FREEHOLD

Live 08 Nov 1996 version

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[Spoken intro]: Got one more for you [cheers]. Well this is a song that I... only gonna sing this song once in my life. It's gonna be right now [cheers]. Uh... never sang it before, don't know if I know how to sing it... but I'm gonna try. Uh... Alright, let me give a shot here. Take some of the lights down a little bit because... this is a moody kind of piece. Yeah. Uh not quite that moody, you know (chuckles). Alright I need some real silence because man I got to concentrate to get this sucker right now!

I was born right here on Randolph Street in Freehold
Here right behind that big red maple in Freehold
Well I went to school right here
Got laid and had my first beer
In Freehold

Well my folks all lived and worked right here in Freehold
I remember running up the street past the convent to the church here in Freehold
I chased my daddy down in these bars
First fell in love with this guitar
Here in Freehold

Well I had my first kiss at the YMCA canteen on a Friday night
Maria Espinosa tell me where are you tonight
You were thirteen but way ahead of your time
I walked home with a limp but I felt fine
That night in Freehold

Well the girls at Freehold Regional they looked pretty fine
Had my heart broke at least half a dozen times
I wonder if they missed me, if they still get the itch
Would they had dumped me if they knew I'd strike it rich
Straight out of Freehold

Well Tex rest in peace and Marion gave us kids a hand in Freehold
Georgie, we started up a little Rock And Roll band in Freehold
[spoken:] Ah, we got it wrong!
[spoken:] I'm reading it right now
[spoken:] I gotta do it right
[spoken:] I gotta get this one right
[spoken:] Yeah...
[cheers]
[spoken:] Oh boy, I gotta hate my own handwriting now
[extended pause]
[spoken:] Ah!
[spoken:] It's just a dramatic interlude there

Tex rest in peace and Marion gave us a hand in Freehold
Georgie, we started up a Rock And Roll band in Freehold
But we learned pretty quick how to rock it
I'll never forget the feeling of that first five bucks in my pocket
That I earned in Freehold

Well I got outta here really hard and fast in Freehold
Everybody wanted to kick my ass back there in Freehold
Well if you were different, black or brown
It was a bit of a redneck town
Back then in Freehold

Well something broke my daddy's back in Freehold
In '69 he left and he never come back to Freehold
Except once he drove from California 3000 miles in three days
Called my relatives some dirty names
And pulled straight out of Freehold

Sister had her first little baby at seventeen in Freehold
Well people they can be pretty mean
Honey you had a rough road to go but you ain't made of nothin' but soul
I love you more that you'll ever know
We both survived Freehold

Well my buddy Mike well he's the mayor now in Freehold
I remember when we used to have a lot more hair in Freehold
Well I left and swore I'd never walk these streets again Jack
Tonight all I can say is "holy shit, I'm back"
Back in Freehold

Well this summer everything was green in Freehold
Rode my kids on the fire engine through the streets of Freehold
I showed them where dad was born and raised
And first felt the sun on his face
There in Freehold

Well I still got a lot of good friends right here in town
I can usually find me a free beer somewhere
With offers of free meals I am blessed
Should I go crazy, blow all my money and ruin my life, but at least I'll never go hungry I guess
Here in Freehold

Well I got a good Catholic education here in Freehold
Led to an awful lot of masturbation here in Freehold
Father it was just something I did for a smile
Hell I still get a good one off once in a while
And dedicate it to Freehold

Don't get me wrong, I ain't putting anybody down
Hell in the end it all just goes and comes around
It's one hell of a town
Freehold

[Spoken outro:] Take those cameras and shoot 'em up! I love you. Thank you. [Bruce leaves stage and comes back after 36 seconds] Thanks. Love you. I had a great night. It's great to be back in town. Thanks for supporting the Community Center.

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Info

FREEHOLD is a song written by Bruce Springsteen, and also known among Bruce Springsteen fans under the title "In Freehold". It debuted live on 08 Nov 1996 in Freehold, NJ. As far as it's known, FREEHOLD was not recorded in studio.

Introducing FREEHOLD during the 08 Nov 1996 show in Freehold, NJ (see the song's spoken intro above), Springsteen said that he's "only gonna sing this song once in life". However, he did sing it again, many times and also outside of Freehold. Springsteen always performed the song solo on acoustic guitar. See the "Live History" sections below for more details.

Live 08 Nov 1996 version

The above lyrics are for the live 08 Nov 1996 world debut of FREEHOLD at Saint Rose Of Lima School in Freehold, NJ, during The Ghost Of Tom Joad Solo Acoustic Tour. When he finished the song, Springsteen said "Take those cameras and shoot 'em up!"; he had asked the audience earlier in the show not to take flash camera pictures, and that he would wait around at the end of the show when they could take all the pictures they wanted.

The 08 Nov 1996 Show

Bruce Springsteen performed a concert at Saint Rose Of Lima School in Freehold, NJ, on 08 Nov 1996, during The Ghost Of Tom Joad Solo Acoustic Tour. This was a benefit show for the school's Hispanic Community Center. It featured many tour premieres as well as guest appearances by Soozie Tyrell (on violin and backing vocals) and Patti Scialfa (on backing vocals) on many songs throughout the show.

This sort of homecoming concert marks Springsteen's first known performance at his primary school in almost three decades. Between 1965 and 1967, as a member of The Castiles, he played at Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) dances in the school's cafeteria for high school aged teens.

In May 2018 the complete 08 Nov 1996 concert was officially released on Live.BruceSpringsteen.net (see the "Official Live Downloads" section below for more details). The show was recorded by John Kerns and mixed by Jon Altschiller in April 2018.

Official Live Downloads

Prior to the High Hopes Tour, Bruce Springsteen's management announced a new service allowing fans to download concert recordings approximately 48 hours after each show. The initial plan required fans to purchase a special USB wristband, which could then be used to download a single High Hopes Tour show of the purchaser's choice and also functions as a regular reusable USB flash drive. The wristband, which could be purchased online or at the concert venue, was priced at $40. Following some negative response from fans over the high cost for the wristband, Springsteen's management subsequently announced a separate cheaper option for purchasing shows directly, without the need for the wristband. The shows were available for purchase and download via Live Nation, Bruce Springsteen's concert promoter, priced at $9.99 for MP3 and $14.99 for FLAC. Audio recordings for 31 of the 34 High Hopes Tour dates (all except 16 Feb 2014, 06 Apr 2014, and 03 May 2014) were released as such and they were available until 30 Jun 2014.

On 17 Nov 2014, Live.BruceSpringsteen.net was launched. It's a new addition to the official website, serving as an online store offering high-quality live concert recordings as well as high-resolution digital releases of Springsteen's album catalog. The download store is powered by Nugs.net in cooperation with Columbia Records. Audio recordings for 30 of the 34 High Hopes Tour dates (all except 16 Feb 2014, 06 Apr 2014, 03 May 2014, and 18 May 2014) were re-released on the new download store in multiple formats, including MP3, lossless CD-quality FLAC or ALAC, and 24-bit HD FLAC or ALAC or MQA, as well as audio CD-R with custom artwork. Nugs.net adopted the MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) format on 24 May 2017. From then on, all Bruce Springsteen live concert recordings, including the previously released ones, became also available in MQA.

Audio recordings for all 75 The River Tour 2016 dates were also released on Live.BruceSpringsteen.net in multiple formats, including MP3, lossless CD-quality FLAC or ALAC, and 24-bit HD FLAC or ALAC or MQA, as well as audio CD-R with custom artwork. Each show was generally released within a month after it took place.

Audio recordings for all 14 Summer '17 Tour dates were also released on Live.BruceSpringsteen.net in multiple formats, including MP3, lossless CD-quality FLAC or ALAC, and 24-bit HD FLAC or ALAC or MQA, as well as audio CD-R with custom artwork. Each show was generally released within a month after it took place.

Archival releases were periodically released on the same site, as part of the Bruce Springsteen Archive Series. These shows were also made available in multiple formats, including MP3, lossless FLAC or ALAC, 24-bit FLAC or ALAC or MQA, DSD, and audio CD-R. So far 90 shows (or sets of shows) were released from the ongoing series.

Writing

FREEHOLD was most probably written specifically for this 08 Nov 1996 "homecoming" show ─ Springsteen has not performed at the Saint Rose Of Lima School since Spring 1967, the last time his early band The Castiles played at the school's Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) dance.

People and Locations

Freehold, NJ, is Springsteen's hometown, which he left for good in 1968. The Saint Rose Of Lima School (he sings "I went to school right here") was Bruce's elementary school from 1955 to 1963. Freehold Regional High School, referenced in the song, was Springsteen's high school from Sep 1963 to 1967.

Maria Espinosa was the girl with whom Bruce had his first kiss. That was during a dance at the local YMCA canteen in downtown Freehold. Espinoza never told anyone about her secret kiss secret until Springsteen's performance of the song. "My parents were so strict. I wasn't allowed to have a boyfriend, so I couldn't let anyone know what happened," she told the Asbury Park Press. When Springsteen hit stardom, she didn't think anyone would believe her. "I can't believe he remembers my name. I was flattered when I found out," she said. In the song, Springsteen says that she was 13 when they locked lips, but she remembers that she was 15. "It must have lasted about a minute," she said. "It was good. I dreamed about it afterward."

Springsteen mentions the late Tex Vinyard (who passed away in 1988) and his wife Marion, a couple from Freehold who sponsored young bands in town. They managed and supported Bruce's first "professional" band The Castiles (1965-1968). Having no children of their own, the couple took the group under their wing through their teenage years. The living room of the Vinyard's house in Freehold became a place for the young band to practice and hang around.

Springsteen also references George Theisis, lead singer and rhythm guitarist for The Castiles. He's one of the founders of the band, and he had a crush on Bruce's sister, Ginny. As a way to get close to her, he asked Springsteen to audition for a spot in The Castiles. Springsteen would join the band a few months after it was formed.

Live History: on-tour

FREEHOLD was performed 11 times during The Ghost Of Tom Joad Solo Acoustic Tour (128 dates, November 1995 to May 1997), in November 1996 in Freehold, NJ, on the last five of the ten shows of the February 1997 Australian leg of the tour, and then again in Europe on the first five of the thirteen shows of the tour's final leg. There were only slight lyrical variations between these performance of the song. The live 08 Nov 1996 version of FREEHOLD was released on the Freehold, NJ 1996 Saint Rose Of Lima School Gym official live download in 2018.

FREEHOLD was performed 8 times during what is known as The Reunion Tour (132 dates, April 1999 to July 2000). Seven of these were during the July/August 1999 15-night stand at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, NJ. On this tour, the song was played solo on acoustic guitar and always followed LIGHT OF DAY on the setlist. In 1999 FREEHOLD featured several lyrics variations to the earlier versions from 1996-1997. A notable new verse in the 1999 versions is about a rejected plan of making a statue of Bruce Springsteen in his hometown Freehold. See the live 11 Aug 1999 version for more details. On 29 Jul 1999, the song was dedicated to Freehold Mayor Michael Wilson (mentioned in a dedicated verse in the song) who was in the audience. During The Reunion Tour, FREEHOLD.

Live History: off-tour

FREEHOLD was performed off-tour on 19 and 20 Feb 2003 at Somerville Theatre in Somerville, MA, during the DoubleTake Magazine benefit shows. This February 2003 version is similar to the one used in 1999. See the live 19 Feb 2003 version for more details.

Covers

As far as it's known, no artist has recorded and released Bruce Springsteen's FREEHOLD.

Credits

Thanks Chris at born2run.de for the info corrections and lyrics and spoken intro help. Thanks Bryan S. Friesth for the corrections.

Available Versions

List of available versions of FREEHOLD on this website:

FREEHOLD [Live 08 Nov 1996 version]
FREEHOLD [Live 12 Feb 1997 version]
FREEHOLD [Live 10 May 1997 version]
FREEHOLD [Live 11 Aug 1999 version]
FREEHOLD [Live 19 Feb 2003 version]

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Page last updated: 08 May 2018