Official studio version
Well every night I see a light shine in your window
And every night you don't answer when I come knocking at your door
Well your daddy won't ever let me in
And I see from the street your silhouette sitting close to him
What must I do, what does it take, to get you to
Ah talk to me, well until the night's over
Little girl won't you talk to me, well until the night's over
Yeah yeah
I got a full week's pay
And, baby, I've been working hard each day
I'm not asking for the world, you see
I'm just asking, girl, talk to me
Well now late at night I hear the music softly playing
And late at night I see the two of you softly swaying
I don't understand darling what was my sin
Why am I down here below, your arms are open to him
What did I do, what did I say, what must I pay, to get you to
Talk to me, well until the night's over
Little girl won't you talk to me, just until it's all over
Yeah yeah yeah
I got a full week's pay
And baby I've been working hard each day
I'm not asking for the world, you see
I'm just asking darling, talk to me
Whoa alright
[Sax solo]
I don't understand darling what was my sin
Why am I down here below and your arms are open to him
What did I do, what did I say, what must I pay, to get you to
Talk to me, just until the night's over
Little girl won't you talk to me, well, until the night's over
Yeah yeah yeah
I got a full week's pay
And baby I've been working hard each day
I'm not asking for the world, you see
Oh
I'm just, well I'm just asking, darling, please
And baby I'm down on my knees, to get you to
Talk to me, well until the night's over
Little girl won't you talk to me until it's all over
Come on darling and talk to me, well until it's all over
Little girl won't you talk to me, well until it's all over
Well I wanna say yeah! yeah! yeah! yeah!
Yeah! yeah! say! say!
Yeah! yeah!
(Yeah! yeah! yeah! yeah!)
Ah talk to me
(Until the night's over)
Come on talk to me
(Until the night's over)
Talk to me
(Until the night's over)
(Come on baby)
(I got love!)
[fades out]
TALK TO ME is a song written by Bruce Springsteen and released on his 2010 album The Promise. The above lyrics are for that officially released studio version of TALK TO ME as released on The Promise.
Springsteen donated the song to Southside Johnny who released it on his 1978 album Hearts Of Stone. See Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes' cover version for more details. Springsteen performed TALK TO ME live a few times over the years, mostly with Southside Johnny. See the "Live History" section below for more details.
Bruce Springsteen reached a final settlement in his yearlong litigation with Mike Appel on 28 May 1977. Effectively this meant that for the first time in a year Springsteen was able to go into a studio and record. The Darkness On The Edge Of Town recording sessions kicked off in early June 1977 at Atlantic Studios in New York City, NY, and later shifted to The Record Plant in New York City, NY. Springsteen had a considerable amount of new material, but the songs were in various stages of writing completion. Consequently many of the songs were shaped over the course of numerous sessions spanning several months.
TALK TO ME was recorded during those sessions, and, prior to the release of The Promise in 2010, the only circulating audio was from August 1977 at Atlantic Studios. That circulating take is instrumental only (or possibly backing track). See the unofficial studio version for more details.
Springsteen's studio version of TALK TO ME features some original Jukes/Miami Horns members: Rick Gazda on trumpet, Stan Harrison on tenor sax, Ed Manion on baritone sax, Bob Muckin on trumpet, and Richie "La Bamba" Rosenberg on trombone.
In October 1976, Springsteen used a few lyrics ("Won't you talk to me / Until the middle of the night") that would turn up in TALK TO ME in the introduction to SHE'S THE ONE. See the live 13 Oct 1976 version and live 27 Oct 1976 version of SHE'S THE ONE for more details.
The Promise is a Bruce Springsteen album that was released on 16 Nov 2010 as part of The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story box set, and separately as a 2-CD set. The album was also issued on a limited edition 3-LP set pressed on 180-gram vinyl.
The Promise is a collection of 22 previously-unreleased songs from the Darkness On The Edge Of Town recording sessions. Depending on their level of completion back in 1977-1978, some were only remastered, some were overdubbed with 2010 vocals or music, and some were completely re-recorded in 2010. The album was mixed by Bob Clearmountain.
Side 1:
Side 2:
Side 3:
Side 4:
Side 5:
Side 6:
In preparation for the Darkness On The Edge Of Town Tour, TALK TO ME is known to have been practiced on 19 May 1978 at Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park, NJ, during the only known/confirmed private rehearsal prior to the tour's start.
TALK TO ME was performed off-tour on 26 Sep 1991 at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ, with Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes.
TALK TO ME was performed off-tour on 19 Dec 2004 at Harry's Roadhouse in Asbury Park, NJ, during both holiday jam shows that took place that day. The song was played in a full-band arrangement backed by Bobby Bandiera and his band. Southside Johnny made a guest appearance during the afternoon show but he was not present during TALK TO ME. See the live 19 Dec 2004 (early show) version for more details.
TALKE TO ME was performed off-tour on 07 Dec 2010 at Carousel House in Asbury Park, NJ, during the taping of the "Songs From The Promise" webcast. The song was played twice, featuring The Miami Horns.
TALK TO ME was performed during two of the five 2001 Asbury Park holiday shows and one of the three 2003 Asbury Park holiday shows. These concerts were billed as "Bruce Springsteen with The Max Weinberg 7 and Friends", with The Max Weinberg 7 serving as the house band, and Springsteen bringing guests on and off the stage throughout the shows. On these shows the song was performed by Southside Johnny, and probably with Springsteen playing (assuming that he was on stage all night). The 2003 performance also featured Steven Van Zandt.
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. TALK TO ME was performed at 10 of these fundraisers, always at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ, and backed by Bobby Bandiera and his band. Southside Johnny joined in on TALK TO ME on most of these shows.
By the time this page was last updated, Springsteen had performed TALK TO ME live a total of 16 times (as far as it's known), the last of which on 29 Jan 2011.
At least 2 artists have recorded and released Bruce Springsteen's TALK TO ME.
Thanks Neil (Five Stubbs) for the lyrics help. Much of the above info about the live history of the song is taken from Brucebase and Backstreets.
If you have any corrections or additional info, please contact me via the below form or by email: .
List of available versions of TALK TO ME on this website:
TALK TO ME [Official studio version]
