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Live 24 Sep 1999 version
One, two, three, four!
Say!
Teardrops on the city
Bad Scooter searching for his groove
Whole world walking pretty
And you can't find the room to move
Everybody better move over, that's all
Running on the bad side
With my back to the wall, now
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Say it!
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
I was stranded in the jungle
Taking all the heat they were giving
The night is dark and the sidewalk bright
And lined with the light of the living
From a tenement window a transistor blast
Turn around the corner things got real quiet real fast
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Say it louder
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Well, I'm all alone, I'm all alone
[Clarence Clemons:] Now, kid, you'd better get the picture!
I'm on my own, I'm on my own
Yeah, and I can't find my way back home, now
Max!
[Spoken:] All right. Take it on back, now, right there. Excuse me, Max! Are you listening to me?
Well, it's all right (it's all right)
It's all right, now (it's all right, now)
It's all right (it's all right)
It's all right, now (it's all right, now)
It's all right to have a good time (it's all right to have a good time)
Oh, it's all right to have a good time (it's all right to have a good time)
It's all right to have a good time, now (it's all right to have a good time, now)
Oh, happy birthday (happy birthday)
Happy birthday to you (happy birthday to you)
Happy birthday (happy birthday)
Happy birthday to you (happy to you)
Oh, it's all right (it's all right)
It's all right, now (it's all right, now)
It's all right (it's all right)
It's all right, now (it's all right, now)
Take me to the river (take me to the river)
Wash me in the water (wash me in the water)
Take me to the river (take me to the river)
Wash me in the water (wash me in the water)
Take me to the river (take me to the river)
Wash me in the water (wash me in the water)
Ah, take me to the river (take me to the river)
Wash me in the water (wash me in the water)
I said, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Take me to the river tonight
Yes, I said, I said, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Take me to the river tonight
Just one more time, I said, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, now
Take me to the river tonight
[Spoken:] That's right. That's where I want to go. That's where I want to go. I want to go to the river tonight! I want to go to that river of life tonight! And that river of love! And that river of hope! To that river of happiness! You're told there's been a long road, but there's a long road yet to travel! And I want to get to that river tonight, and I want you to go with me. Because I need to go with you. Because I can't get there by myself! We can't get there by ourselves. If you want to make it all the way to that riverside, you've got to have help and companionship, and some faith in who's walking beside you. But that can be a hard lesson to learn. I found myself as a young man standing in front of a grove of trees, frightened to pass on through to the other side, because I was frightened of the light that might be waiting there. Even though I knew that on the other side of that forest was the river of life, the river of love, and cold beer at a reasonable price. But my legs were heavy like stone, my arms felt like lead, my heart felt so tired! And I knew that wasn't right, and I knew that wasn't the way it had to be, but I still couldn't move on. I didn't have the courage to face that life that was going to take some faith to get to, but then I saw some light in the woods, I stepped forward a few steps, and there was a gypsy woman waiting for me. And she worked that crystal ball, and she said, "Son, your problem is, you can't get there by yourself, Mr. Independence! You've got to have some help!" That's right! In the end, in the end, that's why I want to introduce tonight the dean of the university of musical perversity, the secretary of intelligence, Professor Roy Bittan on the piano! Help me, Professor! I want to introduce the secretary of friendship, keeper of all that is righteous on E Street, Little Steven Van Zandt on the guitar! Standing with me at the riverside, brother! The foundation of the E Street nation, southern man, Mr. Garry W. Tallent on the bass! Standing with me at the riverside, the secretary of syncopation, the minister of the big beat, the Mighty Max Weinberg on the drums. Standing with me at the riverside, the secretary of heart and spirit, Mr. Nils Lofgren on the guitar. Thank you, brother. Thank you brother, standing with me at the riverside. And now I'd like to introduce my brother the minister of mystery and all that is unfathomable in this life, Phantom Dan Federici on the organ. Standing with me at the riverside tonight. Yes, you've got to have friendship, but you've got to have love in your life! And that's why
Brunettes are fine, man, and blondes are fun
But when it come to getting a dirty job done
It take a
(Red headed woman)
I've got to find myself a
(Red headed woman)
Yeah, now, I'm searching for a
(Red headed woman)
Oh, I've got to have myself a
(Red headed woman)
[Spoken:] Ladies and gentlemen, the first lady of love, the secretary of sweet harmony and sexual healing, standing with me at the riverside, Miss Patti Scialfa on guitar and vocals! Thank you, baby. Thank you, baby. Thank you, baby. But now, there was still something missing, I felt my courage going up, I was moving through the forest, and when I got to the riverbanks, I saw there were people all around me with their hands in the air waiting. That's right, there's somebody waiting for you out there! But there was still something missing, I'm talking about something big, something essential, I want to introduce you to the secretary of soul, the minister of brotherhood, the emperor of E Street, do I have to say his name? Do I have to say his name? Say who? Say who? Say who? Say who? Say who? Say who? Say who? Say who? Say who? Say who? Say who? Say who?
Well, they made that change uptown
And the Big Man joined the band
From the coastline to the city
The little pretties raise their hand
I'm gonna sit back right easy and laugh
When Scooter and the Big Man bust this city in half, hey!
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Say it, say it again
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Say it one more time
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Just one more time
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Everybody form a line, now
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Everybody form a line, now
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Everybody form a line, now
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Everybody form a line, now
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Help me out, Steven!
Say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say!
Whoa, ooh!
It's all right, it's all right, now
It's all right
It's all right
It's all right
Say, it's all right
It's all right
It's all right
Say, it's all right, now
It's all right
It's all right
Say hey!
Say hey!
The legendary E Street Band! The E Street Band! The legendary E Street Band!
Take me to the river! Take me to the river! Take me to the river! Say amen, somebody!
The above lyrics are for the live 24 Sep 1999 performance of TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT at First Union Spectrum in Philadelphia, PA, during The Reunion Tour. The song was played in a heavily extended full-band version including band introductions and a variety of interpolated songs and song snippets: The Impressions' IT'S ALRIGHT, Stevie Wonder's HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Al Green's TAKE ME TO THE RIVER, and RED HEADED WOMAN.
Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.
List of available versions of TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT on this website:
TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT [Album version]