Live 14 Aug 1975 version
[Spoken intro:] I used to live in this house down in this place called Freehold, New Jersey. Anybody from Freehold here tonight? No? How about Asbury Park? Yeah? You got the Casino shirt on. Sounds like it. I used to live in this house that was, um, that was, like, across the street from this field, like, it was on this regular street but, but there was just this big field, it was this tomato patch, for a long time, it was across the street, we used to have, go across the street and have tomato fights. And, and like, you'd sit there in the night, you'd see all the lightning bugs, you know? Yeah, you don't see lightning bugs. Good, maybe they don't go to the beach down there. No, really, ever since I moved to the beach, I haven't see any lightning bugs there. You, any of you folks from the country? You got lightning bugs out there? They'll sleep better at night. (laughs) But, any, anyway this field, one night I was sitting on my porch, you know, and, and I seen this Clarence -- Clarence was sitting there with me, right? I was about ten and he was older than me, we were sitting on the porch and, and, we seen this thing coming down from the clouds, didn't we? We didn't know what it was. It came down from way up there and looked like something, looked like, it was shaped like a hot dog, right? So we thought it was, we knew it was -- wasn't a flying saucer right away. Something, it was shaped... (laughs) It was shaped like this hot dog, eh? (laughs) It was shaped like this hot dog and this thing came down and it landed right in this field right across the street from my house, right? And so me and Clarence figured we better check it out, see what was invading the neighborhood, you know. We went across the street and this man came out, right? And he had, he was like, he was purple! This is a true story, this is a true story. People laugh at the truth, day in and day out, right? (laughs) And, uh, as, you know, as he was purple -- was he purple? Probably was all the juice, or something... So, it was like, he had two noses! Right? And he lands in Central Jersey, good thing he didn't land in North Jersey, he would've died on the spot The, the industrial growth would've been too much for him. He had two noses and he was purple, he had an eye over here and he had another one on his teeth, and, and he like, the first thing he did is he came out, right, he came out and he was being all cool, right? He was walking, you know, like uh, what's that guy called, Bono? Not Bono, the, what the hell's his name? Carolyn, Carol, we call people, Tobor, Grover... But, you guys know the name, what's it... Michael Renny! He was walking like Michael Renny! He was walking like that, he was trying to be real cool and stuff, but he got out three steps and he started, those things started to get wild with him and he fell down on the field, right? So me and Clarence go over and we check the guy out and he's purple and he's laying there on the ground, and we go, you know, "Hey, Spaceman, what's the matter?" He didn't say nothing, all he did was, he opened his mouth and he said these words, he spoke in these foreign tongues, saying, yeah, noises like. So, me and Clarence, we happen to have a tape recorder with us, and we ran, and we ran back to the house, we put it on backwards, and you know what that joker said? He said, "Kitty's back."
Catlong sighs holding Kitty's black tooth
Man, she left to marry some top cat, ain't it the cold truth
There hasn't been a tally since Sally left the alley
Since Kitty left with Big Pretty things have got pretty thin
Yeah they have
It's tight on this fence since them young dudes are muscling in
Jack Knife cries 'cause baby's in a bundle
She goes running nightly, lightly through the jungle
Them tin cans are exploding out in the ninety-degree heat
Cat somehow lost his Kitty down on Bleecker Street
It's a sad, sad story, but it's true
Cat just shrugs his shoulders, sits back down and then he sighs
He says, "Ooh, ooh, what can I do?
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, what can I do?
Whoa, oh, oh, what, what can I do?"
Stevie, what can I do?
Go on, you can do it!
Go! Go! Go! Go! Go!
Oh, yeah
(Oh, yeah)
Kitty's back
[Clarence Clemons:] Kitty's back
Kitty's back
Kitty's back
Kitty's back
Kitty's back
[Clarence Clemons:] Kitty's back
Whoa, oh!
Catlong lies back bent on a trash can
Flashing lights cut the night, dude in white says he's the man
You better learn to move fast when you're young or you're not long around
Cat somehow lost his Kitty down in the city pound
Oh yes he did!
Get right, get tight, get down
That's right!
Well, you better get down, now
Whoa, whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa, whoa
Doo, doo, doo
Da, da, da, da, da, da, da
Da, da, da, da, da, da
Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Down, down, down
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
[Spoken:] Steven, when, when she comes back, I'm gonna, I don't know where she's been, and I, now, I've gotta say something... I got, got a new car... I got this, I got this new car, set with wheels and everything, and, um, I'm gonna take her for a ride.
Because nothing's too good for my baby
(Nothing's too good for my girl)
(Oh, nothing's too good for my baby)
(Nothing's too good)
Do it boys!
(Well I said, nothing's too good for my baby)
Oh, no (nothing's too good for my girl)
Oh, no, no (nothing's too good for my baby)
Oh, oh, no, no (nothing's too good for my girl)
(Oh, Bruce!)
Here she comes
Here she comes
Here she comes (here she comes)
[Spoken:] I don't hardly recognize her no more! I mean, she dyed her hair some crazy color. I, I... I... Stevie, Stevie! The new man, the new man, Mr. Stevie. The new man is confessing a transgression on Boss's territory. That's bad news, you can lose your hat. Lose your hat in this band, you're nothing! That's all right, that's all right. Okay. Anyway, uh...
Here she come (here she come)
Here she come (here she come)
Here she come (here she come)
Here she come (here she come)
Here she come (here she come)
Here she come (here she come)
Here she come (here she come)
Here she come (here she come)
Here she come (here she come)
Here she come (here she come)
Here she come (here she come)
Here she come (here she come)
Here she come (here she come)
(Here she come, here she come)
(Here she come, here she come)
(Here she come, here she come)
(Here she come, here she come)
(Here she come, here she come)
(Here she come, here she come)
(Here she come, here she come)
(Here she come, here she come)
(Here she come, here she come)
(Here she come, here she come)
Whoa!
Kitty's back in town (here she comes, now)
Kitty's back in town (oh, oh, all right)
Kitty's back in town (here she comes, now)
Kitty's back (oh, oh, all right)
Kitty's back in town (here she comes, now)
Kitty's back (oh, oh, all right)
Kitty's back in town (here she comes, now)
Kitty's back in town (oh, oh, all right)
Cat knows his Kitty's been untrue
And that she left him for a city dude
But she's so soft, she's so blue
When he looks into her eyes
He just sits back and sighs
Whoa, oh, oh, what can I do?
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, what can I do?
Whoa, oh, oh, what can I do?
Whoa, oh, oh, what can I do?
Whoa, oh, oh, oh, what, what, oh, oh, oh, I said
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Ain't no children gonna work my babe
Oh, isn't, but she was happy, though
Because:
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, all right, it's all right
Sing a little better
(Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, all right, ooh, all right)
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
(Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, all right, ooh, all right)
What you all smiling for over there?
(Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, all right, ooh, all right) That's right!
Oh, no, baby!
(Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, all right, ooh, all right)
Yes, that all, all right
(Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, all right, ooh, all right)
Do that saxophone thing, Clarence!
(Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, all right, ooh, all right)
Yeah, yeah, yeah
(Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, all right, ooh, all right)
(Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, all right, ooh, all right)
(Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, all right, ooh, all right)
Bring it down!
[Spoken outro:] Still playin'! Kitty's back!
The above lyrics are for the live 14 Aug 1975 (early show) performance of KITTY'S BACK at Bottom Line in New York City, NY, during the Born To Run Tour. The song was played in an extended, full-band version featuring a snippet of Van Morrison's MOONDANCE in the midsection. This particular version features a lengthy spoken intro (the "spaceship story") and a spoken midsection, as well as a snippet of Stevie Wonder's NOTHING'S TOO GOOD FOR MY BABY in the middle.
In August 1975, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band performed a 5-night stand at Bottom Line, from 13 to 17 Aug 1975. They played two shows each night, an early one at 8:30 p.m. and a late one at 11:30 p.m. All ten shows were sold-out.
Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.
List of available versions of KITTY'S BACK on this website:
KITTY'S BACK [Album version]