WRECKING BALL^©

Live 02 Oct 2009 version

[spoken:] Good evening New Jersey! Alright you came out here to help us tear this old girl down? This is something we wrote for tonight...

I was raised out of steel here in the swamps of Jersey, some misty years ago
Through the mud and the beer, and the blood and the cheers, I've seen champions come and go
So if you got the guts mister, yeah if you've got the balls
If you think it's your time, then step to the line, and bring on your wrecking ball

Bring on your wrecking ball
Bring on your wrecking ball
Come on and take your best shot, let me see what you've got
Bring on your wrecking ball
Bring on your wrecking ball
Bring on your wrecking ball
Come on and take your best shot, let me see what you've got
Bring on your wrecking ball

Now my home was here in the Meadowlands, where mosquitoes grow big as airplanes
Here where the blood is spilled, the arena's filled, and Giants play the game
So raise up your glasses and let me hear your voices call
Come on!
Because tonight all the dead are here, so bring on your wrecking ball

Bring on your wrecking ball
Bring on your wrecking ball
Take your best shot, let me see what you've got
Bring on your wrecking ball

One, two, one two three four!

[trumpet solo]

Yeah we know that come tomorrow, none of this will be here
So hold tight on your anger
Hold tight on your anger
Hold tight to your anger, and don't fall to your fear

Now when all this steel and these stories, they drift away to rust
And all our youth and beauty, it's been given to the dust
And your game has been decided, and you're burning the clock down
And all our little victories and glories, have turned into parking lots
When your best hopes and desires, are scattered through the wind
And hard times come, hard times go
Hard times come, hard times go
And hard times come, hard times go
Hard times come, hard times go
Hard times come, hard times go
Yeah just to come again

Bring on your wrecking ball
Bring on your wrecking ball
Come on and take your best shot, let me see what you've got
Bring on your wrecking ball
Bring on your wrecking ball (bring on your wrecking ball)
Bring on your wrecking ball (bring on your wrecking ball)
Take your best shot, let me see what you've got, bring on your wrecking ball

One, two, one two three four!

[trumpet solo]

Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho

Bring it on!

Page last updated: 09 Nov 2009

Intro

Music and lyrics by Bruce Springsteen, WRECKING BALL was written about the 2010 demolition of the Giants Stadium.

Giants Stadium

Giants Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. It will be closed and demolished in 2010 when the new Meadowlands Stadium opens.

As a concert venue, the Giants Stadium is mostly associated with Bruce Springsteen, who played there a total of 24 nights in his career:

• 6 nights in the summer of 1985 on the Born In The USA Tour
• 10 nights in the summer of 2003 on The Rising Tour
• 3 nights in the summer of 2008 on the Magic Tour
• 5 nights in the summer/fall or 2009 on the Working On A Dream Tour

The Working On A Dream Tour dates are the last before the stadium is demolished in 2010.

Song debut and live history

On the opening night of his 2009 stand at Giants Stadium, Springsteen took the stage and said "Good evening New Jersey! Nice to be in my back yard! Join us tonight to shut the old lady down! We've had a lot of great nights here, let's make this another one. This is something I wrote for tonight." He opened the show with WRECKING BALL, a brand new song written specially for the occasion. He starts it on acoustic guitar before the E Street Band joins in after a few verses, with a trumpet solo from Curt Ramm, Seeger Sessions Tour member.

This was not the first appearance of the song; it had been sound-checked prior to the 20 Sep 2009 show at United Center, Chicago, IL. According to eyewitnesses, it was much slower and more intense and drawn out

By the time this page was last updated, WRECKING BALL had been performed live 9 times, all during the Working On A Dream Tour. These included the five-nights stand at the Giants Stadium and two nights at The Philadelphia Spectrum. The Philadelphia Spectrum was also due to be demolished in late 2009, and the last show there was Pearl Jam on 31 Oct 2009. The version performed at the The Spectrum featured slightly altered lyrics to suit the venue. All live performances of the song featured Curt Ramm on trumpet.

[Click here to display/hide detailed performances list]

Release

On 03 Oct 2009, a streaming video of the previous night's live performance of WRECKING BALL was posted on Springsteen's official website. It's an unedited version taken from the line cut and the original live mix.

That 02 Oct 2009 live performance soon became available as an official "digital single" on iTunes US only. The audio (mixed by Bob Clearmountain) is accompanied by a video clip shot during the five-night stand at Giants Stadium and edited by Chris Hilson and Thom Zimny.

Credits

Thanks Ryan Davis and Trish for the help.

Request

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