Live 18 Nov 2015 version
| Bruce Springsteen: | 41 shots, and we'll take that ride |
| 'Cross the bloody river to the other side | |
| 41 shots, cut through the night | |
| You're kneeling over his body in the vestibule | |
| Praying for his life | |
| Bruce Springsteen: | Is it a gun, is it a knife |
| Is it a wallet, this is your life | |
| It ain't no secret | |
| Backing singers: | It ain't no secret |
| Bruce Springsteen: | It ain't no secret |
| Backing singers: | It ain't no secret |
| Bruce Springsteen: | No secret my friend |
| You can get killed just for living in your American skin | |
| Backing singers: | 41 shots |
| 41 shots | |
| 41 shots | |
| 41 shots | |
| John Legend: | 41 shots, Lena gets her son ready for school |
| She says, "On these streets, Charles | |
| You've got to understand the rules | |
| If an officer stops you, promise me you'll always be polite | |
| And that you'll never ever run away | |
| Promise Mama you'll keep your hands in sight" | |
| John Legend: | Oh, is it a gun |
| Backing singers: | Is it a gun |
| John Legend: | Is it a knife |
| Backing singers: | Is it a knife |
| John Legend: | Is it a wallet |
| Backing singers: | Is it a wallet |
| John Legend: | This is your life |
| Backing singers: | This is your life |
| John Legend: | It ain't no secret |
| Backing singers: | It ain't no secret |
| John Legend: | It ain't no secret |
| Backing singers: | It ain't no secret |
| John Legend: | No secret my friend |
| You can get killed just for living in your American skin | |
| Backing singers: | 41 shots |
| 41 shots | |
| 41 shots | |
| 41 shots | |
| Tom Morello: | [Guitar solo] |
| Bruce Springsteen: | Is it a gun |
| Backing singers: | Is it a gun |
| Bruce Springsteen: | Is it a knife |
| Backing singers: | Is it a knife |
| Bruce Springsteen: | Is it in your heart |
| Backing singers: | Is it in your heart |
| Bruce Springsteen: | Is it in your eyes |
| Backing singers: | Is it in your eyes |
| Bruce Springsteen: | It ain't no secret |
| Backing singers: | It ain't no secret |
| Bruce Springsteen: | It ain't no secret |
| Backing singers: | It ain't no secret |
| Bruce Springsteen: | It ain't no secret |
| Bruce Springsteen: | 41 shots, and we'll take that ride |
| 'Cross this bloody river to the other side | |
| John Legend: | Ohh, 41 shots, got my boots caked with this mud |
| Ohh, we're baptized in the water | |
| Backing singers: | Baptized in these waters |
| John Legend: | Ohh, and in each other's blood |
| Backing singers: | And in each other's blood |
| Springsteen and Legend: | Is it a gun |
| Backing singers: | Is it a gun |
| Springsteen and Legend: | Is it a knife |
| Backing singers: | Is it a knife |
| Springsteen and Legend: | Is it a wallet |
| Backing singers: | Is it a wallet |
| Springsteen and Legend: | This is your life |
| Backing singers: | This is your life |
| Bruce Springsteen: | It ain't no secret |
| John Legend: | It ain't no secret |
| Bruce Springsteen: | It ain't no secret |
| John Legend: | It ain't no secret |
| Bruce Springsteen: | No secret my friend |
| You can get killed just for living in | |
| John Legend: | You can get killed just for living in |
| Bruce Springsteen: | You can get killed just for living in |
| John Legend: | You can get killed just for living in |
| Bruce Springsteen: | Your American skin |
| Springsteen, Legend, and backing singers: | 41 shots |
| 41 shots | |
| 41 shots | |
| 41 shots | |
| Backing singers and all performers: | 41 shots |
| Bruce Springsteen: | You can get killed just for living in |
| Backing singers and all performers: | 41 shots |
| John Legend: | Oh you can get killed just for living in |
| Backing singers and all performers: | 41 shots |
| Bruce Springsteen: | You can get killed just for living in |
| Backing singers and all performers: | 41 shots |
| John Legend: | Oh you can get killed just for living in |
| Backing singers and all performers: | 41 shots |
| Bruce Springsteen: | You can get killed just for living in |
| Backing singers and all performers: | 41 shots |
| John Legend: | You can get killed just for living in |
| Backing singers and all performers: | 41 shots |
| Bruce Springsteen: | You can get killed just for living in |
| Backing singers and all performers: | 41 shots |
| John Legend: | You can get killed just for living in |
| Backing singers and all performers: | 41 shots |
| Bruce Springsteen: | You can get killed just for living in |
| Backing singers and all performers: | 41 shots |
| John Legend: | Oh you can get killed just for living in |
| Backing singers and all performers: | 41 shots |
| Bruce Springsteen: | You can get killed just for living in |
| Backing singers and all performers: | 41 shots |
| John Legend: | You can get killed just for living in |
| Bruce Springsteen (spoken outro): | John Legend! |
The above lyrics are for the live 18 Nov 2015 performance of AMERICAN SKIN (41 SHOTS) at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, CA, during Shining a Light: A Concert for Progress on Race in America. The song was the show opener. It was played in its full-band album arrangement and featured John Legend on shared lead vocals, Tom Morello on guitar, Max Weinberg on drums, Roy Bittan on piano, as well as the house band headed by Ricky Minor. At the end of the song, all of the evening's performers joined in onstage for the final choruses. The concert aired on 20 Nov 2015 on A+E Networks and iHeartRadio.
List of available versions of AMERICAN SKIN (41 SHOTS) on this website:
AMERICAN SKIN (41 SHOTS) [Album version]