Live 12 Dec 1975 version
[Spoken intro:] You guys are nuts, I don't understand you guys. Don't understand you. Oh, oh... let's do uh...
One, two!
I met you for the first time last night
When I kissed you and I held you so tight
Baby you made me feel alright
Well this is the song that I sing all night
Sha la la la, la la la
Sha la la la, la la la
Sha la la la, la la la la la la
When you kissed me I felt so weak
I never had so grand a treat
But when I see you walking down the street
My heart starts singing to the sha-la beat
Sha la la la, la la la
Sha la la la, la la la
Sha la la la, la la la la la la
Sha la la, baby I love you too
Sha la la, my love for you is true
Let's spend our lives together
We'll be happy forever
Sha la la, I love you too
Sha la la, my love for you is true
Let's spend our lives together
Say I love you forever
I met you for the first time last night
When we kissed you made me feel so right
Baby you made me feel alright
For the song that I sing all night
(Sha la la la, la la la)
(Sha la la la, la la la) sing it, sing it, sing it
(Sha la la la, la la la la la la)
(Sha la la la, la la la) sing it, sing it, sing it to me
(Sha la la la, la la la) sing it, sing it, sing it yeah
(Sha la la la, la la la la la la)
Sing it, sing it, sing it to me
Sing it, sing it, sing it to me
SHA-LA-LA is a 1964 song by The Shirelles. See the original The Shirelles version for more details. Manfred Mann's version of the song is more popular and is the one that Bruce Springsteen covered. See the original Manfred Mann version for more details.
The above lyrics are for the live 12 Dec 1975 performance of SHA-LA-LA at C.W. Post College in Greenvale, NY, during the Born To Run Tour. The concert was held at the college's Post Dome. The song was performed in a full-band arrangement.
This live 12 Dec 1975 version of SHA-LA-LA is among 25 songs compiled for a 1993 project that never came to fruition. See the "1993 Concept Album" section below for more details.
In his 2012 book E Street Shuffle: The Glory Days Of Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Clinton Heylin revealed that in 1993 a 25-song compilation was produced for an archival project, which presumably became the Tracks box set released in 1998. According to Brucebase, the archival concept "album" was produced in-house, presumably following the conclusion of World Tour 1992-1993, perhaps to demonstrate the quality of Springsteen's unreleased archive.
Many of these 25 songs have been subsequently released, either on the Tracks box set or as part of other projects, and some others are known outtakes that are yet to circulate among fans. However, two are only known from this 25-song list: ARNIE and THAT'S OKAY.
Other versions of SHA-LA-LA were also officially released.
SHA-LA-LA is known to have been performed at least 13 times during the Born To Run Tour (73 know dates / 81 known shows, July to December 1975). Some of that period's setlists are incomplete or unknown, and therefore, the song must have been played on some more dates during the Born To Run Tour. On this tour, the song was performed in a full-band arrangement. The live 24 Nov 1975 version of SHA-LA-LA was released on the London 11/24/1975 official live download in 2020.
SHA-LA-LA was performed once during the Working On A Dream Tour (83 dates, April to November 2009), on 19 Aug 2009 in Hartford, CT. The song was performed in a full-band arrangement.
List of available versions of SHA-LA-LA on this website:
SHA-LA-LA [Live 12 Dec 1975 version]