Album version
One, two, three, four
Been on a barbed wire highway 40 days and nights
I ain't complaining, that's my job and it suits me right
I got a sweet soft fever rushing around my head
I'm gonna sleep tonight in Maria's bed
Got on a dead man's suit and smiling skull ring
Lucky graveyard boots and a song to sing
I keep my heart in my work, my troubles in my head
And I keep my soul in Maria's bed
Hey hey!
(La la la la la...)
Hey hey!
(La la la la la...)
I been up on sugar mountain, 'cross the sweet blue seas
I walked the valley of love and tears and mystery
I got run out'a luck and gave myself up for dead
Then I drank the cool clear waters from Maria's bed
Hey hey!
(La la la la la...)
Hey hey!
(La la la la la...)
She give me candy stick kisses 'neath a wolf dog moon
One sweet breath and she'll take you, mister, to the upper room
I was burned by the angels, sold wings of lead
Then I fell in the roses and sweet salvation of Maria's bed
I been out in the desert, yeah doing my time
Sifting through the dust for fools gold, looking for a sign
Holy man said, "Hold on, brother, there's a light up ahead."
Ain't nothing like the light that shines on me in Maria's bed
Well I take my blessings at the riverhead
I'm living in the light of Maria's bed
(La la la la la...)
Hey hey!
(La la la la la...)
Hey hey!
(La la la la la...)
Hey hey!
(La la la la la...)
La la la la la...
Whoaaa...
Whoa!
(Whoaaa...)
(La la la la la...)
MARIA'S BED is a song written by Bruce Springsteen and released on his 2005 album Devils & Dust. The above lyrics are for Bruce Springsteen's album version of MARIA'S BED as released in 2005.
SECTION NOT YET COMPLETED
The lines "Got on a dead man's suit and smiling skull ring / Lucky graveyard boots and a song to sing" appear in FURTHER ON (UP THE ROAD).
On this track, Bruce Springsteen sings vocals and plays guitar and keyboards, and is accompanied by Brendan O'Brien on bass, hurdy gurdy, and tambora, Steve Jordan on drums, Soozie Tyrell on violin and background vocals, and Patti Scialfa on background vocals.
Devils & Dust is Bruce Springsteen's thirteenth studio album. It was released on 26 Apr 2005 on Columbia Records. The album was recorded between 1996 and 2004 at Thrill Hill East (Springsteen's home studio in Rumson, NJ) and Thrill Hill West (Springsteen's home studio in Los Angeles, CA). Horns and some instrument overdubbing were recorded in 2004 at Southern Tracks in Atlanta, GA. Strings were recorded in 2004 at Masterfonics in Nashville, TN.
In an April 2005 New York Time article, Jon Pareles wrote that "Springsteen recorded nearly all of the [album's] songs in a few days, nearly a decade ago, sitting with his guitar in the living room of his farmhouse in New Jersey, doing just a take or two." This probably took place sometime in 1996 or 1997. It's very possible that many of the songs on the album are none other than the solo recordings from 1996 or 1997, with some additional instruments overdubbed in 2004.
ALL THE WAY HOME and LONG TIME COMIN' were produced by Brendan O'Brien, Bruce Springsteen, and Chuck Plotkin. The rest of the album was produced by Brendan O'Brien. All horn and string arrangements were done by Eddie Horst. BLACK COWBOYS, JESUS WAS AN ONLY SON, LEAH, and MATAMOROS BANKS were mixed by Toby Scott. The rest of the album was mixed by Brendan O'Brien. Toby Scott was the recording engineer at Thrill Hill East, Thrill Hill West, and Southern Tracks, and Nick Didia was the recording engineer at Southern Tracks and Masterphonics.
The album includes a bonus DVD featuring filmed acoustic performances of DEVILS & DUST, LONG TIME COMIN', RENO, ALL I'M THINKIN' ABOUT, and MATAMOROS BANKS, with spoken commentary on their writing and creation. They were filmed live by director Danny Clinch in February 2005 in New Jersey. The DVD also includes the full album in 5.1 surround sound and in 2-channel stereo, with lyrics to the songs accompanying the audio in a karaoke style.
Devils & Dust debuted at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, becoming Springsteen's seventh number one album in the U.S. It also peaked at number one in several European countries including the UK. The album was nominated for two 2006 Grammy Awards, Best Contemporary Folk Album and Best Long Form Music Video, but failed to win.
The album features 12 tracks and clocks at 50:55. It was issued on DualDisc, CD + DVD, and LP.
Side 1:
Side 2:
Side 3:
Side 4:
In preparation for the Devils & Dust Solo Acoustic Tour, MARIA'S BED was performed during both of the tour's two public warm-up rehearsal shows that took place in April 2005 in Asbury Park. The song is also known to have been practiced during at least two of the private rehearsals that took place in March and April 2005 in Asbury Park prior to the tour's first leg.
MARIA'S BED was performed 21 times during the Devils & Dust Solo Acoustic Tour (72 dates, April to November 2005), most of them at the beginning of the tour.
MARIA'S BED was performed twice times during The Seeger Sessions Tour (56 dates, April to November 2006).
MARIA'S BED was performed once during the Wrecking Ball Tour (133 dates, March 2012 to September 2013), on 20 Jul 2013 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The song was played in a solo acoustic guitar arrangement during the solo acoustic pre-show.
As far as it's known, no artist has recorded and released Bruce Springsteen's MARIA'S BED.
List of available versions of MARIA'S BED on this website:
MARIA'S BED [Album version]