Live 21 Apr 2005 version
[Spoken intro:] My kids ??? uh, at an age where they've realized of course that I am not perfect. Damn, I hate that. Uh, they're quite ??? that age ??? passing years. And uh, I'm often ??? to them. Oh yeah, ??? my dad is singing silly songs, you know, he is "silly man". Well they like me anyway. And uh, I suppose I think I should grow up and get a real job. But uh, most of ??? think I'm not gonna do the same mistakes that my folks made one day, you know ???. And uh, uh, who the hell did I think I was tonight (chuckles)? The kids are great because they do give you uh, second chances. It's kind of sorting out stuff from your childhood and we honor our parents by holding on to the good things and setting down the things that we not wanna ???, you know. Uh, that's what this song is about. This song called "Long Time Comin'", and uh, written a while back but it's finally found a ??? on, on a new record. And uh, ??? this one out, my lovely mother, that's for you. ??? are perfect (chuckles).
Out where the creek turn shallow and sandy
And the moon comes skimmin' away the stars
The wind in the mesquite comes rushin' over the hilltops
Straight into my arms
Straight into my arms
I'm ridin' hard carryin' a cache of roses
In a fresh map that I made
Now I'm gonna get birth naked and bury my old soul
And dance on its grave
And dance on its grave
It's been a long time comin', my dear
It's been a long time comin', but now it's here
And now it's here
Well my daddy he was just a stranger
Lived in a hotel downtown
Well when I was a kid he was just somebody
Somebody I'd see around
Somebody I'd see around
Well now down below and pullin' on my shirt
I got some kids of my own
Well if I had one wish in this god forsaken world, kid
It'd be that your mistakes would be your own
Yeah your sins would be your own
It's been a long time comin', my dear
It's been a long time comin', but now it's here
And now it's here
Out 'neath the arms of Cassiopeia
Where the sword of Orion sweeps
It's me and you, Rosie, we're cracklin' like crossed wires
And you breathin' in your sleep
You breathin' in your sleep
Well there's just a spark of a campfire left burnin'
Two kids in a sleeping bag beside
I reach beneath your shirt, lay my hands across your belly and feel
Another one kickin' inside
And I ain't gonna fuck it up this time
It's been a long time comin', my dear
It's been a long time comin', but now it's here
It's been a long time comin', my dear
It's been a long time comin', now it's here
And now it's here
The above lyrics are for the live 21 Apr 2005 performance of LONG TIME COMIN' at Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park, NJ, during the first public rehearsal show for the Devils & Dust Solo Acoustic Tour. Springsteen dedicated the song to his mother.
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List of available versions of LONG TIME COMIN' on this website:
LONG TIME COMIN' [Album version]