Live 31 Oct 1973 (late show) version
The ragamuffin gunner is returnin' home like a hungry runaway
He walks through town all alone
"He must be from the fort," he hears the high school girls say
This countryside's burnin' with wolfmen fairies dressed in drag for homicide
They hit and run, plead sanctuary, 'neath the holy stone they hide
They're breakin' beams and crosses with a spastic's reelin' perfection
As nuns run bald through Vatican halls pregnant, pleadin' immaculate conception
And everybody's wrecked on Main Street from drinking unholy blood
And Sticker smiles sweet as gunner breathes deep, his ankles caked in mud
And Sticker says, "Hey, gunner man, that's quicksand, man, that's quicksand that ain't mud
Have you thrown your senses to the wars or did you lose them in the flood?"
Well, that pure American brother, dull-eyed and empty-faced
He races Sundays in Jersey in the Chevy stock super eight
He rides her low on the hip, on the side he's got Bound For Glory in red, white and blue flash paint
He leans on the hood telling racin' stories, the kids call him Jimmy The Saint
Well now that blaze and noise boy, he's gunnin' that bitch loaded to blastin' point
He rides headfirst into a hurricane, disappears into a point
But there's nothin' left but some blood where the body fell
Nothin' left you could sell
Just junk all across the horizon, a real highwayman's farewell
And someone said, "Hey kid, you think that's oil? Man, that ain't oil, that's blood"
Oh, I wonder what he was thinking when he hit that storm
Was he just lost in the flood?
Eighth Avenue sailors in satin shirts whisper in the air
Some storefront incarnation of Maria, she's puttin' on me her stare
And Bronx's best apostle stands with his hand on his own hardware
Everything stops, you hear five quick shots, the cops come up for air
Now that whiz-bang gang from uptown, they're shootin' up the street
Some cat from the Bronx, he starts lettin' loose, but gets blown right off his feet
Some kid comes blastin' round the corner, but a cop puts him right away
He lays on the street holding his leg screaming something in Spanish
Still breathing when I walked away
And someone said, "Hey man, did you see that? His body hit the street with such a beautiful thud"
Oh, I wonder what that guy was sayin', or was he just lost in the flood?
Hey man, did you see that, boy, those poor cats are sure messed up
I wonder what they were gettin' into, or were they all just lost in the flood?
Oh, oh yes, yes, they were
They were, they were, they were, they were
Were they lost?
Were they lost?
Were they lost?
Were they lost?
Weeerreee were they lost?
Oh, were they?!
Oh, where they lost?
The above lyrics are for the live 31 Oct 1973 (late show) performance of LOST IN THE FLOOD at The Main Point in Bryn Mawr, PA, during what is considered The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle Tour. The song was performed in a full-band version, featuring a dramatic, extended piano intro by Dave Sancious.
Bruce Springsteen performed three nights, two shows each night, at The Main Point between 29 and 31 Oct 1973. He was the headliner and local acoustic trio Wire And Wood were the opening act. This version of LOST IN THE FLOOD is from a circulating 13-song audience tape that is believed to be the late 31 Oct 1973 show.
Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake). Most of the above info about Springsteen's 3-night residency at The Main Point is taken from Brucebase.
List of available versions of LOST IN THE FLOOD on this website:
LOST IN THE FLOOD [Album version]