NEW YORK CITY SERENADE

Live 06 Jan 1974 version

Well, Billy, he's down by the railroad tracks
Sitting low in the back seat of his Cadillac
Diamond Jackie, she's so intact
And she falls like an angel beneath him
Jackie's heels are stacked
Billy's got cleats on his boots
Together they're gonna boogaloo down Broadway
Come back on home with the loot
It's midnight in Manhattan, this is no time to get cute, it's a mad dog's promenade
Walk tall
Or don't walk at all

Oh, fish lady, yeah, fish lady, fish lady, she baits them tenement walls
She don't take corner boys, they ain't got no money, and they're so easy
Callin' out, come on, girl, won't you take my arm and waltz with me down Broadway, yeah
Whoa!
Take my hand, la, la, la, waltz with me down Broadway, yeah
Oh, I'm a young man, and I walk it real proud, go, baby, talk it real proud for you
Shake away, oh, shake, shake away, oh, that life
Shake away your street life, oh, shake away your city life, and hook it up
Hook it up to the night train
And hook it up, oh, hook it up, hook it to the night train, hook it to the silver train
Hook it up, ah, hook it, yeah, hook it up
But I know that she won't take the train, no, she won't take the train
No, she won't take the train, no, she won't take the train
No, she won't take the train, no, she won't take the train
No, she won't take that train, no, she won't take the train
'Cause she's afraid those tracks are gonna slow her on down
When she turns, the boy'll gone
Baby, so long
Sometimes you gotta walk on, walk on, walk on, walk on

Hey, vibes man, hey, jazz man down in the alley, play me your serenade
Any deeper blue, you'll be playin' in your grave
Save your notes: yeah, don't spend 'em on the blues boy
Save some: don't go spend 'em on that darlin' yearlin' sharp boy
Straight for the church note, ring it, oh, vibes man sting a trash can
Listen to your junkman
Oh, listen to your junkman
Listen to your junkman
Listen to your junkman
He's singin', (singin')
Singin', (singin')
All dressed up in satin, walkin' down the alley (singin')
Singin', yeah, (singin', yeah)
Singin', singin', sing, yeah, sing, yeah, singin', singin', sing, yeah, sing, yeah
Oh, no, oh, yeah
No, no, no, no
Na, na, na, na, na, na, ah, oh, singin', singin', singin', singin', oh
Come on, now, yeah, come on, now
Watch out for your junkman
Come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on
Watch out for your junkman
Come on, come on, come on
Watch out for your junkman
Oh, oh, yeah, yeah, oh, yeah

Ah, ah, ah, ah, yeah, yeah
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah

Whoa, whoa, yeah

Info

The above lyrics are for the live 06 Jan 1974 performance of NEW YORK CITY SERENADE at Joe's Place in Cambridge, MA, during what is considered The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle Tour. The song featured David Sancious on piano (including the introduction, which over the course of the tour became more and more of an improvisational vehicle for Sancious) and Vini Lopez on drums and was played in a full-band, album-esque arrangement.

Bruce Springsteen was booked for a three-night residency Joe's Place in Cambridge, MA, from 04 to 06 Jan 1974. These were double-bill shows, with Springsteen headlining and Peter Johnson & The Manic Depressives (Joe's Place's unofficial house band) opening. Each of Springsteen's shows consisted of two hour-long sets separated by an intermission. Audience recording of the complete 06 Jan 1974 show and soundboard recording of the second set of that same show are in circulation among fans.

Promotional ad for the January 1974 three-night stand at Joe's Place, Cambridge, MA
(Taken from Brucebase)

Credits

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

Available Versions

List of available versions of NEW YORK CITY SERENADE on this website:

Page last updated: 03 Jun 2012