Outtake version 1
The night rushes into the door
Kids running across the floor, hmm
I wish God's angels would tear this town down and blow it into the sea
Man that's alright with me, I don't care anymore
She, she who is everything
And the fear tonight she brings, she's got everything
And I got caught wasting my life so bad
Just looking for the facts
Sometimes I feel like I'm walking dazed
The blood rushing in my veins, I can hear it flow
She lives in a world of dreams-come-true
But she don't know like I do, not like I do
I was nothing over and over again
I count the nights roll in without her
She needs her clothes and diamond rings
She got men who bring her anything she wants, but they don't see
That what she wants is me
Oh and I want her so, I'll never let her go
Me, walking into the room, I count the nights roll in
Without her, without her, without her
THE FAST SONG is an unreleased Bruce Springsteen song. The above lyrics are for one of two studio takes in circulation. See also outtake version 2.
The music, a line in the second verse ("The blood rushing in my veins"), and the first four lines in the fourth verse were later used in CANDY'S ROOM. The line "I wish God's angels would tear this town down and blow it into the sea" was adapted from live versions of SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT from February 1977 (see the live 07 Feb 1977 version for an example) and was later used in some live versions of BACKSTREETS from Feb-Mar 1977 (see the live 22 Feb 1977 version for an example).
According to Sony's logs of Bruce Springsteen's studio sessions, THE FAST SONG was cut on 06, 09-10, 13-14, 20, and 24 Jun 1977 at Atlantic Studios in New York City, NY, with further work undertaken on 24 Aug and 01-02 Sep 1977. In the handwritten lyrics notebook that was reproduced in The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story box set, there are reproductions of two demo tape inlays listing THE FAST SONG. One contains tracks recorded at Atlantic Studios and dated 01 Jun 1977 (below scan left) and one titled "Bruce Springsteen - Ruffs" and dated June 1977 (below scan right). The song is titled "The Fast Song (Candy's Room)" on the first tape and "Fast Song" on the second.
THE FAST SONG seems to have been originally considered for the Darkness On The Edge Of Town album, as evidenced in several handwritten lists of candidate tracks for Springsteen's fourth studio album. These lists appear in the handwritten lyrics notebook that was reproduced in The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story box set (see scans below). On these lists, the songs is titled "Fast Song" or simply "Fast".
THE FAST SONG also appears on other pages in the above-mentioned notebook. The song's original title may have been "God's Angels". That title does appear in the song's lyrics and is listed on a page of "new songs" (below scan right). Moreover, in his 2012 book E Street Shuffle: The Glory Days of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Clinton Heylin uses the title "The Fast Song (God's Angels)". Heylin had access to Sony's logs of Bruce Springsteen's studio sessions and he probably used the title as it appears in them.
This outtake version of THE FAST SONG can be found on several bootlegs, including The Lost Masters Vol. 03 (Labour Of Love) [track 09], The Original Darkness Mixes (E. St. Records) [track 14], and Darkness Outtakes 1978 Vol. 2: The Way (Scorpio) [track 04].
This outtake version's backing (instrumental-only) track can also be found on several bootlegs, including The Lost Masters Vol. 02 (Labour Of Love) [track 09], The Definitive Darkness Outtakes Collection (E. St. Records) [disc 1, track 17], and Darkness Outtakes 1978 Vol. 3: The Promise (Scorpio) [track 10].
As far as it's known, Bruce Springsteen has never performed THE FAST SONG live.
As far as it's known, no artist has recorded and released Bruce Springsteen's THE FAST SONG.
The above lyrics may not be 100% correct. If you have any corrections, additions, or comments, please contact me via the below form or by email: .
List of available versions of THE FAST SONG on this website:
THE FAST SONG [Outtake version 1]
