TALK TO ME

Official studio version

Well every night I see a light shine in your window
And every night you don't answer when I come knocking at your door
Well your daddy won't ever let me in
And I see from the street your silhouette sitting close to him
What must I do, what does it take, to get you to

Ah talk to me, well until the night's over
Little girl won't you talk to me, well until the night's over
Yeah yeah I got a full week's pay
And, baby, I've been working hard each day
I'm not asking for the world, you see
I'm just asking, girl, talk to me

Well now late at night I hear the music softly playing
And late at night I see the two of you softly swaying
I don't understand darling what was my sin
Why am I down here below, your arms are open to him
What did I do, what did I say, what must I pay, to get you to

Talk to me, well until the night's over
Little girl won't you talk to me, just until it's all over
Yeah yeah yeah I got a full week's pay
And baby I've been working hard each day
I'm not asking for the world, you see
I'm just asking darling, talk to me
Whoa alright

[sax solo]

I don't understand darling what was my sin
Why am I down here below and your arms are open to him
What did I do, what did I say, what must I pay, to get you to

Talk to me, just until the night's over
Little girl won't you talk to me, well, until the night's over
Yeah yeah yeah I got a full week's pay
And baby I've been working hard each day
I'm not asking for the world, you see
Oh I'm just, well I'm just asking, darling, please
And baby I'm down on my knees, to get you to

Talk to me, well until the night's over
Little girl won't you talk to me until it's all over
Come on darling and talk to me, well until it's all over
Little girl won't you talk to me, well until it's all over
Well I wanna say yeah! yeah! yeah! yeah!
Yeah! yeah! say! say!
Yeah! yeah!
(Yeah! yeah! yeah! yeah!)
Ah talk to me
(Until the night's over)
Come on talk to me
(Until the night's over)
Talk to me
(Until the night's over)
(Come on baby)
(I got love!)
[fades out]

Page last updated: 23 Oct 2011

Intro

TALK TO ME is a song written by Bruce Springsteen and donated to Southside Johnny who released it on his 1978 album Hearts Of Stone. See Southside Johnny And The Asbury Jukes' cover version for more details.

Springsteen's studio version of the song was released in November 2010 on The Promise, an album of previously-unreleased songs from the Darkness On The Edge Of Town recording sessions. The above lyrics are for that officially released Springsteen studio version of the song.

Recording

Springsteen reached a final settlement in his yearlong litigation with Mike Appel on 28 May 1977. Effectively this meant that for the first time in a year Springsteen was able to go into a studio and record. The Darkness On The Edge Of Town recording sessions kicked off in early June 1977 at Atlantic Record Studios in New York City, NY. Springsteen had a considerable amount of new material, but the songs were in various stages of writing completion. Consequently many of the songs were shaped over the course of numerous sessions spanning several months.

TALK TO ME was recorded during those sessions, and, prior to the release of The Promise in 2010, the only circulating audio was from August 1977 at Atlantic Record Studios. That circulating take is instrumental only (or possibly backing track). See the unofficial studio version for more details.

Springsteen's studio version of TALK TO ME features some original Jukes/Miami Horns members: Rick Gazda on trumpet, Stan Harrison on tenor sax, Ed Manion on baritone sax, Bob Muckin on trumpet, and Richie "La Bamba" Rosenberg on trombone.

In October 1976, Springsteen used a few lyrics ("Won't you talk to me / Until the middle of the night") that would turn up in TALK TO ME in the introduction to SHE'S THE ONE. See the live 13 Oct 1976 version and live 27 Oct 1976 version of SHE'S THE ONE for more details.

The Promise

The Promise is a Bruce Springsteen album that was released on 16 Nov 2010 as part of The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story box set, and separately as a 2-CD set. The album was also issued on a limited edition 3-LP set pressed on 180-gram vinyl.

[Click thumbnail to enlarge/reduce artwork]

The Promise is a collection of 22 previously-unreleased songs from the Darkness On The Edge Of Town recording sessions. Depending on their level of completion back in 1977-1978, some were only remastered, some were overdubbed with 2010 vocals or music, and some were completely re-recorded in 2010. The album is mixed by Bob Clearmountain.

The Promise track listing, disc 1 (2-CD format):

The Promise track listing, disc 2 (2-CD format):

Notes:

RACING IN THE STREET ('78) is an alternate take to the version found on the Darkness On The Edge Of Town album.
THE PROMISE is a different version from the one found on 18 Tracks.
CANDY'S BOY and COME ON (LET'S GO TONIGHT) are early versions of CANDY'S ROOM and FACTORY.
BECAUSE THE NIGHT, FIRE, and TALK TO ME are songs that Springsteen donated to other artists.
BECAUSE THE NIGHT, RENDEZVOUS, and FIRE were previously released by Springsteen in live versions.
THE WAY is a hidden/bonus track and has been circulating on bootlegs in a slightly different mix.
GOTTA GET THAT FEELING, SOMEDAY (WE'LL BE TOGETHER), WRONG SIDE OF THE STREET, AIN'T GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU, and CITY OF NIGHT have been circulating on bootlegs in different versions and under different titles.
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN, ONE WAY STREET, and SPANISH EYES have been circulating on bootlegs in different versions.
THE BROKENHEARTED is known from the 1978 tour rehearsals.
SAVE MY LOVE, IT'S A SHAME, THE LITTLE THINGS (MY BABY DOES), and BREAKAWAY are songs that have never circulated or been documented.

Live History

In preparation for the Darkness On The Edge Of Town Tour, TALK TO ME was practiced on 19 May 1978 at Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park, NJ, during the only known/confirmed private rehearsal prior to the tour's start.

[Click here to display/hide detailed Darkness On The Edge Of Town Tour rehearsals performances list]

Bruce Springsteen performed TALK TO ME live a few times over the years, mostly with Southside Johnny. The first known public live performance was on 26 Sep 1991 at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ, with Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes.

[Click here to display/hide detailed 1991 off-tour performances list]

TALK TO ME was performed during two of the five 2001 Asbury Park holiday shows and one of the three 2003 Asbury Park holiday shows. These concerts were billed as "Bruce Springsteen with The Max Weinberg 7 and Friends", with The Max Weinberg 7 serving as the house band, and Springsteen bringing guests on and off the stage throughout the shows. On these shows the song was performed by Southside Johnny, and probably with Springsteen playing (assuming that he was on stage all night). The 2003 performance also featured Steven Van Zandt.

[Click here to display/hide detailed 2000-2003 holiday shows performances list]

TALK TO ME was performed off-tour during both holiday jam shows that were held on 19 Dec 2004 at Harry's Roadhouse in Asbury Park, NJ. The song was played in a full-band arrangement backed by Bobby Bandiera and his band. Southside Johnny made a guest appearance during the afternoon show but he was not present during TALK TO ME. See the live 19 Dec 2004 (early show) version for more details.

[Click here to display/hide detailed 2004 Christmas Holiday shows performances list]

Since 2002, Springsteen has been played private benefit shows for schools and colleges that his kids attended — Rumson Country Day School of Rumson, NJ, and Ranney School of Tinton Falls, NJ, and Boston College of Chestnut Hill, MA. TALK TO ME was performed at 10 of these fundraisers, always at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ, and backed by Bobby Bandiera and his band. Southside Johnny joined in on TALK TO ME on most of these shows.

[Click here to display/hide detailed 2005-2011 private benefit shows performances list]

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed TALK TO ME twice on 07 Dec 2010 during a gig in front of a small crowd at Carousel House in Asbury Park, NJ. The gig was videotaped for a future webcast, but none of three takes of the song was included in the webcast. In a Backstreets.com review, Flynn McLean wrote: "'Talk to Me' has been a semi-regular at holiday shows and the school benefits over the course of the last decade -- although with Southside Johnny sharing the vocals for most of those performances -- so it shouldn't be a surprise that Bruce looked quite comfortable singing this one, even in its proper E Street Band debut. The horns were in full force, just as one would expect, and the song featured a breakdown before revving back up at the end. Bruce was obviously having fun, again inviting the audience on to the stage while he and Steve stood on the drum riser exchanging 'yeahs' just as they often do on 'Prove It All Night'."

[Click here to display/hide list of 2010 live performances]

By the time this page was last updated, Springsteen had performed TALK TO ME live a total of 16 times (as far as it's known), the last of which on 29 Jan 2011.

Covers

As far as it's known, only one artist has recorded and released Bruce Springsteen's TALK TO ME:

Southside Johnny And The Asbury Jukes -- Hearts Of Stone [album cover art]

Southside Johnny And The Asbury Jukes -- Hearts Of Stone

LP - Epic (JE 35488) - USA, 1978
CD - Epic (EK 35488) - USA, 1990
CD - Beat Goes On (BGOCD689) - UK, 2005

Southside Johnny And The Asbury Jukes' cover of TALK TO ME was also included on the 1986 various artists Bruce Springsteen tribute album Cover Me. See Southside Johnny And The Asbury Jukes' cover version for more details.

Available Versions

List of available versions of TALK TO ME on this website:

Credits / References

Thanks Neil (Five Stubbs) for the lyrics help. Much of the above info about the live history of the song is taken from Brucebase and Backstreets.

Request

If you have any corrections or additional info, please contact me via the below form or by email: . You will be credited. Thanks in advance.