Live 10 May 1997 version
[Spoken intro:] Thanks you. I was gonna uh... I sang this last night to some success, you know (chuckles). I was gonna try it again tonight but the problem is it's a new song and there is uh... a lot of words in it and they are all in English so I'm a little worried about it. I need a... [somebody in audience shouts "Hey"] Yes uh... [same voice from audience shouts "Freehold"] Yeah alright (chuckles). That's one that's gonna get good (chuckles). But uh... I don't know whether I should give it a shot or not. Uh... how is English doing out there [audience cheers] (chuckles) It's doing a lot better than Polish is up here I think (chuckles). Ok, I give it a try. So, but uh... anyway, I went back to my hometown and uh... played at my Catholic school, I was brought up Catholic, the nuns taught me, and uh... uh the whole Catholic education, I know Poland is a big Catholic country, the Pope himself, The Man, right from here (chuckles). And uh... so I went back and I sang this song at my... at my Catholic school as a tribute to my hometown so I first stepped out, I stood on stage in my little auditorium, and Jesus was on the cross back there looking over my shoulder. And uh... I was all little nervous but uh... all the nuns that taught me in grammar school were sitting out in front, they brought them all back from uh... like I say that great nun-land in the sky, wherever they go when they're done teaching. They brought them back and they all looked glad to see me, they got about the bad stuff and made up like it was all good (chuckles). Well! That was ok with me, so (chuckles). So anyway, uh... I will try to sing you some, this is uh... dedicated to my... to my hometown, so here I am standing on stage at Catholic grammar school, all the nuns were out there, the priests were out there, all my relatives were out there, several old girlfriends were out there [cheers], you know, the whole deal [cheers]. Let me... let me... oh, wait, let me sing it first at least, maybe... a shitty song, I don't know (chuckles). I get right back to you, you know what I mean (chuckles).
I was born right here on Randolph Street in Freehold
Here right behind that big red maple tree in Freehold
Well I went to school right here
Got laid and had my first beer
In Freehold
[spoken:] They get the gist of the whole thing, you know
[spoken:] I was having some second thoughts but uh...
[spoken:] This was my chance for revenge, and on I went
Well my folks all lived and worked right here in Freehold
I remember running up the street past the convent to the church in Freehold
I chased my daddy down in these bars
First fell in love with this guitar
Here in Freehold
I had my first kiss at the YMCA canteen on a Friday night
Maria Espinosa, baby where are you tonight
You were thirteen but way ahead of your time
I walked home with a limp but I felt just fine
That night in Freehold
Well the girls at Freehold High School, yeah, they all looked pretty fine
I had my heart broke at least a half a dozen times
I wonder do they miss me, do they still get the itch
Would they had dumped me if they knew I'd strike it rich (chuckles)
Straight out of Freehold
Well Tex rest in peace and Marion gave us kids a hand in Freehold
Me and my friend Georgie we started up a Rock And Roll band in Freehold
Yeah 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
I got outta here hard and fast in Freehold
Back then everybody wanted to kick my ass in Freehold
Well if you were different, black or brown
Could be a pretty redneck town
My hometown
Well something broke my daddy's back in Freehold
'69 he left and he never come back
Once he drove from California 3000 miles in three days
Left a note on the door, called my relatives some dirty names
Pulled straight out of Freehold
Well my sister got pregnant at seventeen in Freehold
Back then people well they could be pretty mean
Ah honey you had a rough road to go, now 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 he's the mayor now in Freehold
I remember when we had lot more hair in Freehold
I left and swore I'd never walk those streets again Jack
Now all I can say is "holy shit, I'm back"
Back in Freehold
Well this summer everything was green
Rode my kids on the fire engine through the streets
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 back there
I can usually find a free beer somewhere
With free dinners I am blessed
Should I go crazy, blow all my money, ruin my life, at least I'll never go hungry I guess
Back in Freehold
I got a good Catholic education in Freehold
Led to an awful lot of masturbation in Freehold
Father it was just something I did for a smile
Hell I still get a good one off once in a while
Dedicate it to Freehold
Don't get me wrong, I ain't putting anybody down
In the end it all just goes and comes back around
It's a hell of a town
My hometown
The above lyrics are for the live 10 May 1997 performance of FREEHOLD at Sala Kongresowa in Warsaw, Poland, during The Ghost Of Tom Joad Solo Acoustic Tour. This version varies slightly from previous versions.
Thanks Chris at born2run.de for the lyrics and spoken intro help.
List of available versions of FREEHOLD on this website:
FREEHOLD [Live 08 Nov 1996 version]
