1985-06-21 Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy

Scheduled: 19:30 Local Start Time ??:?? / End Time ??:??

Info & Setlist | Venue

Springsteen's first ever appearance in Italy, at the stadium commonly known as the San Siro. "I'm On Fire" includes the keyboard led intro. Final tour appearance for "Backstreets", which has an extended intro and an abbreviated "Sad Eyes" in the middle.

21.06.85 Milan, Italy, intro to ‘The River’
‘‘This is uh….when I was young….my father would lock up the frontdoor of my house…. and he´d sit in the kitchen and wait for me to come home….and he’d sit there at night smoking a cigarette, drinking beer….and if I was gonna come home too late, I was better off waiting until the morning….so I’d keep a sleeping bag….out on the edge of these woods and I would sleep on somebody´s porch or in a friend of mine’s car….and give him a chance to sleep it off….now when I go home, those places that I used to sleep are more like my home than my house was so….this song is because everyone needs some place to go on those nights when they can’t go home….”

21.06.85 Milan, Italy, intro to ‘My Hometown’
‘‘This is when I….when I was growing up….I remember I couldn’t wait to get out of the small town that I was born in….and I thought that when I left, I would never miss it…I wouldn’t miss any of my old friends….or my family….when I was 19, I got a chance to travel, to go on the road….and for a long time I didn´t miss it….but as I got older, I realised that the place you were born stays with you always….so I would like, uh…. (speaks Italian)….from my hometown to your hometown….”

21.06.85 Milan, Italy, intro to ‘I’m On Fire’
‘‘I remember when I was growing up…my old man would call me into the kitchen….it seemed like the only time he wanted to talk to me….was after he’d been drinking a little bit….and it seemed like he was always angry…..I don’t know, I don’t know what he was so angry about all the time….and uh….he’d sit around thinking about everything that he wasn´t ever gonna have until he’d get you thinking like that too….and I’d lay up in my bed at night….and I’d think that if something didn’t happen….I felt like….I felt like I was just gonna….I felt like I’d just….I felt like I was just gonna….just gonna…..”

21.06.85 Milan, Italy, middle of ‘Backstreets’
‘‘I remember….that you promised that if you got out first, you’d help me….and if I got out first, I’d help you….I remember that we….we promised….and we swore that there was nothing….nothing that could ever pull us apart….we said it´d last forever….and forever and forever….

21.06.85 Milan, Italy, middle of ‘Rosalita’
‘‘Ladies and gentlemen….children of all ages….and all you Italian people out there ….it’s now time to introduce the E Street Band….at the far left, on the piano, the smartest man in show business, ‘Professor’ Roy Bittan….on the vocals, Miss Patti Scialfa….on the drums, the ‘Mighty’ Max Weinberg….on the organ, ‘Phantom’ Dan Federici….on the bass, Mr. Garry W.Tallent….on the guitar, a man and today’s his birthday….Mr.Nils Lofgren….and now last but not least….the king of the universe ….the master of the world….in this corner, weighing 365 pounds, 7 foot 10 inches tall, the handsomest man, the biggest man you ever seen….gimme a C…L…A…R…E…N ….C….E….what’s that spell ?….what’s that spell?….what’s that spell ?….Clarence ‘Big Man’ Clemons on the saxophone….”

Compiled by : Johanna Pirttijärvi

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