Live 19 Mar 1977 version
[Spoken intro:] From Philadelphia? All you guys from Philadelphia? Quite a ride for a show! (chuckles) Hey.
She's the one in the red blue jeans
She's the queen of all the teens…
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 and 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, and I don't want to be your son
The only lover I'm ever gonna need's your soft sweet little girl's tongue
Whoa!
Dynamite's in the belfry, baby…
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 till they wrestle her upstairs, you know we ain't gonna come
I, I ain't here on business, only here… ah, 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
Sloppy Sue and Big Bones Billy'll be comin' up for air
Say!
We're gonna play some pool
Skip some school, act real cool
Stay out all night, we'll feel all right
Rosie, come out tonight, yeah, 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
Say!
[Spoken:] Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Here to the left of the stage, on the piano, a man with all the degrees and all the keys, Professor Roy Bittan! Play it, Professor, please! On the guitar, Miami Steve Van Zandt! On the bass guitar, Mr. Garry W. Tallent! Play it! On the drums, the Mighty Max! On the organ, Phantom Dan Federici! Play it, Dan! In the back, all the way from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Miami Horns! Last but not least... Are you ready for the king of the world? Are you ready for the master of the motherfucking universe? Are you ready for Mr. Hollywood? Are you ready for president of your homeroom, his majesty, on the saxophone, the 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, he 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
Now you're sad, mama's mad
(Your papa says he knows that I don't have any money)
Say!
(Papa says he knows that I don't have any money)
(Your papa says he knows that I don't have any money)
This is his last chance, tell him, Rosie, I ain't a freak
'Cause I got my picture on the cover of Time and Newsweek!
My tires were slashed, I almost crashed, the Lord had mercy
My machine, she's a dud, I'm 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 will hold you in my arms
I know a pretty little place in Southern California down San Diego way
There's 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, sing it, now!
Oh!
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
(Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!)
[Spoken outro:] Thank you! All right!
The above lyrics are for the live 19 Mar 1977 performance of ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) at Central Maine Youth Center in Lewiston, ME, 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 and uniquely a snippet of Gene Vincent And His Blue Caps' BE-BOP-A-LULA as an introduction. 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 a 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]