Live 03 Nov 1976 version
[Spoken intro:] Oh, man. Ah. I'll play a song for my mother. My mother calls me up at my house all the time. I keep trying to hide the phone number from her, you know, but, like, my sisters comes over and looks at my telephone and, like, and calls her up and tells her, you know, so she calls me up, and like, my mother, she's funny, like, she saves, like, a scrapbook of everything. You know? And she's had like a scrapbook, like, from when I was, you know, first starting out, first job and stuff, you know, like, every, when your sons and stuff are in bands, mothers usually do that stuff, and so, but my mother, she's funny, she don't call me up and say, you know, she don't call me up and tell me the good stuff, she always calls me up and, like, she reads the bad stuff to me over the phone, like, she called me up, I hear someone, like, laughing on the other end, and say, "Hey, Brucie, boy, they got you in, in the, in the, in the Post today, boy." (chuckles) "This cat says 'da, da'," and like, she laughs, and, and reads the pans to me over the phone all the time, you know? And it's like, so me and the band, we got to do, we got to do this thing, like, we watch the papers the next day, right, and see what stuff they said, you know, and then I call up Miami's room when he's sleeping, like, early in the morning, and go, "Miami, this cat says, boy, they got you in the Times today, man." (chuckles) Looking out for each other and stuff, you know, it reminds me, like, when I was a kid, you know, and, um, and, like, we'd play with us, and we'd go see how hasn't played, and everybody used to say...
When some loud bragger tries to put me down
He says we ain't so great, I tell him right away
"Now what's the matter, buddy, ain't you heard of my band?
We're number one in the state"
So be true to your band, now
Just like you would to your girl or guy
Be true to your boys, now
And let the colors fly
You gotta be true to your band!
Spread out now, Rosie, doctor come cut loose her mama's reins
You know playin' blind man's bluff is a little baby's game
You pick up Little Dynamite, I'm gonna pick up Little Gun
Together we're gonna go out tonight, make that highway run
You don't have to call me lieutenant, Rosie, don't want to be your son
The only lover I'm ever gonna need's your soft sweet little girl's tongue
You're the one!
Dynamite's in the belfry, baby, playin' with the bats
Little Gun's downtown in front of Woolworth's, tryin' out his attitude on all the cats
Papa's on the corner, waiting for the bus
Mama's home in the window, waitin' up there for us
She'll be there in that chair when they wrestle her upstairs, you know we ain't gonna come
I ain't here on business, Stevie, I'm only here for fun
Rosalita, jump a little lighter
Senorita, come sit by my fire
I just want to be your lover, ain't no liar
Rosie, you're my stone desire
Jack the Rabbit, Weak Knees Willie, you know they're gonna be there
Gonna be Sloppy Sue and Big Bones Billy, they'll be comin' up for air
Band, say it!
We're gonna (play some pool, skip some school, act real cool)
(Stay out all night, feel all right)
Rosie, come out tonight, come out tonight
Windows are for cheaters, chimneys for the poor
Closets are for hangers, winners use the door
Use it, Rosie!
Rosalita, jump a little lighter
Senorita, come sit by my fire
I just want to be your lover, ain't no liar
Rosie, you're my stone desire
Ah!
[Spoken:] We got with us a long list of celebrities and stars! We're gonna bring 'em on up now. Let's have a nice round of applause, for the Mia — [The Miami Horns cut Bruce off] I didn't introduce you yet! The Miami Horns! On the left, at the piano, Professor Roy Bittan! Play it, Roy! Next, poet, artiste, producer, manager — how can I say it? Poet of the Soul, Master of Rock and Roll, the man who brought you such hits as Sweeter Than Honey, I Don't Want To Go Home, the magnificent Miami Steve! He's cool, he's cool. On the bass guitar, Mr. Garry W. Tallent! In his new black suit! On the drums, for all the folks from South Orange, The Mighty Max! On the organ, Phantom Dan Federici! Last but not least, we, have been counting all the voting booths in Hoboken to take an accurate count, face your next president, Mr. Hollywood, King of the World, Master of All the Universe, on the saxophone, Big Man Clarence Clemons!
Bring it up!
I know your mama, she don't like me 'cause I play in a rock and roll band
I know your papa don't dig me, never did understand
Papa lowered the boom, locked you in your room
I'm coming to lend a hand
Riding to liberate you, confiscate you, I want to be your man
Someday we'll look back on this and it will all seem funny, la, la
Now you're sad, mama's mad
(And papa says he knows that I don't have any money)
Say!
(Papa says he knows that I don't have any money)
(Papa says he knows that I don't have any money)
This is his last chance, tell him, Rosie, I ain't no freak
'Cause I got my picture on the cover of Time and Newsweek!
My tires were slashed, almost crashed, the Lord had mercy
My machine, she's a dud, out stuck in the mud somewhere in the swamps of Jersey
Hold on tight, stay up all night, Rosie, I'm comin' on strong
By the time we meet the morning light, I'll hold you in my arms
I know a pretty little place in Southern California down San Diego way
A little café, they play guitars all night and day
You can hear 'em in the back room strummin'
Hold tight, baby, don't you know I'm coming
Everybody sing
Ohhhh!
Rosalita, jump a little lighter
Senorita, come sit by my fire
Just want to be your lover, ain't no liar
Rosie, you're my stone desire
Oh!
(Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!)
[Spoken outro:] Oh, yeah! The Big Man! Say it, say it, say it, say it! The E Street Band!
The above lyrics are for the live 03 Nov 1976 performance of ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) at Palladium in New York City, NY, during what is known as The Lawsuit Tour. The song was played in a full-band arrangement, featuring band introductions, and The Miami Horns Quartet line-up #2, which consisted of Ed De Palma on sax, John Binkley on trumpet, Steve Paraczky on trumpet, and Dennis Orlock on trombone. This Philadelphia-based foursome had no association with Southside Johnny.
This performance of ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) features a snippet of The Beach Boys' BE TRUE TO YOUR SCHOOL (re-written as "Be True To Your Band") as an intro, as well as an instrumental snippet of Isaac Hayes' THEME FROM SHAFT in the midsection. Springsteen replaced the "This is his last chance to get his daughter in a fine romance / The record company, Rosie, gave me a big advance" lines with "This is his last chance, tell him, Rosie, I ain't no freak / 'Cause I got my picture on the cover of Time and Newsweek!" — this is a reference to his appearance on the covers of both Time and Newsweek magazines in the same week, on 27 Oct 1975.
Despite the marvelous reception received by both Born To Run and the tour which followed, the relationship between Bruce Springsteen and his now former manager and producer Mike Appel was deteriorating. In July 1976 the storm broke; Mike Appel wrote to Springsteen saying that he would not allow Jon Landau (Springsteen's friend and co-producer of Born To Run) to produce the next album, citing a particular paragraph from their original agreement. Springsteen replied on 27 Jul 1976 by firing manager Mike Appel and suing him and his management company Laurel Canyon Ltd. in Federal Court in Manhattan, claiming fraud, breach of trust, and undue influence. Appel counter-sued on 29 Jul 1976 in New York State Supreme Court, asking the court to prohibit Springsteen and Jon Landau from working together in studio. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band were slated to enter the studio that year for the recording of a new album, except that on 15 Sep 1976 the judge in the lawsuits case ruled that Springsteen was enjoined from any further recording with Columbia Records until Appel's suit was resolved. This would drag for about a year. Meanwhile, Springsteen continued gigging, and in the process broke his self-imposed rule of not playing the larger arenas. This was basically because he was not able to put a record out, and it was the only way his fans would be able to hear him at all. The tour became known as "The Lawsuit Tour" (62 know dates, August 1976 to March 1977).
Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.
List of available versions of ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) on this website:
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Album version]