WRECKING BALL

Live 02 Oct 2009 version



[spoken:] Good evening New Jersey! Alright you came out here to help us tear this old girl down? This is something we wrote for tonight...

I was raised out of steel here in the swamps of Jersey, some misty years ago
Through the mud and the beer, and the blood and the cheers, I've seen champions come and go
So if you got the guts mister, yeah if you've got the balls
If you think it's your time, then step to the line, and bring on your wrecking ball

Bring on your wrecking ball
Bring on your wrecking ball
Come on and take your best shot, let me see what you've got
Bring on your wrecking ball
Bring on your wrecking ball
Bring on your wrecking ball
Come on and take your best shot, let me see what you've got
Bring on your wrecking ball

Now my home was here in the meadowlands where mosquitoes grow big as airplanes
Here where the blood is spilled, the arena's filled, and Giants play the game
So raise up your glasses and let me hear your voices call
Come on!
Because tonight all the dead are here, so bring on your wrecking ball

Bring on your wrecking ball
Bring on your wrecking ball
Take your best shot, let me see what you've got
Bring on your wrecking ball

One, two, one two three four!

[Trumpet solo]

Yeah, we know that come tomorrow, none of this will be here
So hold tight on your anger, hold tight on your anger
Hold tight to your anger, and don't fall to your fear

Now when all this steel and these stories, they drift away to rust
And all our youth and beauty, it's been given to the dust
And your game has been decided and you're burning the clock down
And all our little victories and glories have turned into parking lots
When your best hopes and desires are scattered through the wind
And hard times come, hard times go
Hard times come, hard times go
And hard times come, hard times go
Hard times come, hard times go
Hard times come, hard times go
Yeah, just
to come again

Bring on your wrecking ball
Bring on your wrecking ball
Come on and take your best shot, let me see what you've got
Bring on your wrecking ball
Bring on your wrecking ball (bring on your wrecking ball)
Bring on your wrecking ball (bring on your wrecking ball)
Take your best shot, let me see what you've got, bring on your wrecking ball

One, two, one two three four!

[Trumpet solo]

Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho
Whoa-ho-ho

Bring it on!


Info

The above lyrics are for the live 02 Oct 2009 performance of WRECKING BALL at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, NJ, during the Working On A Dream Tour. The song was the show opener and featured with Curt Ramm on trumpet.

Ticket stub for the 02 Oct 2009 show at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Ticket stub for the 02 Oct 2009 show at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Handwritten setlist for the 02 Oct 2009 show at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Handwritten setlist for the 02 Oct 2009 show at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ

Official Release

On 03 Oct 2009, a video of the previous night's live performance of WRECKING BALL was posted on Springsteen's official website. It's an unedited version taken from the line cut and the original live mix. That same live version soon became available as an official "digital single" on iTunes US only. The audio, mixed by Bob Clearmountain, was also accompanied a video clip of the live performance, edited by Chris Hilson and Thom Zimny.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Wrecking Ball (Live) (single cover art)
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Wrecking Ball (Live) (single cover art)

The live 02 Oct 2009 version of WRECKING BALL was also released on a Record Store Day exclusive single in 2010.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Wrecking Ball (Live)
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Wrecking Ball (Live)

10" single - Columbia (88697 67195 79) - USA, 2010
10" single - Columbia (88697 67195 79) - EU, 2010

Limited edition single sold in North America and Europe exclusively at independent stores that participated in the 3rd annual "Record Store Day" campaign (17 Apr 2010).

A1- WRECKING BALL [Live 02 Oct 2009 version]
B1- THE GHOST OF TOM JOAD [Live 07 Apr 2008 version]

The music video for this live 02 Oct 2009 version of WRECKING BALL was included in 2010 as bonus material on the London Calling: Live In Hyde Park home video (see the below section).

London Calling: Live In Hyde Park

Hard Rock Calling is a music festival held at Hyde Park in London, England, around early summer each year since 2006, and spans the period of two or three days. The festival is organized by Hard Rock Cafe and Live Nation.

During their Working On A Dream Tour, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band performed on the last day (28 Jun 2009) of the festival and their performance, was captured with High Definition (HD) cameras and was released in its complete form on DVD the following year. The film was officially released on 22 Jun 2010, though it premiered on the big screen in a 90-minute edited version on 05 Jun 2010 at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Museum in Cleveland, OH. The 90-minute cut was also screened in June 2010 various theaters across the United States, with benefits going either to the venue itself in the case of non-profit theater, of The Danny Federici Melanoma Fund.

Promotional poster for the 28 Jun 2009 show at Hyde Park, London, England
Promotional poster for the 28 Jun 2009 show at Hyde Park, London, England
Ticket stub for the 28 Jun 2009 show at Hyde Park, London, England
Ticket stub for the 28 Jun 2009 show at Hyde Park, London, England
Handwritten setlist for the 28 Jun 2009 show at Hyde Park, London, England
Handwritten setlist for the 28 Jun 2009 show at Hyde Park, London, England

The film is credited to Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band and is titled "London Calling: Live In Hyde Park". The release takes its name from LONDON CALLING, the Clash classic that Springsteen opened the show with.

In addition to the complete 28 Jun 2009 concert, the release also contains performances of three songs from other shows: an instrumental version of RAISE YOUR HAND from an unknown performance plays over the closing credits, and THE RIVER from Glastonbury Festival and music video for WRECKING BALL recorded at Giants Stadium are included as bonus tracks.

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- London Calling: Live In Hyde Park (DVD cover art)
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- London Calling: Live In Hyde Park (DVD cover art)

London Calling: Live In Hyde Park charted and peaked at #1 in several countries, including:

Country Chart Weeks at #1 Weeks in chart Charting period
USA 1
Canada 1
UK 1
Ireland 2
Germany 3
Austria 1
Switzerland 1
Denmark 4
Norway 5
Sweden 2
Finland 2
Australia 5
New Zealand 6

The video was directed by Chris Hilson and edited by Emmy- and Grammy-winner Thom Zimny, with audio mixed by Bob Clearmountain (including 5.1 surround) and mastered by Bob Ludwig. London Calling: Live In Hyde Park was released on 22 Jun 2010 on one Blu-Ray disc and as a two DVD set.

Disc 1 (2-DVD set format):

  1. LONDON CALLING
  2. BADLANDS
  3. NIGHT
  4. SHE'S THE ONE
  5. OUTLAW PETE
  6. OUT IN THE STREET
  7. WORKING ON A DREAM
  8. SEEDS
  9. JOHNNY 99
  10. YOUNGSTOWN
  11. GOOD LOVIN'
  12. BOBBY JEAN
  13. TRAPPED
  14. NO SURRENDER
  15. WAITIN' ON A SUNNY DAY
  16. THE PROMISED LAND
  17. RACING IN THE STREET
  18. RADIO NOWHERE
  19. LONESOME DAY

Disc 2 (2-DVD set format):

  1. THE RISING
  2. BORN TO RUN
  3. ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT)
  4. HARD TIMES COME AGAIN NO MORE
  5. JUNGLELAND
  6. AMERICAN LAND
  7. GLORY DAYS
  8. DANCING IN THE DARK
  9. RAISE YOUR HAND [instrumental, under end credit sequence]
  10. THE RIVER [27 Jun 2009, Glastonbury Festival]
  11. WRECKING BALL [2009, Giants Stadium]

Blu-ray format:

  • All 30 tracks on a single disc

Available Versions

List of available versions of WRECKING BALL on this website:

WRECKING BALL [Album version]
WRECKING BALL [Live 02 Oct 2009 version]
WRECKING BALL [Live 27 Feb 2012 version]
WRECKING BALL [Live 09 Mar 2012 version]
WRECKING BALL [Live 15 Mar 2012 version]

Page last updated: 26 Jan 2012