Live 27 May 2000 version
[Spoken intro:] Is there anybody alive out there? Well, should we raise the stakes? Should we raise the stakes? Should we raise the stakes?
One, two, three!
One, two!
Teardrops on the city
Bad Scooter searching for his groove
The whole world walking pretty
But you can't find the room to move
Everybody better move over, that's all
Running on the bad side
With my back to the wall, now
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Say it again!
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
I was stranded in the jungle
Taking all the heat they were giving
The night is dark and the sidewalk bright
And lined with the light of the living
From a tenement window a transistor blast
Turn around the corner things got real quiet real fast
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Say it again
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Well, I'm all alone, I'm all alone
[Clarence Clemons:] Kid, you'd better get the picture!
I'm on my own, I'm on my own
Yeah, and I can't find my way back home, now
Hey!
Max!
May I, baby?
Can I, honey?
May I, sugar?
Max!
Max!
[Spoken:] Starting to feel pretty good! But, but, but, but, but, but, but, but, but...
Max!
Hey!
It's all right (it's all right)
It's all right, now (it's all right, now)
It's all right (it's all right)
It's all right, now (it's all right, now)
It's all right to have a good time (it's all right to have a good time)
Yeah, it's all right to have a good time (it's all right to have a good time)
Oh, take me to the river (take me to the river)
Wash me in the water (wash me in the water)
Take me to the river (take me to the river)
Wash me in the water (wash me in the water)
Take me to the river (take me to the river)
Wash me in the water (wash me in the water)
Take me to the river (take me to the river)
Wash me in the water (wash me in the water)
Well, I said, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Take me to the river tonight
Yeah, I said, I want you to, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Take me to the river tonight
Yeah, I said, I've got you to, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Please
I said, I want you to please
I said, I want you to, yeah, please
Take me to the river tonight
[Spoken:] That's where I want to go tonight! I want to go to the riverside! I want to find that river of life. That river of love. I want to find that river of hope. I want to find that lucky place. I want to find that river of transformation, where you can go and you can be changed! And I want to find that river of resurrection, where everybody gets a second chance... to get that money back! Well, that place may or may not exist in this world. But tonight I know that I want to throw a rock and roll baptism! That's right! I want to be washed in those waters and set free again. That's right. That's right. That's right. But once I stood as a young man, I stood one evening before a dark grove of trees. And just like a little child, I was frightened to pass through those trees, even though I knew on the other side, the river of life was waiting — and cold beer at a reasonable price. And decent odds. But I stood paralyzed with my own fear until a gypsy woman called me onward. She was sitting at the edge of the trees, and she asked me what my line was. I told her, and she said, "Well, son, what you need to get through these trees is, you need some help! You need some companionship! What you need is, you need a band!" And that's why tonight I want to introduce the secretary of intelligence on the piano, Professor Roy Bittan! I'd like to introduce on the guitar, the minister of faith and friendship, here tonight in his home away from home, star of The Sopranos television show, Little Steven Van Zandt on the guitar! Playing for free tonight! On the bass, the foundation of the E Street nation, Mr. Garry W. Tallent! On the drums, the man that brings the power night after night, the mighty, mighty, mighty, mighty, mighty, mighty, Mighty Max! On the guitar, the secretary of heart and spirit, godfather of the guitar, the great Nils Lofgren! On the Hammond B3 organ and accordion, brother Dan Federici!
Luck, be my lady tonight
Luck, be my lady tonight
Luck, be my lady tonight
Luck, be my lady tonight
Oh, brunettes are fine, and blondes are fun
But when it comes to getting a dirty job done
It take a
(Red headed woman)
Now, luck, be my lady
(Red headed woman)
Oh, luck, be my lady
(Red headed woman)
Ah, luck, be my lady
(Red headed woman)
[Patti Scialfa:] Baby, take a walk in toy land
[Patti Scialfa:] Be my hero, play the part
[Patti Scialfa:] I'm falling down hard from salvation
[Patti Scialfa:] Come protect this china heart
[Patti Scialfa:] Though my party dress is torn, I still
[Patti Scialfa:] Walk and talk and cry and crawl
[Patti Scialfa:] I've got no one on my arm
[Patti Scialfa:] I am just a rumble doll
[Spoken:] The first lady of love on the guitar and vocals, Miss Patti Scialfa! And now, last but not least... Last but not least... The minister of soul, secretary of the brotherhood, do I have to say his name? Do I have to say his name? Say who? Say who? Say who? Say who? Say who? Say who? Say who? Say who? Say who? Say who?
Well, they made that change uptown
And the Big Man joined the band
From the coastline to the city
The little pretties raise their hand
I'm gonna sit back right easy and laugh
When Scooter and the Big Man bust this city in half
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Say it again
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
One more time
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
One more time
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Everybody form a line
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Everybody form a line, now
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Everybody form a line
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Everybody form a line, now
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Well, say, yeah, say, yeah, say, yeah, say, yeah, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say
Whoa, oh!
Whoa, oh!
Oh, yeah, it's all right, now
Say, it's all right (it's all right)
It's all right (it's all right)
It's all right (it's all right)
It's all right
It's all right
It's all right
Say, it's all right, now
Yeah
Say, it's all right
The E Street Band! The E Street Band! The house-rocking, earth-shaking, earth-quaking, legendary, history-making, one and only E Street Band!
Whoa! Say amen, somebody!
The above lyrics are for the live 27 May 2000 performance of TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV, during The Reunion Tour. The song was played in a heavily extended full-band version including band introductions and a variety of interpolated songs and song snippets: The Impressions' IT'S ALRIGHT, Al Green's TAKE ME TO THE RIVER, Robert Alda's LUCK BE A LADY, RED HEADED WOMAN, and Patti Scialfa's RUMBLE DOLL.
Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.
List of available versions of TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT on this website:
TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT [Album version]