ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT)

Live 06 Jun 1973 version



Uh!

Spread out now, Rosie, doctor come cut loose her chiffon reins
You know playin' blind man's bluff is a little baby's game
You pick up Little Dynamite, oh, I'm gonna pick up Little Gun
And together we're gonna go out tonight and make that highway run
And you don't have to call me lieutenant, Rosie, and I don't want to be your son
The only lover I'm ever gonna need's your soft sweet samurai tongue
Rosie, you're the one!

Oh, Dynamite's in the belfry, baby, playin' with the bats
Little Gun downtown in front of Woolworth's, tryin' out his attitude on all the cats
Papa's on the corner, waiting for the bus
Mama, she home in the window, waitin' up for us
We'll be there in that chair when they wrestle her upstairs, 'cause you know we ain't gonna come
I'm not here on business, Rosie, I'm only here for fun
And Rosie! You're the one!

Rosalita, jump a little lighter
Senorita, come sit by my fire
I just want to be your lover, not no liar
Rosalita, you're my stone desire

Jack the Rabbit and Weak Knee Willie, don't you know they're gonna be there
Sloppy Sue and Big Bone Billy, they'll be comin' up for air
We're gonna play some pool, skip some school, act real cool
Stay out all night, it's gonna feel all right
So, Rosie, come out tonight, Rosie, come out tonight
'Cause windows are for cheaters, chimneys for the poor
Closets are for hangers, winners use the doors
So use 'em, Rosie! That's what they're there for!

Rosalita, jump a little lighter
Senorita, come sit by my fire
I just want to be your lover, not no liar
Rosalita, you're my stone desire

(Yeah? Whoo! Well!)

Now, I know your mama, she don't like me 'cause I play in a rock and roll band
And I know your daddy, he don't dig me, but he never did understand
Papa lowered the boom and locked you in your room
I'm coming to lend a hand
I'm riding for liberation, confiscation, I want to be your man
Someday we'll look back on this and it will all seem funny, da, da, da, da
But now you're sad, your mama's mad
And your papa says he knows that I don't have any money
Your papa says he knows that I don't have any money
So your papa says he knows that I don't have any money

This is his last chance to get his daughter in a fine romance
Rosie, the record company just gave me a big advance!
And my tires were slashed and I almost crashed, but the Lord had mercy
My machine, she's a dud, out stuck in the mud somewhere in the swamps of Jersey
Hold on tight, stay up all night, Rosie, I'm comin' on
By the time we meet the morning light, I will hold you in my arms
I know a pretty little place in Southern California down San Diego way
There's a little café, where they play guitar all day
You can hear them strummin'
Outside my baby dances, hummin'
And everybody says:
Ahhhh!

Rosalita, jump a little lighter
Senorita, come sit by my fire
I just want to be your lover, not no liar
Rosalita, you're my stone desire
(Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!)

[Spoken outro:] Thank you very much.


Info

The above lyrics are for the live 06 Jun 1973 performance of ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) at Spectrum in Philadelphia, PA, during what is considered the Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. Tour. The song was played in a full-band arrangement and featured early lyrics ("chiffon reins" and "samurai tongue") that can be found on Springsteen's 1972 handwritten lyrics for ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT).

A studio-mixed soundboard recording of this live 06 Jun 1973 version of ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) first appeared on the Deep Down In The Vaults (E. St. Records) bootleg. According to Brucebase, this recording is likely to have served as a copyright reference recording for Laurel Canyon, much the same as the recording of the live 31 Jan 1973 (early show) version of THUNDERCRACK. Because both of these recordings, THUNDERCRACK and ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT), have similar audio characteristics, it was guessed that the latter comes from the missing band segment of the late 31 Jan 1973 show. However, in his 2012 book E Street Shuffle: The Glory Days of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Clinton Heylin revealed this recording of ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT), along with a recording of THE E STREET SHUFFLE that is not in general circulation, is from the 06 Jun 1973 show in Philadelphia, PA.

This was a double bill show, with Bruce Springsteen and his band opening for headliners Chicago. This was their 6th of 13 consecutive shows opening for Chicago.

Promotional ad for the 06 Jun 1973 show at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
Promotional ad for the 06 Jun 1973 show at Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
(Taken from Brucebase)

Credits

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

Some of the above info is taken from Brucebase.

Available Versions

List of available versions of ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) on this website:

ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Album version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 14 Feb 1973 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 06 Jun 1973 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 06 Jan 1974 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 03 Mar 1974 (late show) version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 09 Apr 1974 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 05 Feb 1975 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 02 Oct 1975 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 18 Nov 1975 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 04 Apr 1976 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 22 Aug 1976 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 30 Oct 1976 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 03 Nov 1976 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 04 Nov 1976 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 13 Feb 1977 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 06 Mar 1977 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 19 Mar 1977 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 25 Mar 1977 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 03 Jun 1978 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 07 Jul 1978 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 08 Jul 1978 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 09 Aug 1978 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 21 Aug 1978 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 08 Dec 1978 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 21 Sep 1979 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 22 Sep 1979 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 05 Oct 1979 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 01 Nov 1980 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 09 Nov 1980 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 31 Dec 1980 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 20 Aug 1981 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 21 Jun 1984 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 12 Jul 1984 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 10 May 1988 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 10 Aug 1992 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 24 Nov 1996 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 25 Nov 1996 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 26 Nov 1996 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 12 Aug 1999 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 18 Dec 2000 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 03 Sep 2001 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 08 Dec 2001 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 29 Apr 2003 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 06 Aug 2003 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 09 Aug 2003 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 25 Sep 2003 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 03 Oct 2003 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 05 Apr 2007 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 22 Apr 2008 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 07 May 2008 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 21 Aug 2008 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 18 May 2009 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 28 Jun 2009 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 25 Aug 2009 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 20 Oct 2009 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 07 Nov 2009 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 13 Nov 2009 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 25 Feb 2012 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 01 Mar 2014 version]

Page last updated: 09 May 2015