little is known about shows from this early period, and therefore, the song must have been played on some more dates.
Thanks Audio2575 (from Rare Springsteen) for the lyrics help.
Some of the above info is taken from Brucebase.
For comments, additions, or corrections, please contact me via the below form or by email: .
List of available versions of DANCING IN THE STREET on this website:
DANCING IN THE STREET [Live 17 Jul 1970 version]