Live 16 Oct 2008 version
[Spoken intro:]
[Bruce Springsteen:] All right.
[Billy Joel:] We did one of mine, so we're gonna do the Boss now.
[Bruce Springsteen:] We're gonna do this now... Haven't done this one in a little while.
[Billy Joel:] You're going to have to guide me on this one, all right?
[Bruce Springsteen:] All right.
[Billy Joel:] I don't know the structure on this one.
[Bruce Springsteen:] Ah, C, A minor, C... Ah, he don't really know this one. And, uh, I was a little disappointed when I found that out, but, uh... Can we get a couple of, uh, microphones out here so, we're, we're gonna pull poor John Legend and India Arie into this one, too. Yeah, we need another mic. Oh, she's got a mic. John! Oh, he ran. He's around somewhere. All right. John Legend! Needs another mic.
[John Legend:] Let's go.
[Bruce Springsteen:] Let's go, oh, yeah. All right, all right. You want to start it?
[Billy Joel:] I guess so!
[Bruce Springsteen:] Okay.
[Billy Joel:] It's simple!
[Bruce Springsteen:] Oh, yeah.
[Billy Joel:] That one.
[Bruce Springsteen:] Yeah.
[Billy Joel:] Which one?
[Bruce Springsteen:] That's this.
[Billy Joel:] All right.
(Yeah, yeah)
(Yeah, yeah)
[Bruce Springsteen:]
Let me sing it, first.
Here we go, come on, first verse.
Crazy Janey and her mission man were back in the alley tradin' hands
'Long came Wild Billy with his friend G-Man, duded up for Saturday night
Billy slammed on his coaster brakes — E minor!
Anybody wanna go on up to Greasy Lake?
C!
'Bout a mile down on the dark side of route eighty-eight
I got a bottle of rose — A minor - let's try it
C!
We'll pick up Hazy Davy and Killer Joe, we'll take you all out to where the gypsy angels go
Built like light
Ooh, and they dance like spirits in the night (all night)
All night (all night)
Baby don't know what they do to you
Like a spirit in the night (all night)
All night (all night)
Stand up and let it shoot right through you
Well, now, Wild Billy was a crazy cat, and he shook some dust out of his coonskin cap
He cried, "Trust some of this, it'll show you where it's at, at least it'll help you really feel it"
By the time we made it up to Greasy Lake, I had my head out the window and Janey's fingers in the cake
I think I really dug her; I was too loose to fake
Said, "I'm hurt," she said, "Honey, let me heal it"
C!
We danced all night to a soul fairy band
She kissed me just right like only a lonely angel can
Felt just right, together we moved like spirits in the night (all night)
All night (all night)
Baby don't know what it do to you
Like a spirit in the night (all night)
All night (all night)
Stand up and let it shoot right through you
Somebody!
All right!
(Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh)
Let's go!
Play that thing!
(Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh
Ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh)
Here we go!
The night
Grew bright, the stars threw light on Billy and Davy
Dancin' in the moonlight
We were down near the water in a stone mud fight
Killer Joe gone passed out on the lawn
Well, now, Hazy Davy got really hurt, he ran into the lake in just his socks and a shirt
Me and Crazy Janey were makin' love in the dirt, singin' our birthday songs
A minor...
Janey said, "Hey little brother, don't you think it's time that we go?"
We closed our eyes and said goodbye
To gypsy angel row, felt so right
Together we moved like spirits in the night (all night)
All night (all night)
Baby don't know what it do to you
Like a spirit in the night (all night)
All night (all night)
Stand up and let it shoot right through you
Like a spirit in the night (all night)
All night (all night)
All night (all night)
All night (all night)
All night (all night)
All night (all night)
All night
One, two, three, four!
Spirit in the night
Like a spirit in the night
Like a spirit in the night
Spirit in the night
Like a spirit in the night
Like a spirit in...
Ooh!
Yeah, yeah!
The above lyrics are for the live 16 Oct 2008 performance of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City, NY, during the Change Rocks benefit concert. The song was played in a full-band arrangement with Bruce Springsteen on lead vocals and Billy Joel, India Arie, and John Legend on backing vocals, and backed by Billy Joel and his band, Patti Scialfa, and Roy Bittan.
The show was in support of Barack Obama's presidential campaign and was co-headlined by Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel.
Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.
The sound on this recording is pretty bad, so some of the spoken parts (and chord changes) are guessed. If you have a good recording, or any additions, comments, or corrections to this page, please contact me via the below form or by email: .
List of available versions of SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT on this website:
SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT [Album version]