SONG FOR ORPHANS

Live 21 Nov 2005 version

[Spoken intro:] Thanks a lot. Come on out Mr. Fitz! I'm gonna introduce you to the mysterious Mr. Fitz. He pokes his head out on occasion, there he is. (chuckles) And uh... he takes care of all the keyboards and... very, the little one... and- and- ???... and he's the filled the, this phantom ambiance you may ??? on occasion. So... this is his stage debut, don't make him nervous. This is a song I... Alright, I'll ??? you now. This thing, this thing was ah... I think it was an outtake from "Greeting From Asbury Park". (chuckles) And uh, uh... never released, never sung. (chuckles) So uh, you're not gonna know this bastard, let's put it that way. Or some of you may! Some of you actually may. I like that in some of you. This is a song I wrote, called "Song For Orphans"

Well multitude assembled and they tried to make the noise
Them black blind poet generals and restless loud white boys
But time's grew thin and the axis was somehow left incomplete
Where instead of child lions found the agein' junkie sheep

How many wasted have I seen signed "Hollywood or bust"
Left to ride them ever ghostly Arizona gusts
Cheerleader tramps and kids with big amps soundin' in the void
High society vamps and ex-heavyweight champs mistakin' soot for soil

So break me now big Mama as Old Faithful breaks the day
Believe me my good Linda, the aurora will shine your way
The confederacy's in my name now, and the hounds are held at bay
But the axis needs a stronger arm, do you feel your muscles play

The doorstep blanket weaver, Madonna, she's pushin' bells
From house to house I see her givin' last kisses and wishin' well
To every gypsy mystic hero that the kids might find a place
Who've been lost forever mama on their weekends out in space

Well the sons they search for fathers, but the fathers are all gone
And the lost souls search for saviours, but saviours don't last long
Those aimless questless renegade brats who live their lives in songs
They run the length of a candle, in a goodnight whisper they are all gone

So break me now big Mama as Old Faithful breaks the day
Believe me my good Linda, the aurora will shine your way
The confederacy's in my name now, the hounds are held at bay
The axis needs a stronger arm, do you feel your muscles play

Well the missions are filled with hermits, and they're lookin' for a friend
And the terraces are filled with cat-men just lookin' for a way in
There's orphans left on silver mountains, lost in celestial alleyways
They wait for that old tramp Dog Man Moses, he takes in all the strays

Now don't grow on empty legends, don't grow on lonely cradle songs
'Cause Billy the Kid was just a bowery boy who made a living twirlin' his guns
And the night she's long and lanky, and she speaks in a mother tongue
She lullabies the refugees with an amplifier's hum

So break me now big Mama as Old Faithful breaks the day
Believe me my sweet Linda, the help is on the way
The confederacy's in my name now, we'll hold the hounds at bay
The axis needs a stronger arm, do you feel your muscles play
And the confederacy's in my name now, and the hounds we'll hold at bay
The axis needs a stronger arm, do you feel your muscles play

Hmmm

Info

The above lyrics are for to the live 21 Nov 2005 performance of SONG FOR ORPHANS at Sovereign Bank Arena in Trenton, NJ, during the Devils & Dust Solo Acoustic Tour. Bruce Springsteen played the song on acoustic guitar and harmonica and was accompanied on-stage by Alan Fitzgerald on piano. Fitzgerald was Springsteen's offstage keyboard/synthesizer tech who supplemented songs from off-stage throughout the tour. This was first live appearances of SONG FOR ORPHANS since 1973.

Ticket stub for the 21 Nov 2005 show at Sovereign Bank Arena, Trenton, NJ

Handwritten setlist for the 21 Nov 2005 show at Sovereign Bank Arena, Trenton, NJ

Available Versions

List of available versions of SONG FOR ORPHANS on this website:

Page last updated: 02 Mar 2019