Live 17 Nov 1973 version
Well, Billy, he's down by the railroad tracks
Sitting low in the back seat of his Cadillac
Diamond Jackie, she's so intact
And she falls like an angel beneath him
Jackie's heels are stacked
Billy's got cleats on his boots
Someday they're gonna boogaloo down Broadway
And come back on home with the loot
It's midnight in Manhattan, this is no time to get cute, it's a mad dog's promenade
Walk tall
Yeah, or, baby, don't walk at all
Fish lady, oh, my, my, my fish lady, she baits them tenement walls
She don't take corner boys, they ain't got no money, and they're so easy
Come on, come on, mama, take my arm, waltz with me down Broadway
Oh, mama, I'm easy, please take my hand and move with me down Broadway, yeah
I'm a young man, I can walk it real proud, oh, and I'm sorry, baby, that I'm playing scared, yeah, baby, yeah
Ah, shake away your city life, shake away your street life, and hook it up
Ah, hook it up, ah, boys, let's go hook it up
Oh, mama, hook up, hook up to the night train
Hook it up
Ah, hook up to the silver train
Hook it up, oh, mama, won't you hook it up
Let's go hook it up
But I know that 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
No, 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
'Cause she's afraid them tracks are gonna slow her on down
And when she turns, the boy'll gone
Baby, so long
Sometimes you gotta walk on, walk on, walk on
Hey, vibes man, hey, jazz man down in the alley, play me your serenade
Any deeper blue, you'll be playin' in your grave
You gotta save your notes: yeah, don't spend 'em on the blues boys, no, no, no
You gotta save your notes: don't go spending 'em on the darlin' yearlin' sharp boys
Straight from the church note ringing, oh, vibes man sting a trash can
Listen to your junkman
Ah, listen to your junkman
Ah, listen to your junkman
Listen to your junkman
He's singin', (singin')
He's singin', (singin')
All dressed up in satin, walkin' down the alley (singin')
Singin', yeah, (singin')
Singin', singin', sing, yeah, sing, yeah, singin', singin', sing, yeah, singin'
Oh, no, mama, oh, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
Oh, sing, oh, mama, oh, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, oh, ah, yeah
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, yeah, oh, yeah, oh, yeah, oh, oh
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na
Won't you come on, come on, come on, come on, come, come on, come on, come on
And watch out for your junkman
Watch out for your junkman
Won't you come on, come on, come on, come on, come on, come on
And watch out for your junkman
Watch out for your junkman
Babe, you wonder, yeah
Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh
Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh
Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh
Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh
Come on!
The above lyrics are for the live 17 Nov 1973 performance of NEW YORK CITY SERENADE at Roxy Theatre in Philadelphia, PA, during what is considered The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle Tour. The song featured David Sancious on piano (including the introduction, which over the course of the tour became more and more of an improvisational vehicle for Sancious) and Vini Lopez on drums and was played in a full-band, album-esque arrangement.
Bruce Springsteen and his band played two shows at Roxy Theatre on 17 Nov 1973. They were the headliners, with two or three unverified local bands sharing the bill. The first show took place during the day but the second show was not until much later in the evening. It is likely that the second show is the source of the circulating audience recording. It should be noted that these shows were held at the Roxy Theatre in the Manayunk neighborhood of Philadelphia, and not the same venue as the more well-known, up-market Roxy Theatre ten miles away in the heart of downtown Philadelphia. The theatre was on the corner of Ridge Avenue and Leverington Avenue and was knocked down in 1981. Now a Dunkin Donuts stands in its place.
Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help. Some of the above info is take from Brucebase.
List of available versions of NEW YORK CITY SERENADE on this website:
NEW YORK CITY SERENADE [Album version]