Live 22 Aug 1976 version
[Spoken intro:] Wherever you are, Rosie, come out tonight!
Spread out now, Rosie, doctor come cut loose her mama's reins
You know playin' blind man's bluff is a little baby's game
You pick up Little Dynamite, I'm gonna pick up Little Gun
Together we're gonna go out tonight, we'll make that highway run
You don't have to call me lieutenant, Rosie, I don't want to be your son
The only lover I'm ever gonna need's your soft sweet little girl's tongue
You're the one!
Yeah!
Dddddynamite's in the belfry, baby, playin' with the bats
Little Gun's downtown in front of Woolworth's, tryin' out his attitude on all the cats
Papa's on the corner, waiting for the bus
Mama's home in the window, she's waitin' up for us!
She'll be there in that chair when they wrestle her upstairs, you know we ain't gonna come
'Cause I ain't here on business, just for a little fun
You're the one!
Rosalita, jump a little lighter
Senorita, come sit by my fire
I just want to be your lover, ain't no liar
Rosie, you're my stone desire
Babaloo!
Jack the Rabbit, Weak Knees Willie, you know they're gonna be there
Sloppy Sue and Big Bones Billy'll be comin' up for air
We're gonna play pool, skip school, act cool
Stay out all night, it's gonna feel all right
Rosie, come out tonight, come out tonight
Windows are for cheaters, chimneys for the poor
Closets are for hangers, winners, winners, winners use the door!
Rosalita, jump a little lighter
Senorita, come sit by my fire
I just want to be your love, ain't no lie
Rosie, you're my stone desire
Hey!
[Spoken:] Ladies and gentlemen, we are lucky to have with us here tonight, a distinguished name in the music business, the most educated member of the band, he got his diploma from Wicapooca Tech.
[Steve Van Zandt:] Ah-kaya-waka-haya!
[Spoken:] Uh, on the piano, a brave round of applause for Professor Roy Bittan, please! Express yourself, Professor!
[Roy Bittan plays a minute of PRELUDE NO 1 IN C MAJOR (BWV 846)]
[Spoken:] What's all that noise? What are you guys doing in my bedroom? One, two, three, four! On the guitar, bringing you such hits as Sweeter Than Honey, I Don't Want To Go Home, Miami Steve! On the bass guitar, Mr. Garry W. Tallent! On the drums, The Mighty Max! On the organ, Phantom Dan Federici! Phantom moves! And last but not least, King of the World, Master of the Motherfucking Universe, your next president, Mr. Hollywood, on the saxophone, The Big Man, Clarence Clemons!
Take it down!
Bring it up!
I know your mama, she don't like me 'cause I play in a rock and roll band
I know your pop don't dig me, he never did understand
Papa lowered the boom, locked you in your room
I'm coming to lend a hand
Riding to liberate you, confiscate you, I want to be your man
Someday we'll look back on this and it will all seem funny, la, la
Now you're sad, mama's mad
(Papa says he knows that I don't have any money)
(Papa says he knows that I don't have any money)
Your (papa says he knows that I don't have any money)
This is his last chance, tell him, Rosie, I ain't no freak
'Cause I got my picture on the cover of Time and Newsweek!
My tires were slashed, almost crashed, the Lord had mercy
My machine, she's a dud, out stuck in the mud somewhere in the swamps of Jersey
Hold on tight, stay up all night, Rosie, I'm comin' on strong
By the time we meet the morning light, I will hold you in my arms
I know a pretty little place in Southern California down San Diego way
A little café, where the guitars, they place all night and all day
You can hear 'em in the back room strummin'
Hold tight, baby, don't you know I'm coming
Everybody sing
(Ohhhh!)
Rosalita, jump a little lighter
Senorita, come sit by my fire
I just want to be your lover, ain't no liar
Rosie, you're my stone desire
Ah!
(Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!)
[Spoken outro:] Big Man! E Street Band!
The above lyrics are for the live 22 Aug 1976 performance of ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) at Springfield Civic Center in Springfield, MA, during what is known as The Lawsuit Tour. The song was played in a full-band arrangement, featuring band introductions. Roy Bittan played a snippet of Bach's PRELUDE NO 1 IN C MAJOR (BWV 846) after his introduction along with an instrumental snippet of Isaac Hayes' THEME FROM SHAFT in the midsection. In this version, Springsteen replaced the "This is his last chance to get his daughter in a fine romance / The record company, Rosie, gave me a big advance" lines with "This is his last chance, tell him, Rosie, I ain't no freak / 'Cause I got my picture on the cover of Time and Newsweek!" — this is a reference to his appearance on the covers of both Time and Newsweek magazines in the same week, on 27 Oct 1975.
Despite the marvelous reception received by both Born To Run and the tour which followed, the relationship between Bruce Springsteen and his now former manager and producer Mike Appel was deteriorating. In July 1976 the storm broke; Mike Appel wrote to Springsteen saying that he would not allow Jon Landau (Springsteen's friend and co-producer of Born To Run) to produce the next album, citing a particular paragraph from their original agreement. Springsteen replied on 27 Jul 1976 by firing manager Mike Appel and suing him and his management company Laurel Canyon Ltd. in Federal Court in Manhattan, claiming fraud, breach of trust, and undue influence. Appel counter-sued on 29 Jul 1976 in New York State Supreme Court, asking the court to prohibit Springsteen and Jon Landau from working together in studio. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band were slated to enter the studio that year for the recording of a new album, except that on 15 Sep 1976 the judge in the lawsuits case ruled that Springsteen was enjoined from any further recording with Columbia Records until Appel's suit was resolved. This would drag for about a year. Meanwhile, Springsteen continued gigging, and in the process broke his self-imposed rule of not playing the larger arenas. This was basically because he was not able to put a record out, and it was the only way his fans would be able to hear him at all. The tour became known as "The Lawsuit Tour" (62 know dates, August 1976 to March 1977).
Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.
List of available versions of ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) on this website:
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Album version]