Official studio version
[Spoken dialogue by Elvis Presley:] I like it, I enjoy rock and roll. Lot of people like it, like of people don't. But, uh, as long as it lasts, as long as it sells, I'll continue doing it, as long as that's what the people want. And if they change, if it dies out, I'll try to do something else. And if that doesn't work, I'll just say "Well I had my day."
Hey blackjack dealer!
Come on, hit me man!
Bright lights city gonna set my soul, gonna set my soul on fire
I got a whole lotta money that's ready to burn so get those stakes up high
Well there's a thousand pretty women just waiting out there
They're all living just the devil may care
And I'm just a devil with love to spare
So viva Las Vegas
Viva Las Vegas
How I wish that there were more than 24 hours in a day
Even if there were 40 more, I wouldn't sleep a minute away
Well there's blackjack, poker, and a roulette wheel
A fortune won and lost on every deal
All you need is money and nerves of steel
Viva Las Vegas
Viva Las Vegas
Well, viva Las Vegas with the neon flashing and your one-armed bandits crashing
All your hopes down the drain
Yeah, viva Las Vegas turning day into night time, I'm turning night into day time if you seen it once
You'll never be the same again
Whoa!
Johnny I'm going to the craps table to throw some die
Ah come on sweet sugar
Ah come on give it to me baby
Hmm sweetheart
I'm gonna keep on the run, I'm gonna have me some fun if it costs me my very last dime
If I wind up broke well I'll always remember that I had me a swinging time
I'm gonna give it everything I got
Lady Luck won't you let the dice stay hot
Let me shoot the seven with every shot
Viva Las Vegas
Viva Las Vegas
Viva Las Vegas
Viva, viva, Las Vegas
Busted
Hey man, you going anywhere near Bakersfield?
I want a ride back home
Whoa!
Yeahhh, whoa!
VIVA LAS VEGAS is a 1964 song by Elvis Presley. See the original Elvis Presley version for more details.
Bruce Springsteen recorded VIVA LAS VEGAS for The Last Temptation Of Elvis, a UK-only various artists album produced by British music magazine New Musical Express and released in February 1990 in support of the Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy Center in London. The commemorative album contains renditions by singers and rock groups of songs made famous by Elvis Presley.
The above lyrics are for Bruce Springsteen's official studio version OF VIVA LAS VEGAS as released in 1990.
In an interview with Phil Jump published in issue #32 (Spring 1990) of Backstreets magazine, New Musical Express editor Roy Carr, who's also the album's executive producer, explained how the record came about. He first got hold of Paul McCartney who agreed when he learned that the charity in question was Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy. "The other two people I contacted immediately after Paul were Bruce [Springsteen] and Robert Plant," Carr said. "Bruce came straight back to me and said: 'I'll do it'." He revealed that it was Springsteen who chose to cover the less obvious Elvis Presley song, VIVA LAS VEGAS.
Bruce Springsteen cut VIVA LAS VEGAS on 13-14 Sep 1989 at One On One Recording in North Hollywood, CA. On this track, Springsteen sings vocals and plays guitar and is accompanied by Jeff Porcaro on drums, Bob Glaub on bass, and Ian McLagan on piano and organ. It was produced by Bruce Springsteen, Jon landau, and Chuck Plotkin, engineered by Toby Scott assisted by Mike Tacci, and mixed by Bob Clearmountain assisted by Bill Kennedy.
The official studio version of VIVA LAS VEGAS, without the Elvis Presley dialogue, was released on a promotional single in the UK in 1990. It was also included on The Essential Bruce Springsteen (2003 3-disc edition) compilation album and released as a promotional single in Spain in 2003.
On 18 Sep 2007, ABC aired Elvis Viva Las Vegas, a new Elvis Presley television special that chronicles Presley's life during the Vegas years with the focus on his music, his style and his legacy. The documentary features rarely-seen footage of Elvis performing in Las Vegas, interviews with those closest to him, and performances by some of today's stars doing their interpretations of the Elvis songs that had the most influence on them. Included are Bruce Springsteen's official studio version of VIVA LAS VEGAS playing over the opening credits and footage of Patti Scialfa's live August 2007 version of LOOKING FOR ELVIS.
A soundtrack album for the documentary was released in January 2008 and features these performances as well as original masters by Elvis. The album opens with the Springsteen track and concludes with the Scialfa one. An expanded version of the documentary was released on home video (DVD and Blu-ray) in August 2008.
The Essential Bruce Springsteen is a compilation album released as part of Sony BMG'S (previously Sony Music Entertainment) series of "Essential" sets. According to Springsteen's liner notes comments, the collection was intended as an introduction to his music for new fans who attended shows on The Rising Tour.
The collection is fundamentally a 2-disc set (clocking at 153:37) compiling songs from all of Springsteen's studio albums to date plus his Live In New York City release. A 3-disc limited edition (clocking at 201:04) was also released. It includes a bonus third disc comprising of a selection of rarities and previously unreleased recordings.
The Essential Bruce Springsteen was released on 11 Nov 2003 on Columbia Records. It debuted and peaked at #14 on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart where it spent 13 weeks. It also reached #28 on the UK Albums Chart. The album was awarded certified gold and platinum records by the RIAA on 16 Dec 2003.
Disc 1:
Disc 2:
Disc 3:
The Essential Bruce Springsteen was reissued on 16 Oct 2015, this time as a 2-disc set (clocking at 156:25) with an updated track list, compiling songs from all of Springsteen's studio albums to date plus his Greatest Hits (1995 edition) collection. This 2015 reissue features remastered tracks not found in that form on other Springsteen releases.
Disc 1:
Disc 2:
Bruce Springsteen's liner notes in The Essential Bruce Springsteen album booklet:
Cut for the NME benefit record in support of Nordoff-Robins Music Therapy with Jeff Porcaro on drums and Bob Ludwig on bass.
In preparation for World Tour 1992-1993, VIVA LAS VEGAS was performed during the tour's public warm-up rehearsal show that took place on 23 Mar 1993 at Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ.
VIVA LAS VEGAS was performed twice during World Tour 1992-1993 (104 dates, June 1992 to June 1993), both in Europe in 1993. Note that the song was sound-checked earlier in the tour prior to the 13 Aug 1992 in Worcester, MA.
VIVA LAS VEGAS was performed once during what is known as The Reunion Tour (132 dates, April 1999 to July 2000), on 27 May 2000 in Las Vegas, NV. The song was actually played twice, opening and closing the show.
VIVA LAS VEGAS was performed once during The Rising Tour (120 dates, August 2002 to October 2003), on 18 Aug 2002 in Las Vegas, NV. See the live 18 Aug 2002 version for more details.
VIVA LAS VEGAS was performed off-tour on 12 Apr 1995 at Carnegie Hall in New York City, NY, during the sixth annual benefit concert for the Rainforest Foundation.
Bruce Springsteen's official studio version of VIVA LAS VEGAS appears in one movie.
Thanks isabruce and themichiganline for some lyrics help.
List of available versions of VIVA LAS VEGAS on this website:
VIVA LAS VEGAS [Official studio version]
