Live 07 Dec 2010 version
I got a '32 Ford, she's a 318, fuelie heads and a Hurst on the floor
She's waiting tonight down in the parking lot outside the 7-Eleven store
Me and my partner Sonny built her straight out of scratch and he rides with me from town to town
We only run for the money, we got no strings attached, we shut 'em up and then we shut 'em down
Well, tonight, tonight the strip's just right
I wanna blow 'em all out of their seats
We'll come on out around the world
We're going racing in the street
Go!
Well, we take all the action we can meet and we cover all the northeast state
When the strip shuts down we run 'em in the street from the back roads to the turnpike gates
Well, now, some guys they do it for the money, other guys do it 'cause they don't know what else they can do
Well, there just ain't nothing left at home, I'm tired of waking up in a world that somebody else owns
Well, tonight, tonight the strip's just right
I wanna blow 'em off in my first heat
Hey, summer's here and the time is right
To racing in the street
I met her on the strip three years ago in a Camaro with this dude from L.A.
Well, I blew that Camaro off my back and I stole that girl away
Now there's wrinkles around my baby's eyes and she cries herself to sleep at night
Hey, when I come home, the house is dark, she sighs, "Baby did you make it all right"
She sits on the porch of her daddy's house, but after all her pretty dreams were torn
She stares off alone into the night with the eyes of one who hates for just being born
For all the blown-off strangers and hot rod angels stumbling through this promised land
Tonight my baby and me we're gonna ride to the sea and wash these sins off our hands
Well, tonight, tonight the strips just right
I wanna blow 'em off in my first heat
Well, come on out, the time is right
We're going racing in the street
Go! Come on!
[Spoken outro:] Thank you. Thank you David Lindley. Let's hear it for him. He will be back, he will be back. Alright, let's move on.
The above lyrics are for the live 07 Dec 2010 performance of RACING IN THE STREET at Carousel House in Asbury Park, NJ, during the taping of the "Songs From The Promise" webcast. The song was played twice, in a full-band arrangement featuring David Lindley on violin and similar to the official studio version released on The Promise. This live 07 Dec 2010 version of RACING IN THE STREET was released on The Promise: The Making Of Darkness On The Edge Of Town home video in 2011 and was posted on Bruce Springsteen's YouTube channel on 10 Dec 2019.
The song was played twice, and the above lyrics are for the take that was part of a webcast the following week and that was officially released in 2011 (read below for more details). It is unclear which of the two takes was webcast and released. In a Backstreets.com review, Flynn McLean wrote: "The first song was 'Racing in the Street ('78)' from The Promise album, complete with a guitar/violin duel with David Lindley during the coda. To many ears, the band pretty much nailed it on the first take, but Bruce called for a second; every song would be done at least twice in this way as the evening went along. And what the fans thought was good on the first take was invariably even better for the second. After each take, Bruce would provide feedback and direction to the band, giving us a glimpse of what band rehearsal must be like."
On 07 Dec 2010 Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed a concert in front of no more than 60 people at the historic Carousel House in Asbury Park, NJ. They played ten songs from The Promise, in addition to the holiday classic BLUE CHRISTMAS. Most — if not all — of the songs were sound-checked prior to the show which lasted nearly four hours. Below is a list of the songs performed during the show, in order. All of the songs were performed several times, consecutively.
The band comprised of its original 1978 line-up only: Bruce Springsteen (guitar, lead vocals, harmonica), Roy Bittan (keyboards), Clarence Clemons (saxophone, percussion, vocals), Garry Tallent (bass guitar), Steve Van Zandt (guitar, vocals), and Max Weinberg (drums). Charles Giordano played organ, substituting for the late Danny Federici. David Lindley, who was involved in the early recording sessions of Darkness On The Edge Of Town, played violin on RACING IN THE STREET, COME ON (LET'S GO TONIGHT), THE PROMISE, and BLUE CHRISTMAS. GOTTA GET THAT FEELING, THE BROKENHEARTED, TALK TO ME, and BLUE CHRISTMAS featured a full horn section comprising of Ed Manion, Barry Danielian, Curt Ramm, Clark Gayton, and Stan Harrison.
Footage for five songs from the 07 Dec 2010 concert (RACING IN THE STREET, GOTTA GET THAT FEELING, AIN'T GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU, THE PROMISE, and BLUE CHRISTMAS) were released internationally on 15 Dec 2010, streaming online for free viewing. Titled "Songs From The Promise", the webcast was directed and edited by Thom Zimny and mixed by Bob Clearmountain.
These same five tracks are included as bonus material on The Promise: The Making Of Darkness On The Edge Of Town DVD and Blu-Ray, released on 03 May 2011.
The live 07 Dec 2010 version of RACING IN THE STREET was also released on a Record Store Day exclusive single in 2011.
If you have any corrections or additional info, please contact me via the below form or by email: .
List of available versions of RACING IN THE STREET on this website:
RACING IN THE STREET [Album version]
