Live 06 Mar 1977 version
[Spoken intro:] Remember a few easy chords, and you too can be the life of any party!
Spread out now, Rosie, doctor come cut loose her mama's reins
You know playing blind man's bluff is a little baby's game
You pick up Little Dynamite, well, I'm gonna pick up Little Gun
Together we're gonna go out tonight, we'll make that highway run
You don't have to call me lieutenant, Rosie, oh, I 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, babe, playing with the bats
Little Gun's downtown in front of Woolworth's, trying out his attitude on all the cats
Papa's on the corner, waiting for the bus
Well, mama, she's home in the window and you know she's waiting up there, uh, for us
She'll be there in that chair until they wrestle her upstairs, you know we ain't gonna come
'Cause I ain't here on business, only here for... 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
There's gonna be Sloppy Sue and Big Bones Billy, they're comin' up for air
Everybody!
We're gonna
[Clarence Clemons:] Play some pool, skip some school, act real cool
[Clarence Clemons:] Stay out all night, feel all right
Rosie, come out tonight, whoa, come out tonight
Windows are for cheaters, chimneys for the poor
Closets are for hangers, winners – that's me, now! – use the door!
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
[Spoken:] We got with us tonight, beginning... on the piano! The man with all the degrees in all the keys, a warm round of applause for Professor Roy Bittan! Play it, Roy! And that's what graduating high school will do for you. We got on the guitar, poet of the soul, master of rock and roll, artiste, composer, producer, auteur, the man who brought you such great hits as I Don't Want To Go Home, Sweeter Than Honey, you all know him, you all love him, the magnificent Miami Steve Van Zandt! Oh, yes, that's his theme song. On the bass guitar, coming to you from Long Branch, New Jersey, Mr. Garry W. Tallent! On the drums, the Mighty Max! Now you see him, now you don't, on the organ, Phantom Dan Federici! Play it, D! In the back, coming to you from Philadelphia, New Jersey, via Newark Airport, via Las Vegas, the Miami Horns! And last but not least, king of the goddamn world, master of the motherfucking universe, lord of time and space, Mr. Hollywood himself, on the saxophone, Big Man Clarence Clemons!
Bring it up!
[recording cut]
The above lyrics are for the live 06 Mar 1977 performance of ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) at Jai Alai Fronton in Miami, FL, 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 an instrumental snippet of Isaac Hayes' THEME FROM SHAFT in the midsection as well as Steven Van Zandt playing a snippet of Nino Rota's THE GODFATHER LOVE THEME on guitar after his introduction. The audio recording is cut shortly after the band introductions.
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]