HUNGRY HEART^©

Berlin 95 version

One, two
One two three four

Say yeah!

I got a wife and kids in Baltimore, Jack
I went out for a ride and I never went back
Like a river that don't know where it's flowing
I took a wrong turn and I just kept going

Everybody's got a hungry heart
Everybody's got a hungry heart
Lay down your money and you play your part
Everybody's got a hu-hu-hungry heart

Yeah yeah

I met her in a Kingstown bar
We fell in love I knew it had to end
We took what we had and we ripped it apart
Here I am down in Kingstown again, sigin'

Everybody's got a hungry heart
Everybody's got a hungry heart
Lay down your money and you play your part
Everybody's got a hu-hu-hungry, hungry heart

Everybody needs a place to rest
Everybody wants to have a home
Don't make no difference what nobody say
Ain't nobody wanna to be alone, singin'

Everybody's got a hungry heart
Yeah yeah
(Everybody's got a hungry heart)
Let me hear you now
(Lay down your money and you play your part)
Yeah yeah
(Everybody's got a hungry heart)
??? everybody now
(Everybody's got a hungry heart)
Oh yeah
(Everybody's got a hungry heart)
??? somebody now
(Lay down your money and you play your part)
Say yeah
(Everybody's got a hungry heart)
Oh whoa whoa yeaaah
La la la la la la
Oh whoa yeaaah
La la la la la la
Whoa whoa yeaaah
La la la la la la
Singin' everybody
Singin' everybody
Singin' everybody
Everybody's got a hungry heart

Welcome, let's see ??? everybody here in Berlin*

On 09 Jul 1995, Bruce joined German rocker Wolfgang Niedecken and his Leopardefell Band at Cafe Eckstein, Berlin, Germany, to record a video for HUNGRY HEART. One of the numerous (seven) takes of the song played during that gig was officially released later that same year on the Hungry Heart [Berlin 95] EPs that were released in Europe, Japan, and Australia. Curiously, this released version featured Bruce's live vocals from the Eckstein gig just mixed into the original 1980 E Street Band instrumental of the song. The video, with that same bizarre audio, was also released later on the on The Complete Video Anthology / 1978-2000 DVD.

However, the story might be different. A Springsteen fan says: "I'd imagine that Bruce's vocal was completely re-recorded from the Berlin take. There would have been a lot of 'bleed' from the other instruments. He would have gone into a studio and re-dubbed his vocal whilst watching the video hence the addition of the line at the end of the track to give the illusion it's live. The dead giveaway on this track is his count-in for the song; the drum roll should, and does when played live, come in on the 4th count whereas on this version he counts to 4 then the drums roll in. They could have sorted that if they'd been bothered."

Wolfgang Niedecken is a famous German rock singer who was sent to New York in 1995 to interview Bruce. The two became friends, and as Bruce decided to do a new version of HUNGRY HEART in Berlin the same year, it was Wolfgang and his band playing with Bruce in that nice little Berlin club. From that point on, Wolfgang joined Bruce on stage for HUNGRY HEART a few times:

• 15 Apr 1999 at Koln Arena, Cologne, Germany
• 12 Jun 2003 at AOL Arena, Hamburg, Germany
• 28 Jun 2005 at ICC, Berlin, Germany

The above lyrics refer to the 09 Jul 1995 performance at Cafe Eckstein, Berlin, Germany, that was officially released on the Hungry Heart [Berlin 95] and The Complete Video Anthology / 1978-2000 DVD.

* Note that this line was mixed in since it does not appear on the original tape.

Other live versions: Live/1975-85 version, 19 Nov 1984, 10 Jul 1992, 28 Oct 1999, and 09 Aug 2003.

Check also the studio versions: album's version, The Ties That Bind version, original speed version, instrumental take, 21 Jun 1979 alternate mix #1, 21 Jun 1979 alternate mix #2, and different harmonies version.

Spoken outro:

Welcome, let's see ??? everybody here in Berlin.