DANCING IN THE DARK^©

Live 29 Aug 2002 version

One, two, one two three four

I get up in the evening and I ain't got nothing to say
I come home in the morning, go to bed feelin' the same way
I ain't nothing but tired, man I'm just tired and bored with myself
Hey there baby, I could use just a little help

You can't start a fire, you can't start a fire without a spark
This gun's for hire even if we're just dancing in the dark

Let's go!
Message just keep getting clearer, radio's on and I'm moving 'round the place
I check my look in the mirror, wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face
Man, I ain't getting nowhere, just living in a dump like this
There's something happening somewhere baby, I just know that there is

You can't start a fire, you can't start a fire without a spark
This gun's for hire even if we're just dancing in the dark

You sit around getting older, there's a joke here somewhere and it's on me
Shake this world off my shoulders, come on baby (come one baby)
Come on baby (come one baby), have a laugh on me

One two three
Stay on the streets of this town and they'll be carving you up alright
They say you gotta stay hungry, hey, I'm just about starving tonight
I'm dying for some action, I'm sick of sitting 'round here tryin' to write this book
I need a love reaction, come on baby gimme just one look

You can't start a fire sitting 'round cryin' over a broken heart
This gun's for hire even if we're just dancing in the dark
You can't start a fire worryin' about your little world fallin' apart
This gun's for hire (this gun's for hire), this gun's for hire (this gun's for hire)
This gun's for hire (this gun's for hire) even if we're just dancing in the dark

Hey baby!

Hey baby! (Hey baby)
Hey baby! (Hey baby)
Hey baby! (Hey baby)
Heyyyyy!

Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band played a surprisingly long off-tour set on 29 Aug 2002 at The Rose Center For Earth And Space at The Planetarium of The American Museum Of Natural History, New York City, NY, during a live broadcast for that year's MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) ceremony. Introduced by James Gandolfini, Bruce and the Band opened that year's MTV Video Music Awards (VMA) ceremony with a live performance of THE RISING. Bruce's VMA opening was broadcast from the Rose Center For Earth and Space, then the MTV cameras took the proceedings to Radio City Music Hall, but fans who endured the rain at The Planetarium were treated with 9 additional song (including DANCING IN THE DARK). The above lyrics refer to that 29 Aug 2002 performance.

Check also the album's version (more details) and the other live versions: 26 Jul 1984, 21 Jun 1985, 10 May 1988, 15 Oct 1988, 10 Jul 1992, 16 Oct 2002, 14 Jun 2003, and 04 Oct 2003.

Spoken intro on 29 Aug 2002 at The Planetarium, New York City, NY:

Yeah, thanks for coming out, thank you for coming out tonight. This is fun, very refreshing, I got on my galoshes [chuckles]... Ah! Wanna do some dancing? [cheers] Give me a tempo Max.