Album version
Oh, oh
Oh, yeah!
Whoa, yeah
Driving home she grabs something to eat
Turns a corner and drives down her street
Into a row of houses she just melts away
Like the scenery in another man's play
Into a house where the blinds are closed
To keep from seeing things she don't wanna know
She pulls the blinds and looks out on the street
Where the cool of the night takes the edge off the heat
In the Jackson Cage
Down in the Jackson Cage
And you can try with all your might
But you're reminded every night
That you been judged and handed life
Down in the Jackson Cage
Every day ends in wasted motion
Just crossed swords on the killing floor
To settle back is to settle without knowing
The hard edge that you're settling for
Because there's always just one more day
And it's always gonna be that way
Little girl, you've been down here so long
I can tell by the way that you move you belong
To the Jackson Cage
Down in Jackson Cage
And it don't matter just what you say
Are you tough enough to play the game they play?
Or will you just do your time and fade away
Down into the Jackson Cage?
(Yeah!)
Let's go!
Baby, there's nights when I dream of a better world
But I wake up so downhearted, girl
I see you feeling so tired and confused
I wonder what it's worth to me or you
Just waiting to see some sun
Never knowing if that day will ever come
Left alone standing out on the street
Till you become the hand that turns the key
Down in Jackson Cage
Down in Jackson Cage
Well, darlin', can you understand
The way that they will turn a man
Into a stranger to waste away
Down in the Jackson Cage
JACKSON CAGE is a song written by Bruce Springsteen and released on his 1980 album The River. The above lyrics are for Bruce Springsteen's album version of JACKSON CAGE as released in 1980.
Some of this song's lyrics can be found in the early-1980 home demo WHITE TOWN. The first three lines appear in WHERE THE BANDS ARE
JACKSON CAGE is considered a live rarity. It was occasionally performed during The River Tour but then disappeared for Springsteen's repertoire for two decades before reappearing during The Rising Tour. See the "Live History" section below for more details.
Six demo/rehearsal/studio takes of JACKSON CAGE are in circulation:
Bruce Springsteen wrapped up the Darkness On The Edge Of Town Tour on the first day of 1979. For the next few months, he altered between composing and practicing solo demos at his home in Holmdel, NJ (between January and June 1979), rehearsing with the band at his Telegraph Hill Road property in Holmdel, NJ (between March and May 1979), and recording in studio at The Power Station in New York City, NY (from late March to late August 1979).
By early August 1979, enough quality material had been recorded at The Power Station. According to The Ties That Bind documentary, a total of twenty-four songs had been recorded. According to Clinton Heylin's 2012 book It was looking like Springsteen's fifth album might be released in Christmas 1979. E Street Shuffle: The Glory Days of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Springsteen's initial track sequence for the album was as follows:
Side 1:
Side 2:
By mid-September 1979, Springsteen replaced RICKY WANTS A MAN OF HER OWN, LOOSE ENDS, and THE MAN WHO GOT AWAY by CINDY and THE RIVER. Soon after, he removed RAMROD, restored LOOSE ENDS, and added YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH). A title, "The Ties That Bind", was selected for the album and wheels put in motion to produce artwork for the cover. Around September, at least ten tracks were mixed to completion. On 04 Oct 1979, the ten selected tracks were dubbed to two half-track reel-to-reel tapes at The Power Station, and labeled "side one" and "side two". As written on the reels, the producer was Jon Landau and the engineers were Neil Dorfsman and Bob Clearmountain, assisted by Jeff Hendrickson. The new track sequence for the album was as follows:
Reel #1:
Reel #2:
Mock covers with "The Ties That Bind" title were roughed out early in the planning. The cover shot was to be a picture of Bruce Springsteen in front of a barn, with the back cover being a shot of his face behind a screen door. In late September 1979, The Ties That Bind single album was scrapped as Springsteen's writing process continued.
A second phase of recording sessions was scheduled. Again, for the next few months, Springsteen altered between composing and practicing solo demos at his home in Holmdel, NJ (between September 1979 and February 1980), rehearsing with the band at his Telegraph Hill Road property in Holmdel, NJ (between September 1979 and February 1980), and recording in studio at The Power Station in New York City, NY (from October 1979 to June 1980).
The combined sessions from March 1979 to June 1980 produced the double album The River that was eventually released in October 1980. The studio sessions to some extent extended into August 1980 due to Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's involvement in the recording of Gary U.S. Bonds' album Dedication, which was released April 1981).
The album features 20 new Springsteen compositions and clocks at 83:47. It was produced by Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau, and Steven Van Zandt, engineered by Neil Dorfsman, and mixed by Bob Clearmountain, Chuck Plotkin, and Toby Scott.
Side 1:
Side 2:
Side 3:
Side 4:
According to recording engineer Neil Dorfsman, about 50 songs were recorded to a completed state during The River sessions. 20 were released on The River and 14 were released as B-sides and on official compilations. 14 songs are circulating via the unofficial route, but the majority of them are poor recordings of band rehearsals at the Telegraph Hill Road property, though it is likely that most of them exist as completed takes from The Power Station.
Other versions of JACKSON CAGE were also officially released.
JACKSON CAGE is known to have been performed 44 times during The River Tour (138 dates, October 1980 to September 1981). The song was played on every single show in the first two months (October and November) before becoming a rarity for the rest of the tour. The live 05 Nov 1980 version of JACKSON CAGE was released on the Arizona State University, Tempe 1980 official live download in 2015.
JACKSON CAGE was sound-checked prior to the 25 Oct 1999 show in Oakland, CA, (as far as it's known) but it was not performed on any of The Reunion Tour's regular shows.
In preparation for The Rising Tour, JACKSON CAGE was performed during one of the tour's five public warm-up rehearsal shows that took place in July and August 2002 in Asbury Park and East Rutherford.
JACKSON CAGE was performed 7 times during The Rising Tour (120 dates, August 2002 to October 2003).
JACKSON CAGE was sound-checked prior to the 10 May 2005 show in Saint Paul, MN, (as far as it's known) but it was not performed on any of the Devils & Dust Solo Acoustic Tour's regular shows.
JACKSON CAGE was performed 8 times during the Magic Tour (100 dates, October 2007 to August 2008).
JACKSON CAGE was performed 5 times during the Working On A Dream Tour (83 dates, April to November 2009).
JACKSON CAGE was performed 10 times during the Wrecking Ball Tour (133 dates, March 2012 to September 2013).
JACKSON CAGE was performed twice during the High Hopes Tour (34 dates, January to May 2014). Audio recordings for most High Hopes Tour shows are officially available for purchase. See the live 12 Feb 2014 version for more details.
At least 3 artists have recorded and released Bruce Springsteen's JACKSON CAGE.
Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help. Some of the above info about the studio recording and the live performances is taken from Brucebase.
List of available versions of JACKSON CAGE on this website:
JACKSON CAGE [Album version]
