Original Sam Cooke version
Let me tell you about a place
Somewhere up-a New York way
Where the people are so gay
Twistin' the night away
Here they have a lot of fun
Puttin' trouble on the run
Man, you find the old and young
Twistin' the night away
They're twistin', twistin'
Everybody's feelin' great
They're twistin', twistin'
They're twistin' the night away
Here's a man in evening clothes
How he got here, I don't know, but
Man, you oughta see him go
Twistin' the night away
He's dancin' with a chick in slacks
She's movin' up and back
Oh, man, there ain't nothin' like
Twistin' the night away
They're twistin', twistin'
Everybody's feelin' great
They're twistin', twistin'
They're twistin' the night
Let's twist a while!
(Lean up!)
(Lean back!)
(Lean up!)
(Lean back!)
(Watusi!)
(Now fly!)
(Now twist!)
They're twistin' the night away
Here's a fella in blue jeans
Dancin' with an older queen
Who's dolled up in her diamond rings and
Twistin' the night away
Man, you oughta see her go
Twistin' to the rock and roll
Here you find the young and old
Twistin' the night away
They're twistin', twistin', man
Everybody's feelin' great
They're twistin', twistin'
They're twistin' the night
One more time!
(Lean up!)
(Lean back!)
(Lean up!)
(Lean back!)
(Watusi!)
(Now fly!)
(Now twist!)
[fades out]
TWISTIN' THE NIGHT AWAY is a song written by Sam Cooke who originally released it as a single in 1962. The above lyrics are for the original Sam Cooke version of TWISTIN' THE NIGHT AWAY as released on 1962.
Bruce Springsteen covered Sam Cooke's TWISTIN' THE NIGHT AWAY live at least five times in his career (see the "Live History" section below), but no audio recording of any of these performances has surfaced among collectors. Springsteen has also used snippets of TWISTIN' THE NIGHT AWAY at concerts as part of other songs, including QUARTER TO THREE, MARY'S PLACE, and MY CITY OF RUINS.
TWISTIN' THE NIGHT AWAY is known to have been performed at least once during what is considered The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle Tour (September 1973 to March 1975). Some of that period's setlists are incomplete or unknown, and therefore, the song may have been played on some more dates during The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle Tour.
Between 2002 and 2011, Bruce Springsteen played private benefit shows for schools and colleges that his kids attended ─ Rumson Country Day School of Rumson, NJ, and Ranney School of Tinton Falls, NJ, and Boston College of Chestnut Hill, MA. TWISTIN' THE NIGHT AWAY was performed at four of these fundraisers, always at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ, and backed by Bobby Bandiera and his band.
List of available versions of TWISTIN' THE NIGHT AWAY on this website:
TWISTIN' THE NIGHT AWAY [Original Sam Cooke version]