Live 20 Jun 2000 version
[Spoken intro:] Is there anybody alive out there? You gotta let 'em hear you over in Jersey! Is there anybody alive out there? Is there anybody alive in New York City tonight?
One, two, three!
One, two, three, four!
Teardrops on the city
Bad Scooter searching for his groove
The whole world walking pretty
And you can't find the room to move
Everybody better move over, that's all
Running on the bad side
With my back to the wall, now
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Say it again!
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
I was stranded in the jungle
Taking all the heat they were giving
Yeah, now, the night is dark and the sidewalk's bright
And lined with the light of the living
From a tenement window a transistor blast
Turn around the corner things got real quiet real fast
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Come on, band!
Say it again
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Well, I'm all alone, I'm all alone
[Clarence Clemons:] Now, kid, you'd better get the picture!
I'm on my own, I'm on my own
Oh, and I can't find my way back home, now
Oh!
Max!
C! Help me, brother, help me!
This beat! Come on, girls!
And now for the gentlemen!
Max! Tres amenos!
[chuckles] Ah, m-, m-, m-, m-, m- m- m-! Let's try it again!
I got it, I got it now!
Max! Tres amenos!
All right, as long as we got it! The hours of practice that went into that —wow, wow! Man, we got through that!
It's all right (it's all right)
It's all right, now (it's all right, now)
It's all right (it's all right)
Yeah, it's all right, now (it's all right, now)
It's all right to have a good time (it's all right to have a good time)
Yeah, it's all right to have a good time (it's all right to have a good time)
Well, take me to the river (take me to the river)
Wash me in the water (wash me in the water)
Take me to the river (take me to the river)
Wash me in the water (wash me in the water)
Take me to the river (take me to the river)
Yeah, wash me in the water (wash me in the water)
Take me to the river (take me to the river)
Wash me in the water
I said, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Take me to the river tonight
I said, I want you to, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Take me to the river tonight
I said, you got to, said, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Please
Come on and
Take me to the river tonight
[Spoken:] That's right. That's where I want to go tonight. I want to go to the riverside! I'm looking and I'm searching. I want to go find that river of life, where I can go and feel alive. I want to find that river of faith, and of hope. I want to go to that river of understanding. I want to find that river of transformation, where you can go and you can change yourself, if you want to. And I want to find that river of resurrection, where everybody gets a second chance. I want to find that river of sexual healing. Let the healing begin! And companionship. That's where I want to go tonight. And that river of joy. And that river of happiness. But it's a happiness that you can't build by yourself! And it's a joy that you can't seek out on your own! And it's a faith that don't make no sense, by yourself. And it's a hope that only shows itself when you walk with others. And that's why tonight I want to know, are you ready to go with me? I want to know if you're ready to go with me! 'Cause I'm here tonight because I need to go with you. Because I can't get there by myself. You can't find those things by yourself. So tonight, I want to throw, I want to throw a rock and roll baptism! A rock and roll exorcism! And a rock and roll bar mitzvah! All mixed up in one! And I want to be set free in those waters! But once, once I stood as a young man one evening before a dark grove of trees, and I was, I was frightened to pass through those trees. And then a gypsy woman called me onward, and she said, "Son, what you need to make it through these trees is you need some help. What's your line?" And I told her what I did, and she said, "Well, what you need, is you need a band. You need a band!" But not just any band! That's why I want to introduce on our stage tonight, secretary of intelligence, the Long Island Piano Pounder, Professor Roy Bittan! With me at the riverside, the minister of faith and friendship, keeper of all that is righteous on E Street, and star of the Sopranos television show, Little Steven Van Zandt on the guitar! With me at the riverside, the foundation of the E Street nation, Mr. Garry W. Tallent! With me at the riverside, the mighty, mighty, mighty, mighty, Mighty Max, star of late night television, the Mighty Max Weinberg on the drums! Bringing that power every night. The secretary of heart and spirit, the godfather of the guitar, the great Nils Lofgren! With me at the riverside, the minister of mystery, from Flemington, New Jersey, brother Dan Federici! And now, I've got to say, help me out, Steve!
I got sunshine on a cloudy day
When it cold outside, I've got the month of May
Help me out, now!
(I guess you'd say)
What can make me feel this way?
My girl
Talkin' 'bout my girl (my girl)
[Spoken:] All right! On the guitar and vocals, Miss Patti Scialfa! The first lady of love, and my own personal savior! And now, last but not least, last but not least, the minister of soul, secretary of the brotherhood, next senator from the state of New York, do I have to say his name? Do I have to say his name? Say who? Say who? Say who? Say who? Say who? Say who? Say who? Say who? Say who?
Well, they made that change uptown
And the Big Man joined the band
From the coastline to the city
The little pretties raise their hand
I'm gonna sit back right easy and laugh
When Scooter and the Big Man bust this city in half
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Say it again
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
One more time
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Say it again
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Everybody form a line
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Everybody form a line
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Everybody form a line, now
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Everybody form a line
(Tenth Avenue freeze-out)
Help me, C!
Say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say, say
Whoa, ooh!
Oh, yeah, it's all right, now
Come on
It's all right (it's all right)
It's all right (it's all right)
It's all right (it's all right)
It's all right (it's all right)
It's all right, now
It's all right
I said, it's all right
The E Street Band! The E Street Band! The house-rocking, heart-stopping, earth-quaking, house-shaking, history-making, legendary motherfucking E Street Band!
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Say amen, somebody!
The above lyrics are for the live 20 Jun 2000 performance of TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT at Madison Square Garden in New York City, NY, during The Reunion Tour. The song was played in a heavily extended full-band version including band introductions and a variety of interpolated songs and song snippets: The Impressions' IT'S ALRIGHT, TAKE ME TO THE RIVER, and MY GIRL.
Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.
List of available versions of TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT on this website:
TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT [Album version]