Lyrics

SWEET SOUL MUSIC

Live 19 Apr 1981 version


Do you like good music? (yeah, yeah)
That sweet soul music (yeah, yeah)
Long as it's swinging (yeah, yeah)
Oh, yeah (yeah, yeah)
Oh, yeah (yeah, yeah)

Down here on the floor, y'all (yeah, yeah)
I'm going to a go-go (yeah, yeah)
As long as it's swinging (yeah, yeah)
Oh, yeah (yeah, yeah)
Oh, yeah (yeah, yeah)

Spotlight on Lou Rawls, now (yeah, yeah)
Oh, don't he look boss, now (yeah, yeah)
Singing Love Is A Hurtin' Thing (yeah, yeah)
Oh, yeah (yeah, yeah)
Oh, yeah (yeah, yeah)

Spotlight on Sam and Dave, now (yeah, yeah)
Ah, don't they look great, now (yeah, yeah)
Singing Hold On I'm Comin' (yeah, yeah)
Oh, yeah (yeah, yeah)
Oh, yeah (yeah, yeah)

Spotlight on Otis Redding (yeah, yeah)
Singing fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa (yeah, yeah)
Fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa, fa (yeah, yeah)
Oh, yeah (yeah, yeah)
Oh, yeah (yeah, yeah)

Spotlight on James Brown, now (yeah, yeah)
He gets them to the dance (yeah, yeah)
He's the king of them all (yeah, yeah)
Oh, yeah (yeah, yeah)
Oh, yeah (yeah, yeah)

Spotlight on Wilson Pickett (yeah, yeah)
He's the wicked, wicked Pickett (yeah, yeah)
Singing Mustang Sally (yeah, yeah)
Oh, yeah (yeah, yeah)
Oh, yeah (yeah, yeah)

Spotlight on myself, myself, now (yeah, yeah)
On the fifth round, now (yeah, yeah)
We're just rocking and a'rolling (yeah, yeah)
Oh, yeah (yeah, yeah)
Oh, yeah (yeah, yeah)

Do you like good music? (yeah, yeah)
That sweet soul music (yeah, yeah)
Long as it's swinging (yeah, yeah)
Oh, yeah (yeah, yeah)
Oh, yeah (yeah, yeah)
Oh, yeah (yeah, yeah)
Oh, yeah (yeah, yeah)
Oh, yeah (yeah, yeah)
Oh, yeah (yeah, yeah)

Info

SWEET SOUL MUSIC is a 1967 song by Arthur Conley. See the original Arthur Conley version for more details.

Live 19 Apr 1981 version

The above lyrics are for the live 19 Apr 1981 performance of SWEET SOUL MUSIC at Palais Des Sports De Saint-Ouen in Paris, France, during The River Tour. This was the first time, and only time until 1988, that the song was played in full instead of being a short snippet played as part of DETROIT MEDLEY.

Ticket stub for the 19 Apr 1981 show at Palais Des Sports De Saint-Ouen, Paris, France
Ticket stub for the 19 Apr 1981 show at Palais Des Sports De Saint-Ouen, Paris, France

This concert was rescheduled from 21 Apr 1981.

Official Releases

Other versions of SWEET SOUL MUSIC were officially released.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- LA Sports Arena, California 1988
The live 23 Apr 1988 version of SWEET SOUL MUSIC was released on the LA Sports Arena, California 1988 official live download in 2015.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Los Angeles, April 1988
The live 28 Apr 1988 version of SWEET SOUL MUSIC was released on the Los Angeles, April 1988 official live download in 2021.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Madison Square Garden 1988
The live 23 May 1988 version of SWEET SOUL MUSIC was released on the Madison Square Garden 1988 official live download in 2019.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Stockholm Stadion, Sweden 1988
The live 03 Jul 1988 version of SWEET SOUL MUSIC was released on the Stockholm Stadion, Sweden 1988 official live download in 2017.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- MSG Nov 08, 2009
The live 08 Nov 2009 version of SWEET SOUL MUSIC was released on the MSG Nov 08, 2009 official live download in 2018.

Live History: on-tour

Bruce Springsteen generally performed SWEET SOUL MUSIC as part of DETROIT MEDLEY or TWIST AND SHOUT, and occasionally during the band introductions in ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) (see the live 20 Aug 1981 version for an example). Sometimes, however, he performed it as a standalone song. The below live history only lists the times that SWEET SOUL MUSIC was performed as a standalone song.

SWEET SOUL MUSIC is known to have been performed at least once during The River Tour (138 dates, October 1980 to September 1981), on 19 Apr 1981 in Paris, France. A few of that period's setlists are incomplete or unknown, and therefore, the song may have been played on some more dates during The River Tour, but that's very unlikely.

List of known The River Tour performances

  1. 19 Apr 1981 at Palais Des Sports De Saint-Ouen, Paris, France

SWEET SOUL MUSIC was performed 40 times during the Tunnel Of Love Express Tour (67 dates, February to August 1988). These were the last 40 consecutive shows of the tour. The live 23 Apr 1988 version of SWEET SOUL MUSIC was released on the LA Sports Arena, California 1988 official live download in 2015. The live 28 Apr 1988 version of SWEET SOUL MUSIC was released on the Los Angeles, April 1988 official live download in 2021. The live 23 May 1988 version of SWEET SOUL MUSIC was released on the Madison Square Garden 1988 official live download in 2019. The live 03 Jul 1988 version of SWEET SOUL MUSIC was released on the Stockholm Stadion, Sweden 1988 official live download in 2017.

List of Tunnel Of Love Express Tour performances

  1. 23 Apr 1988 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  2. 25 Apr 1988 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  3. 27 Apr 1988 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  4. 28 Apr 1988 at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
  5. 02 May 1988 at Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA
  6. 03 May 1988 at Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA
  7. 05 May 1988 at Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA
  8. 06 May 1988 at Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA
  9. 09 May 1988 at Metropolitan Sports Center, Bloomington, MN
  10. 10 May 1988 at Metropolitan Sports Center, Bloomington, MN
  11. 13 May 1988 at Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, IN
  12. 16 May 1988 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  13. 18 May 1988 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  14. 19 May 1988 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  15. 22 May 1988 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  16. 23 May 1988 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
  17. 11 Jun 1988 at Stadio Comunale, Turin, Italy
  18. 15 Jun 1988 at Stadio Flaminio, Rome, Italy
  19. 16 Jun 1988 at Stadio Flaminio, Rome, Italy
  20. 19 Jun 1988 at Hippodrome De Vincennes, Paris, France
  21. 21 Jun 1988 at Villa Park, Birmingham, England
  22. 22 Jun 1988 at Villa Park, Birmingham, England
  23. 25 Jun 1988 at Wembley Stadium, London, England
  24. 28 Jun 1988 at Stadion Feyenoord, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  25. 29 Jun 1988 at Stadion Feyenoord, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  26. 02 Jul 1988 at Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden
  27. 03 Jul 1988 at Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden
  28. 07 Jul 1988 at RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
  29. 09 Jul 1988 at Bramall Lane, Sheffield, England
  30. 10 Jul 1988 at Bramall Lane, Sheffield, England
  31. 12 Jul 1988 at Waldstadion, Frankfurt, West Germany
  32. 14 Jul 1988 at St. Jakob Stadion, Basel, Switzerland
  33. 17 Jul 1988 at Olympia Reitstadion Reim, Munich, West Germany
  34. 19 Jul 1988 at Radrennbahn Weissensee, East Berlin, East Germany
  35. 22 Jul 1988 at Waldbuhne, West Berlin, West Germany
  36. 25 Jul 1988 at Idraetsparken, Copenhagen, Denmark
  37. 27 Jul 1988 at Valle Hovin Stadion, Oslo, Norway
  38. 30 Jul 1988 at Weserstadion, Bremen, West Germany
  39. 02 Aug 1988 at Estadio Vicente Calderón, Madrid, Spain
  40. 03 Aug 1988 at Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain

SWEET SOUL MUSIC was performed once during the Working On A Dream Tour (83 dates, April to November 2009), on 08 Nov 2009 in New York City, NY.

List of Working On A Dream Tour performances

  1. 08 Nov 2009 at Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY

SWEET SOUL MUSIC was performed once during the Wrecking Ball Tour (133 dates, March 2012 to September 2013), on 27 Jul 2013 in Kilkenny, Ireland.

List of Wrecking Ball Tour performances

  1. 27 Jul 2013 at Nowlan Park, Kilkenny, Ireland

Live History: off-tour

Between 2002 and 2011, Bruce Springsteen played private benefit shows for schools and colleges that his kids attended ─ Rumson Country Day School of Rumson, NJ, and Ranney School of Tinton Falls, NJ, and Boston College of Chestnut Hill, MA. SWEET SOULD MUSIC was performed at one of these fundraisers, on 25 Apr 2004 in Asbury Park, NJ. The song was played in a medley with TEQUILA, with Southside Johnny and backed by Bobby Bandiera and his band.

List of 2002-2011 private school benefit shows performances

  1. 25 Apr 2004 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ (during a private fundraiser for Rumson Country Day School)

SWEET SOULD MUSIC was performed off-tour on 17 Jul 2011 at Wonder Bar in Asbury Park, NJ, during a guest appearance with JT Bowen & The Sensational Soul Cruisers who were playing a tribute concert to Clarence Clemons.

List of off-tour performances

  1. 17 Jul 2011 at Wonder Bar, Asbury Park, NJ

Credits

Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the help.

Available Versions

List of available versions of SWEET SOUL MUSIC on this website:

SWEET SOUL MUSIC [Live 19 Apr 1981 version]
SWEET SOUL MUSIC [Live 19 Jul 1988 version]
SWEET SOUL MUSIC [Original Arthur Conley version]
Page last updated: 03 Nov 2017