NEW YORK SONG

Live 02 Jun 1973 version

[Spoken intro:]
[Bruce Springsteen:] What are we gonna do now?
[Clarence Clemons:] I wanna do New York Serenade.
[Bruce Springsteen:] You wanna do that?
[Clarence Clemons:] Oh, definitely.
[Bruce Springsteen:] All right. All right. This is a song about this song. Clarence is gonna dedicate this song, Clarence, come on in here and dedicate it.
[Clarence Clemons:] Yeah. I'd like to take this opportunity... I'm gonna dedicate this song to all my friends out there in radioland that went to Maryland State College with me down the eastern shore of Maryland, and come on down here some night, and we'll get drunk together.

Well, Jingo's down by the railroad tracks
He sits low in the back seat of his Cadillac
Oh, and Diamond Jackie, ah, she's so intact
She falls so easy beneath him
Well, now, Jackie's heels are stacked
Oh, she got cleats on the boots
Oh, and together they're gonna boogaloo down Broadway
And come home with the loot
Because it's midnight in Manhattan and this is no time to get cute
Oh, it's a mad man's promenade
It's the New York City serenade

Oh, now, ain't Jackie pretty? Ain't Jackie sweet?
Her faith lies at midnight, between her teeth
Oh, and Jingo's been a good daddy, through all them years
He's kept her in hope and kept her in fear
Lord, he's a lone privateer, working down on the docks
He was born in 1943 and almost died of the shock
Well, now, he drags her to some deep side joint
Where all night long, punks, they rock
Till she falls so softly, just like a child
He cried, "New York City, you're so wild"
In the night air you hear crying

Oh, now, ain't he thin? Lord, but, ain't he fine?
Born on the border of the Kansas line
When he broke into town, in the summer of '63
Swore he'd bust that monster to its knees
Well, folks said he was master of the universe
Some kid said he was holder of the cosmic keys
Oh, and his throat was choked with lightning from a childhood disease
And with a tommy gun blast, it's got 'em running from the streets
Till he lies helpless in Times Square like street scum
He cried, "New York City, kills young", ah
He sighed, "New York City, kills young"
From a tenement window, I heard sighing

Oh, oh, all right

[Spoken outro:] Mm. (chuckles)

Info

The above lyrics are for the live 02 Jun 1973 radio performance of NEW YORK SONG as broadcast on Bethesda's WHFS-FM. The song was played in an arrangement featuring Bruce Springsteen on acoustic guitar and vocals and Clarence Clemons on saxophone.

The 02 Jun 1973 WHFS-FM Radio Performance

Bruce Springsteen's 02 Jun 1973 radio performance was broadcast live on Bethesda's WHFS-FM. The show took place at the radio station in Bethesda, MD, and was hosted by DJ Donald "Cerphe" Colwell, a local radio legend who was one of Springsteen's biggest early supporters. Colwell also conducted an in-station interview with Bruce during the show. The master tape of this radio performance is is not circulating, but what is believed to be the complete radio show was taped by a listener and has since circulated among fans, but the sound quality is only fair.

Credits / References

Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake). Most of the above info about this radio performance is taken from Brucebase.

Available Versions

List of available versions of NEW YORK SONG on this website:

Page last updated: 28 May 2012