Original studio version
Sandy, the fireworks are hailin' over Little Eden tonight
Sparkin' an empty light in all those lonely faces reachin' up like bandits in the sky
Down in the town the Circuit's full of switchblade lovers so fast, so shiny, so sharp
As the wizards play down on Pinball Way on the boardwalk way past dark
And the boys from the casino dance with their shirts open like Latin lovers on the shore
Chasin' all them silly New York virgins by the score
And Sandy, the aurora is rising behind us, this pier lights our carnival life forever
Oh, love me tonight, for I may never see you again, hey, Sandy, girl
My, my, baby
Now, the greasers, ah, they tramp the streets or get busted for sleeping on the beach all night
Them boys in their high heels, ah, Sandy, their skins are so white
And me, I just got tired of hangin' in them dusty arcades, bangin' them pleasure machines
Chasin' the factory girls underneath the boardwalk where they all promise to unsnap their jeans
And you know that tilt-a-whirl down on the south beach drag
I got on it last night and my shirt got caught
And they kept me spinnin', babe, didn't think I'd ever get off
Oh, Sandy, the aurora is rising behind us
This pier lights our carnival life on the water
Runnin', laughin' 'neath the boardwalk, ah, with the boss's daughter
I remember, Sandy, girl
Na, na, na, na, na, baby
Now, Sandy, them northern angels lost their desire for us
I spoke with them last night, they won't set themselves on fire for us anymore
Still, when the weather gets hot, they ride that crazy road down from heaven on their Harleys every season they come and they go
Dressed like stars in all them cheap little seaside bars, they're parked with their babies out on the Kokomo
And the cops finally busted Madame Marie for tellin' fortunes better than they do
Just goes to show, babe
This boardwalk life is through
Oh, Sandy, the aurora is rising behind us
Oh, the pier life, it drags on and on forever
Ah, love me tonight, girl, I promise I'll love you forever
Hey, Sandy, girl
Na, na, na, na, na, baby
Oh, Sandy, girl
Na, na, baby
The above lyrics are for an unofficial studio version of 4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY). It's a different mix (but same basic recording) of the album version with Springsteen's original vocal overdub with the "Sparkin' an empty light in all those lonely faces reachin' up like bandits in the sky" lyric line. The mix that was eventually released on The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle album features a Springsteen vocal overdub that changed that lyrics line to "Forcin' a light into all those stony faces left stranded on this warm July."
This original studio version of 4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY) was released on the briefly-legal album The Early Years (Early Records). See PRODIGAL SON for more details.
Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.
List of available versions of 4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY) on this website:
4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY) [Album version]