Live 29 Apr 2003 version
Sparks light on E Street where the boy prophets walk it handsome and hot
Whoa, the little girls' souls grow weak when the man-child gives them a double shot
Schoolboy pops pull out all the stops on a Friday night
Teenage tramps in skin-tight pants do the E Street dance and it's all right
Well, them kids down there are dancing or hooked up in a scuffle
Dressed in snake-skin suits packed with Detroit muscle
Doing the E Street Shuffle
Now, those E Street brats in twilight duel flashlight phantoms in full star stream
Down fire trails on silver nights with blonde girls pledged sweet sixteen
The newsboy says the heat's been bad since Power Thirteen gave a trooper all he had in a late summer scuffle
Power's girl's on the corner keeping them crazy boys out of trouble
Well, Little Angel steps the shuffle like she got no brains
Oh, she's deaf in combat down on Lover's Lane
She drives all those boys insane
Oh!
Say it, Bobby!
Well, I said, whoa, whoa, yeah
(Whoa, whoa, yeah)
Yeah, everybody form a line
Whoa, yeah, yeah
(Whoa, whoa, yeah)
Yeah, everybody form a line
Whoa!
Whoa, one, two, three!
Sparks light on E Street where the boy-prophets walk it handsome and hot
All the little girls' souls grow weak when the man-child gives them a double shot
Little Angel hangs out at Easy Joe's, it's a joint where all the riot squad goes when they're cashing in for a hustle
Them boys on the corner, doing that lazy E Street Shuffle (ooh)
As them sweet summer nights turn into summer dreams
Little Angel picks up Power, he slips on his jeans
And they move on down to the scene
All the kids are dancing
Everybody's dancing
Everybody's doing it─ come on, boys!
Well, I say, whoa, whoa, yeah
(Whoa, whoa, whoa)
Everybody form a line
Whoa, whoa, yeah
(Whoa, whoa, yeah)
Yeah, everybody form a line
I say, yeah, yeah, yeah
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Yeah, everybody form a line
I say, yeah, yeah, yeah
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Yeah, everybody form a line
I say, yeah, yeah, yeah
(Yeah, yeah, yeah)
Yeah, everybody form a line
Whoo, ooh, ooh
Yeah!
Do it!
Come on, band!
[Spoken outro:] Max Weinberg 7! And friends!
The above lyrics are for the live 29 Apr 2003 performance of THE E STREET SHUFFLE at Count Basie Theatre in Asbury Park, NJ, during "The Hope Concert" benefit. The song was played in a full-band version, with Bruce Springsteen backed by the Max Weinberg 7, plus Bobby Bandiera on guitar.
The 29 Apr 2003 show at Count Basie Theatre, billed "The Hope Concert", was a benefit for Robert Bandiera Jr., son of Bobby Bandiera, who suffers from a rare neurological disorder and requires full time care. Along with Bobby Bandiera and his band, the concert featured Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, Gary U.S. Bonds, The Max Weinberg 7, Southside Johnny, and others.
Bobby Bandiera is a New Jersey guitarist and songwriter whose relationship with Bruce Springsteen dates back to the early eighties, when Bandiera was the front man of Cats On A Smooth Surface. The band was throughout the eighties the house band at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ. They backed Springsteen on drop-in appearances mostly at The Stone Pony but also at other clubs around the Jersey Shore. Bandiera was reportedly considered for the guitarist position in the E Street Band for the Born In The U.S.A. Tour in 1984 when Steve Van Zandt left the band, but this position went to Nils Lofgren. Bandiera joined Southside Johnny and The Asbury Jukes in 1985, and continued to perform with Springsteen at various off-tour shows, including club appearances, benefit concerts, and Holiday shows. Bandiera remains one of Springsteen's most frequent non-E Street Band musical mates.
Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.
List of available versions of THE E STREET SHUFFLE on this website:
THE E STREET SHUFFLE [Album version]