MARY QUEEN OF ARKANSAS

Live 09 Mar 1974 (KLOL-FM) version

Mary queen of Arkansas, it's not too early for dreamin'
The sky is grown with the cloud seed sown and a bastard's love can be redeeming
Mary, my queen, your soft hulk is reviving
Lord, you're not too late to desecrate, the servants are just rising

Seems I'm just a lonely acrobat, this livewire, she's my trade
I've been a shine boy for your acid brats and a wharf rat of your state
Mary, my queen, your blows for freedom, they're missing
Lord, you're not man enough for me to hate or woman enough for kissing

Well baby, this big top, she's just for dreamers, but we can take that circus all the way to the border
Well, the gallows wait for martyrs whose papers are in order
Well, but I was not born to live to die and you were not born, you weren't born for queenin'
Lord, it's not too late, we can still infiltrate, the servants are just leavin'

Mary queen of Arkansas, your white skin is deceivin'
You wait and wait to lie in bait and you almost got your boy believin'
But on your bed, Mary, I have seen the shadow of a noose
Lord, I don't understand how you can hold me so tight and love me so damn loose

But that's alright, 'cause I got a place where we can go, baby
Where I can get a good job and start out all over again clean
Swear I got contacts deep in Mexico where servants have been seen

Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh

Huh

Info

The above lyrics are for the live 09 Mar 1974 radio performance of MARY QUEEN OF ARKANSAS as broadcast on Houston's KLOL-FM. The song was performed in a similar style as it was played on the Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. Tour, an acoustic version featuring Bruce Springsteen on acoustic guitar and Danny Federici on accordion, but with a more straightforward vocal from Bruce.

The 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM Radio Performance

Bruce Springsteen's 09 Mar 1974 radio performance was broadcast live on Houston's KLOL-FM. The show took place on the afternoon of 09 Mar 1974 at the radio station in Houston, TX. This was lengthiest of all Springsteen radio station performances. The complete performance was recorded off the airwaves and has since circulated among fans.

The 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM radio broadcast was commercially released in Europe. Since 2005 some enterprising record labels in Europe (mostly in the UK) have been releasing Bruce Springsteen radio and TV broadcasts (and some soundboard recordings) from the seventies, eighties, and nineties. Though these releases are not authorized by Bruce Springsteen or his record company, they are lawful due to a legal loophole in Europe.

Bruce Springsteen -- On The Crest Of The Airwaves

Digital album - Rock Melon (no catalog number) - UK, 2014

This is a download-only digital album. It contains the 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM radio broadcast, the 05 Feb 1975 broadcast from The Main Point, and various TV appearances from the nineties.

Bruce Springsteen -- Live Sessions: Houston Boston Richmond

Digital album - Wyte Myce (no catalog number) - UK, 2015

This is a download-only digital album. It contains the 31 May 1973 WGOE-FM radio broadcast, part of the 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM radio broadcast, and the 09 Apr 1974 WBCN-FM radio broadcast.

Bruce Springsteen -- Sentimental Journey

CD - Broadcasting Radio Records (BRR5032) - UK, 2015

This release contains the 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM radio broadcast, plus three bonus tracks.

Bruce Springsteen -- Sentimental Journey

LP - Broadcasting Radio Records (BRR4032) - UK, 2015

This release contains the 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM radio broadcast, plus three bonus tracks.

Bruce Springsteen -- Live In Studio 1974 + Bonus 1973

LP - DOL (DOR2109H) - Russia, 2016

This release contains the 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM radio broadcast and part of the 09 Jan 1973 WBCN-FM radio broadcast.

Bruce Springsteen -- Acoustic Radio Broadcast Collection

2xCD - The Broadcast Archive (BSCD6047) - UK, 2017

This release contains the 09 Jan 1973 WBCN-FM radio broadcast, the 31 May 1973 WGOE-FM radio broadcast, the 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM radio broadcast, and the 09 Apr 1974 WBCN-FM radio broadcast. This is a repackaging of Good Ship Funke's Acoustic Radio 1973 and Acoustic Radio 1974.

Bruce Springsteen -- Acoustic Radio 1974

CD - Good Ship Funke (GS024) - UK, 2017

This release contains the 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM radio broadcast and the 09 Apr 1974 WBCN-FM radio broadcast. It was also released on CD exclusively as part of the Acoustic Radio Broadcast Collection package.

Bruce Springsteen -- Live In Studio 1973-1974

LP - BRR (BRR4035LPP) - Europe, 2017

This release contains the 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM radio broadcast and part of the 09 Jan 1973 WBCN-FM radio broadcast.

Bruce Springsteen -- Live Houston '74

CD - Rox Vox (RVCD2107) - UK, 2018

This release contains the 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM radio broadcast.

Bruce Springsteen -- The 1974 Acoustic Radio Sessions

2xLP - Big Car (unknown catalog number) - UK, 2018

This release contains the 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM radio broadcast and the 09 Apr 1974 WBCN-FM radio broadcast.

Bruce Springsteen -- The Great American Road Trip

10xCD - Evolution Music (EMG01) - UK, 2020

This release contains the 31 Jul 1973 broadcast from My Father's Place, the 03 Mar 1974 late show broadcast from Georgetown University, the 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM radio broadcast, the 05 Feb 1975 broadcast from The Main Point, the 30 Sep 1978 broadcast from Fox Theatre, plus some various TV performances from 1992-1995.

Bruce Springsteen -- Thunder Road - Live

20xCD - KP Music (SPRING01) - Europe, 2020

This release contains the 31 Jul 1973 broadcast from My Father's Place, the 03 Mar 1974 late show broadcast from Georgetown University, the 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM radio broadcast, the 05 Feb 1975 broadcast from The Main Point, the 15 Aug 1975 early show broadcast from Bottom Line, the 17 Oct 1975 early show broadcast from The Roxy Theatre, the 09 Aug 1978 broadcast from The Agora, the 30 Sep 1978 broadcast from Fox Theatre, the 05 Jun 1992 broadcast from Hollywood, the 20 Aug 1994 show with Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers at Marz American Style, plus some various TV performances from 1992-1995.

Credits

Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.

Available Versions

List of available versions of MARY QUEEN OF ARKANSAS on this website:

Page last updated: 08 Jan 2012