Live Feb 1972 version
I remember the first time I saw you
Because I thought to myself
I said hmm that woman sure looks good
And I went home and I prayed to the Lord each night
I said oh Jesus, I told him that I had to, I had to have you
Because I thought that you would love me like I would want my baby to
Yes and I remember first time I loved you, sure felt true
And I gotta have your loving, yes I, yes I do
And I gotta have your loving, oh girl
And I gotta have your loving, yes I do
And I remember the first time I touched you
Because the stars fell from the sky
And they glowed down on the earth like a giant firefly
And that's when I knew, yeah that's when I knew
I said that's, that's when I knew that it had to, oh baby, it had to be you
That's when I knew it was you, it had to be, that's when I knew, that's when I knew
But there was just no other that I needed just for my lover
Yeah that's, that's when I knew, oh that's when I knew from you
Baby that's when I, that's when I knew
I said that's when I knew from you
Because, because I remember
The first time I loved you, oh it's so true
Oh yes I gotta have your loving, yeah, yeah
Yes I, yes I knew
I gotta have your loving now
Baby, oh baby, yes I do
Yes I do mama
I remember the first time that you left me
Because I thought that you were fooling when you said you was gonna go
Just like you fooled me, you fooled me so many times before
'Cause you know we got along alright for a few years
But then just things started happening and it wasn't the same no more
No it just wasn't the same no more
And you'd gone off so many times before but you always came back
And I remember when you went out and you slammed the door once, hey!
Yes I remember that was the first time you went out and you slammed the door
Oh yeah, and I thought you were fooling, yes I thought you were fooling
And you went out and you slammed the door a second time
But you came back, oh you came back yes you did
And you went out and I heard that door slam three times
And it went, oh, oh! Oh! Oh!
But you came back to me
And I remember the fourth time you went out, and this time it hurt
Oh, oh baby, oh darling, don't do it to me
But you came back
But it was the fifth time that you, that you went out, it was the fifth time
The door went, oh! Oh darling! Oh! Darling! Darling!
And you didn't come back
And the days went by, and, and the months went by
And I just stayed up in my room
I just hung out in my room, playing the records and my radio
Just watching TV all the time by myself
And then it was a year gone by and I saw you walking downtown
I saw you, I saw you walking down the street
Oh you looked so good, you was bopping down the street
She had her hair all done up, and she had that little dog, that little dog ???
She had that dog on a leash, and her friends were telling her
"You got that boy on a leash, you got that boy on a leash"
She had that little dog that she always had, walking down the street
She was bopping down the street to the beat of the band
And her friends say "you got that boy on a leash, you got that boy on a leash"
And I said "hi baby how ya doing"
And she said "Oh I been fine"
I says "yeah you look good, what's been happening"
She said "oh not too much, I just been going to work, I got a little job and I
And I got a good man and he says he loves me"
And then I said "baby, oh baby sweet baby, won't you come back to me"
And she said "no I just can't make it"
I said "darling won't you come back to me I've been missing you"
And she said "no I just can't take it"
I said "darling won't you come back to me because I need you"
And she said "no man, I just, I just can't stand it again"
I said "but darling I want you"
She said "no darling, I just can't make it"
I said "but honey I need you"
And she said "no I just can't make it, not with you"
I said "but darling I want you and I feel so bad"
She said "no I just can't make it"
I said "but darling I, I love you, and you said it would be alright, you said it was going to be alright"
"Oh darling I love you, won't you to come on home"
She said "I'm coming home"
She's coming home, she's coming home
She's coming home, she's coming home
Baby's coming home, baby's coming home
Baby's coming, baby's coming home
And I remember the first time I loved you
It was so damn true
'Cause I gotta have your loving
Yes I, yes I gotta have your loving
Yes I, yes I gotta have your loving
Yes I do
Yes I do girl
Yes I do
Yes I really do girl
Because the way, the way you love me sometimes, honey, is just so frightening
And can't you see we go together, mama, just like thunder and just like lightning
The above lyrics are for a live performance of I REMEMBER at The Back Door in Richmond, VA, with The Bruce Springsteen Band. The exact date is unknown, but it's from the February 1972 residency at The Back Door (see section below).
The Bruce Springsteen Band played nine shows at The Back Door in Richmond, VA, during three of the four weekends of February 1972 (04, 05, 06, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, and 27 Feb 1972). They played one show each night and they were the sole act on the bill. Soundboard and audience recordings from these shows circulate among collectors.
Soundboard recordings for 8 tracks, taken directly from Tinker West's original reel tapes, are in circulation. The exact dates for the 8 tracks are not known but it is more likely that all of them come from the same show, probably from the final weekend of the residency. Audience recordings for 13 more tracks are also in circulation. The exact dates are not know but it is more likely that most of them come from the final weekend's performances. A soundboard recording consisting of 14 more tracks is currently in very limited circulation. The recording comes from the 25 Feb 1972 show and is likely the complete show. An audience recording consisting of 5 more tracks is also in circulation and, according to Brucebase, can be identified with some confidence to date from the 26 Feb 1972 show.
A reel-to-reel tape containing the soundboard recording of the 25 Feb 1972 show was auctioned in June 2014 on Sotheby's (see photo below). According to the auction house, the tape comes directly from the collection of John Hammond, "perhaps requested in an attempt to ascertain if the performer that he was so taken by as a solo acoustic act could similarly engage a live audience fronting an electric band." The tape features a printed label with hand-written setlist, but some of the songs are misidentified.
Much of the above information about the 1972 residency at The Back Door is taken from Brucebase.
If you have any additional information about this performance, or any corrections to the above lyrics, please contact me via the below form or by email: .
List of available versions of I REMEMBER on this website:
I REMEMBER [Live Nov 1971 version]