Lyrics

HIGHWAY 29

Album version


I slipped on her shoe, she was a perfect size seven
I said "there's no smoking in the store ma'am"
She crossed her legs and then
We made some small talk, that's where it should have stopped
She slipped me a number, I put it in my pocket
My hand slipped up her skirt, everything slipped my mind
In that little roadhouse on highway 29

It was a small town bank, it was a mess
Well I had a gun, you know the rest
Money on the floorboards, shirt was covered in blood and she was crying
Her and me we headed south on highway 29

In a little desert motel, the air was hot and clean
I slept the sleep of the dead, I didn't dream
I woke in the morning, washed my face in the sink
We headed into the Sierra Madres 'cross the borderline
The winter sun, shot through the black trees
I told myself it was all something in her
But as we drove I knew it was something in me
Something had been coming for a long long time
And something that was here with me now on highway 29

The road was filled with broken glass and gasoline
She wasn't saying nothing, it was just a dream
Wind come silent through the windshield
All I could see was snow and sky and pines
I closed my eyes and I was running
And I was running then I was flying

Info

HIGHWAY 29 is a song written by Bruce Springsteen and released on his 1995 album The Ghost Of Tom Joad. The above lyrics are for Bruce Springsteen's album version of HIGHWAY 29 as released in 1995.


Writing and Recording

The story in HIGHWAY 29 seems to be very similar to the one in LOSIN' KIND.

HIGHWAY 29 was recorded sometime between March and August 1995 at Thrill Hill Recording (Springsteen's home studio) in Beverly Hills, CA. On this track, Springsteen handles guitar, keyboards, and vocals. The track, as well as the rest of the album, was produced by Bruce Springsteen and Chuck Plotkin and recorded and mixed by Toby Scott at Thrill Hill Recording.

The Ghost Of Tom Joad

Following the Jan-Feb 1995 studio reunion with the E Street Band and the release of Greatest Hits, Bruce Springsteen writing activity increased significantly. Between March and September 1995, Springsteen wrote and recorded about two-albums worth of new songs. From the scattered comments made by Springsteen and other session participants, it would seem that over an album's worth of solo material and over an album's worth of band material were recorded during these sessions. The Ghost Of Tom Joad album consist of 7 solo tracks and 5 band tracks. The songs Springsteen recorded solo may have spanned the entire session period and the band sessions appear to have been split into two or three phases during the spring and summer of 1995.

In his 1998 book Songs, Springsteen wrote: "I knew that The Ghost of Tom Joad wouldn't attract my largest audience. But I was sure the songs on it added up to a reaffirmation of the best of what I do. The record was something new, but it was also a reference point to the things I tried to stand for and be about as a songwriter.

The Ghost Of Tom Joad was released on Columbia Records on 21 Nov 1995. It was produced by Bruce Springsteen and Chuck Plotkin. The album won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album in 1997.

Bruce Springsteen -- The Ghost Of Tom Joad
Bruce Springsteen -- The Ghost Of Tom Joad

The Ghost Of Tom Joad features 12 new Springsteen compositions and clocks at 50:16.

Other Official Releases

In addition to its release on The Ghost Of Tom Joad, HIGHWAY 29 was also included in 1996 on the Dead Man Walkin' European EP and on the second UK issue of the Secret Garden EP which was released to promote the Jerry Maguire movie soundtrack.

Bruce Springsteen -- Dead Man Walkin'
Bruce Springsteen -- Dead Man Walkin'

CD EP - Columbia (663190 2) - Austria, 1996

Austrian pressing for the European market.

01- DEAD MAN WALKIN'
02- HIGHWAY 29
03- THIS HARD LAND [Live 09 Dec 1995 version]
04- DOES THIS BUS STOP AT 82ND STREET? [Live 08 Dec 1995 version]
Bruce Springsteen -- Secret Garden
Bruce Springsteen -- Secret Garden

CD EP - Columbia (664324 5) - Austria, 1997

Pressed in Austria for distribution in the UK.

01- SECRET GARDEN [with strings]
02- BLOOD BROTHERS [Alternate studio version]
03- STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA
04- HIGHWAY 29

HIGHWAY 29 can also be found on one Bruce Springsteen promo-only sampler.

Bruce Springsteen -- Interview With Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen -- Interview With Bruce Springsteen

2xCD - Columbia (SAMPCD 3184 9) - Germany, 1996

Germany-only promotional 2-CD set featuring 16 Springsteen tracks interspersed with segments from an exclusive interview for German radio station "Radio Eins" conducted in Los Angeles in February 1996.

Interview With Bruce Springsteen track list

Disc 1:
01- Interview
02- IT'S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY
03- Interview
04- 4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY)
05- Interview
06- THE RIVER
07- Interview
08- NEBRASKA
09- Interview
10- TOUGHER THAN THE REST
11- Interview
12- BORN IN THE U.S.A.
13- Interview
14- MY HOMETOWN
15- Interview
16- HIGHWAY 29
17- Interview
18- TUNNEL OF LOVE
19- Interview
20- SINALOA COWBOYS [Live 08 Dec 1995 version]

Disc 2:
01- Interview
02- HUNGRY HEART [Live 09 Jul 1995 version]
03- Interview
04- STRAIGHT TIME
05- Interview
06- HUMAN TOUCH
07- Interview
08- ACROSS THE BORDER
09- Interview
10- THE GHOST OF TOM JOAD
11- Interview
12- DEAD MAN WALKIN'

Other versions of HIGHWAY 29 were also officially released.

Bruce Springsteen -- King's Hall, Belfast March 19, 1996
The live 19 Mar 1996 version of HIGHWAY 29 was released on the King's Hall, Belfast March 19, 1996 official live download in 2017.
Bruce Springsteen -- Freehold, NJ 1996 Saint Rose Of Lima School Gym
The live 08 Nov 1996 version of HIGHWAY 29 was released on the Freehold, NJ 1996 Saint Rose Of Lima School Gym official live download in 2018.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Nice, France 1997
The live 18 May 1997 version of HIGHWAY 29 was released on the Nice, France 1997 official live download in 2021.

Live History

In preparation for The Ghost Of Tom Joad Solo Acoustic Tour, HIGHWAY 29 was performed during the tour's public warm-up rehearsal show that took place on 21 Nov 1995 at State Theatre in New Brunswick, NJ.

List of The Ghost Of Tom Joad Solo Acoustic Tour rehearsals performances

  1. 21 Nov 1995 at State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ (public rehearsal)

HIGHWAY 29 was performed 126 times times during The Ghost Of Tom Joad Solo Acoustic Tour (128 dates, November 1995 to May 1997), missing only the 24 and 26 Nov 1996 shows in Asbury Park, NJ. The live 19 Mar 1996 version of HIGHWAY 29 was released on the King's Hall, Belfast March 19, 1996 official live download in 2017. The live 08 Nov 1996 version of HIGHWAY 29 was released on the Freehold, NJ 1996 Saint Rose Of Lima School Gym official live download in 2018. The live 18 May 1997 version of HIGHWAY 29 was released on the Nice, France 1997 official live download in 2021.

List of The Ghost Of Tom Joad Solo Acoustic Tour performances

  1. 22 Nov 1995 at Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ
  2. 26 Nov 1995 at Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
  3. 27 Nov 1995 at Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
  4. 29 Nov 1995 at Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA
  5. 30 Nov 1995 at Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA
  6. 03 Dec 1995 at Rosemont Theatre, Theatre, IL
  7. 05 Dec 1995 at DAR Constitution Hall, Washington, DC
  8. 06 Dec 1995 at DAR Constitution Hall, Washington, DC
  9. 08 Dec 1995 at Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA
  10. 09 Dec 1995 at Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA
  11. 12 Dec 1995 at Beacon Theatre, New York City, NY
  12. 13 Dec 1995 at Beacon Theatre, New York City, NY
  13. 15 Dec 1995 at Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA
  14. 16 Dec 1995 at Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA
  15. 17 Dec 1995 at Beacon Theatre, New York City, NY
  16. 07 Jan 1996 at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Montreal, Canada
  17. 08 Jan 1996 at Massey Hall, Toronto, Canada
  18. 10 Jan 1996 at Fox Theatre, Detroit, MI
  19. 11 Jan 1996 at Fox Theatre, Detroit, MI
  20. 12 Jan 1996 at Stambaugh Auditorium, Youngstown, OH
  21. 16 Jan 1996 at Cleveland Music Hall, Cleveland, OH
  22. 17 Jan 1996 at Cleveland Music Hall, Cleveland, OH
  23. 18 Jan 1996 at Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO
  24. 22 Jan 1996 at Saenger Performing Arts Center, New Orleans, LA
  25. 23 Jan 1996 at Jesse H. Jones Hall For The Performing Arts, Houston, TX
  26. 25 Jan 1996 at Austin Music Hall, Austin, TX
  27. 26 Jan 1996 at Bronco Bowl, Dallas, TX
  28. 28 Jan 1996 at Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA
  29. 12 Feb 1996 at Alte Oper, Frankfurt, Germany
  30. 14 Feb 1996 at Kulturpalst, Dresden, Germany
  31. 15 Feb 1996 at Rudi-Sedlmayer-Halle, Munich, Germany
  32. 17 Feb 1996 at Congress Centrum Hamburg Halle 1, Hamburg, Germany
  33. 18 Feb 1996 at Phillipshalle, Dusseldorf, Germany
  34. 21 Feb 1996 at Le Zénith De Paris, Paris, France
  35. 22 Feb 1996 at Le Zénith De Paris, Paris, France
  36. 25 Feb 1996 at De Doelen, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  37. 26 Feb 1996 at Koninklijk Theater Carré, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
  38. 28 Feb 1996 at Apollo Theatre, Manchester, England
  39. 29 Feb 1996 at Symphony Hall, Birmingham, England
  40. 02 Mar 1996 at Newcastle City Hall, Newcastle, England
  41. 03 Mar 1996 at Edinburgh Playhouse, Edinburgh, Scotland
  42. 13 Mar 1996 at Cirkus, Stockholm, Sweden
  43. 14 Mar 1996 at Oslo Spektrum, Oslo, Norway
  44. 16 Mar 1996 at Falkoner Salen, Copenhagen, Denmark
  45. 19 Mar 1996 at King's Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland
  46. 20 Mar 1996 at Point Theatre, Dublin, Ireland
  47. 10 Apr 1996 at Auditorium Santa Cecilia, Rome, Italy
  48. 11 Apr 1996 at Teatro Smeraldo, Milan, Italy
  49. 13 Apr 1996 at Teatro Carlo Felice, Genoa, Italy
  50. 16 Apr 1996 at Royal Albert Hall, London, England
  51. 17 Apr 1996 at Royal Albert Hall, London, England
  52. 19 Apr 1996 at ICC Berlin Saal 1, Berlin, Germany
  53. 20 Apr 1996 at Koningin Elisabethzaal, Antwerp, Belgium
  54. 22 Apr 1996 at Royal Albert Hall, London, England
  55. 24 Apr 1996 at Brixton Academy, London, England
  56. 25 Apr 1996 at Brixton Academy, London, England
  57. 27 Apr 1996 at Royal Albert Hall, London, England
  58. 30 Apr 1996 at Salle Erasme, Strasbourg, France
  59. 01 May 1996 at Palais Des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, Belgium
  60. 02 May 1996 at Kongresshaus, Zurich, Switzerland
  61. 06 May 1996 at Teatro Tivoli, Barcelona, Spain
  62. 07 May 1996 at Teatro Tivoli, Barcelona, Spain
  63. 08 May 1996 at Palacio De Congresos Y Exposiciones, Madrid, Spain
  64. 16 Sep 1996 at Benedum Center, Pittsburgh, PA
  65. 18 Sep 1996 at Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford, CT
  66. 19 Sep 1996 at Providence Performing Arts Center, Providence, RI
  67. 24 Sep 1996 at James W. Miller Auditorium, Kalamazoo, MI
  68. 25 Sep 1996 at E. J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall, Akron, OH
  69. 26 Sep 1996 at Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, MI
  70. 01 Oct 1996 at Braden Auditorium, Normal, IL
  71. 02 Oct 1996 at Riverside Theater, Milwaukee, WI
  72. 03 Oct 1996 at Northrop Auditorium, Minneapolis, MN
  73. 15 Oct 1996 at Abravanel Hall, Salt Lake City, UT
  74. 16 Oct 1996 at Paramount Theatre, Denver, CO
  75. 17 Oct 1996 at Paramount Theatre, Denver, CO
  76. 19 Oct 1996 at Kiva Auditorium, Albuquerque, NM
  77. 21 Oct 1996 at Grady Gammage Memorial Auditorium, Tempe, AZ
  78. 22 Oct 1996 at Civic Theatre, San Diego, CA
  79. 23 Oct 1996 at William Saroyan Theatre, Fresno, CA
  80. 25 Oct 1996 at Arlington Theater, Santa Barbara, CA
  81. 26 Oct 1996 at Event Center Arena, San Jose, CA
  82. 28 Oct 1996 at Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland, OR
  83. 29 Oct 1996 at Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA
  84. 08 Nov 1996 at Saint Rose Of Lima School, Freehold, NJ
  85. 12 Nov 1996 at Shea's Performing Arts Center, Buffalo, NY
  86. 13 Nov 1996 at Landmark Theatre, Syracuse, NY
  87. 14 Nov 1996 at Lowell Memorial Auditorium, Lowell, MA
  88. 19 Nov 1996 at Ellis Auditorium, Memphis, TN
  89. 20 Nov 1996 at The Louisville Palace, Louisville, KY
  90. 21 Nov 1996 at Murat Theatre, Indianapolis, IN
  91. 25 Nov 1996 at Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ
  92. 02 Dec 1996 at Sunrise Musical Theatre, Sunrise, FL
  93. 03 Dec 1996 at Sunrise Musical Theatre, Sunrise, FL
  94. 05 Dec 1996 at Township Auditorium, Columbia, SC
  95. 06 Dec 1996 at Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Concert Hall, Birmingham, AL
  96. 10 Dec 1996 at Music Hall, Cincinnati, OH
  97. 11 Dec 1996 at Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Columbus, OH
  98. 12 Dec 1996 at Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN
  99. 14 Dec 1996 at Ovens Auditorium, Charlotte, NC
  100. 27 Jan 1997 at International Forum, Tokyo, Japan
  101. 29 Jan 1997 at International Forum, Tokyo, Japan
  102. 30 Jan 1997 at International Forum, Tokyo, Japan
  103. 31 Jan 1997 at International Forum, Tokyo, Japan
  104. 04 Feb 1997 at QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane, Australia
  105. 05 Feb 1997 at QPAC Concert Hall, Brisbane, Australia
  106. 07 Feb 1997 at Capitol Theatre, Sydney, Australia
  107. 08 Feb 1997 at Capitol Theatre, Sydney, Australia
  108. 10 Feb 1997 at Capitol Theatre, Sydney, Australia
  109. 11 Feb 1997 at Capitol Theatre, Sydney, Australia
  110. 12 Feb 1997 at Capitol Theatre, Sydney, Australia
  111. 15 Feb 1997 at Palais Theatre, Melbourne, Australia
  112. 16 Feb 1997 at Palais Theatre, Melbourne, Australia
  113. 17 Feb 1997 at Palais Theatre, Melbourne, Australia
  114. 06 May 1997 at Austria Center Vienna, Vienna, Austria
  115. 07 May 1997 at Austria Center Vienna, Vienna, Austria
  116. 09 May 1997 at Sala Kongresowa, Warsaw, Poland
  117. 10 May 1997 at Sala Kongresowa, Warsaw, Poland
  118. 12 May 1997 at Congress Centre, Prague, Czech Republic
  119. 15 May 1997 at Auditorium Maurice Ravel, Lyon, France
  120. 16 May 1997 at Le Corum, Montpellier, France
  121. 18 May 1997 at Palais Des Congrès Acropolis, Nice, France
  122. 19 May 1997 at Zénith Oméga, Toulon, France
  123. 21 May 1997 at Teatro Verdi, Florence, Italy
  124. 22 May 1997 at Teatro Augusteo, Naples, Italy
  125. 25 May 1997 at Palais Des Congrès De Paris, Paris, France
  126. 26 May 1997 at Palais Des Congrès De Paris, Paris, France

HIGHWAY 29 was performed 8 times during the Devils & Dust Solo Acoustic Tour (72 dates, April to November 2005).

List of Devils & Dust Solo Acoustic Tour performances

  1. 16 Jun 2005 at Philipshalle, Dusseldorf, Germany
  2. 23 Jun 2005 at Scandinavium, Gothenburg, Sweden
  3. 27 Jun 2005 at Color Line Arena, Hamburg, Germany
  4. 14 Jul 2005 at Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada
  5. 20 Jul 2005 at Arena At Harbor Yard, Bridgeport, CT
  6. 11 Aug 2005 at Keyarena At Seattle Center, Seattle, WA
  7. 15 Oct 2005 at Dane County Arena At Alliant Center, Madison, WI
  8. 08 Nov 2005 at Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA

Covers

At least 3 artists have recorded and released Bruce Springsteen's HIGHWAY 29.

Various artists -- I Hear You're From Australia - My Name's Bruce Too
Various artists -- I Hear You're From Australia - My Name's Bruce Too

2xCD - Laughing Outlaw (LOR160CD) - Australia, 2013

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album. HIGHWAY 29 is performed by Sam Shinazzi.
Himalayan Bear -- Moonlight And Rain: Two
Himalayan Bear -- Moonlight And Rain: Two

Digital EP - no label (no catalog number) - Canada, 2015

This is a download-only digital Bruce Springsteen tribute EP.
Moa Holmsten -- Bruised Arms & Broken Rhythm
Moa Holmsten -- Bruised Arms & Broken Rhythm

CD - Fill In The Blank Records (no catalog number) - USA, 2015

This is a Bruce Springsteen tribute album.

Available Versions

List of available versions of HIGHWAY 29 on this website:

HIGHWAY 29 [Album version]
HIGHWAY 29 [Live 19 Mar 1996 version]
HIGHWAY 29 [Live 24 Apr 1996 version]
Page last updated: 02 Sep 2017