Live 31 Jul 1973 (late show) version
[Spoken intro:] We're gonna bring our band, band on stage now and do, do some more. I gotta say though that the folks out there in Radioland don't know what's going on. Yeah. Yeah! Don't matter. This is a song called, uh, New York City Serenade. David!
Well, Billy, he's down by the railroad tracks
Sitting low in the back seat of his Cadillac
Diamond Jackie, she's so intact
She falls so softly beneath him
Jackie's heels are stacked
And Billy's got cleats on his boots
Together they're gonna boogaloo down Broadway
And come back on home with their loot
It's midnight in Manhattan, this is no time to get cute, it's a mad dog's promenade
So walk tall
Or, baby, don't walk at all
Fish lady, oh, fish lady, oh, fish lady, oh, she baits them tenement walls
She don't take corner boys, because they got no money, and they're so easy
Well, baby, I'm easy and I'm proud
Take my arm and waltz with me down Broadway
Take my hand, girl, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, la,
and waltz with me down Broadway
Oh, you gotta shake your crazy life, shake away your rotten life, shake away that horrid life,
shake away that horrid life
And ride on
But I know she won't even say it
Oh, she's afraid to take my hand
She's afraid
And I know she won't take the train, no, she won't take the train
No, she won't take the train, no, she won't take the train
Oh, she won't take the train, no, she won't take the train
Oh, she won't take the train, no, she won't take the train
She's afraid them tracks are gonna slow her down
And when she turns, I'll be gone
Well, walk on
Sometimes you gotta walk on
Oh, vibes man, oh, jazz man in the alley, play me your New York City serenade
Any deeper blue, you'll be playin' in your grave
Save your notes: spend 'em on your blues boys
Save your notes: spend 'em on your darlin' yearlin' blues boy
Hit the church note, ring it, vibes man sting a trash can
Listen to your junkman
Listen to your junkman
Listen to your junkman
Listen to your junkman
He's singin', (singin')
He's singin', (singin')
(Singin', singin')
He's singin', (singin')
Oh, singin', singin', singin', yeah, sing, yeah, he's singin', he's singin', sing, yeah, sing, yeah
Singin' for you, man, singin'
Watch out for your junkman
Watch out for your junkman
Ah, watch out for your junkman
Watch out for your junkman
The above lyrics are for the live 31 Jul 1973 (late show) performance of NEW YORK CITY SERENADE at My Father's Place in Roslyn, NY, during what is considered the Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. Tour. The song was played in a full-band, album-esque version with early/developing lyrics and featured David Sancious playing the string part on a Mellotron that the band rented from Carroll Music in Manhattan.
Bruce Springsteen and his band played three sold-out nights, two shows each night, on 31 Jul, 01 Aug, and 02 Aug 1973 at My Father's Place in Roslyn, NY. These were double-bill shows, with Nashville-based country singer-songwriter Alex Harvey opening and Springsteen and his band headlining.
Springsteen's second show on the opening night was broadcast live on WLIR-FM as part of the station's weekly Tuesday evening simulcast from the venue. A very good quality audio was taped off the airways and represents the entire broadcast, although the performance almost certainly included two to four additional songs that never went to air due to time limitations. The show has also circulated from the radio station master tape.
The 31 Jul 1973 broadcast from My Father's Place was commercially released in Europe. Since 2005 some enterprising record labels in Europe (mostly in the UK) have been releasing Bruce Springsteen radio and TV broadcasts (and some soundboard recordings) from the seventies, eighties, and nineties. Though these releases are not authorized by Bruce Springsteen or his record company, they are lawful due to a legal loophole in Europe.
Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help. Some of the above info is taken from Brucebase.
List of available versions of NEW YORK CITY SERENADE on this website:
NEW YORK CITY SERENADE [Album version]
