American Skin (41 Shots)

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Track 3 of High Hopes, 2014. Written by Springsteen in 2000 in response to the New York City police fatal shooting (with 41 shots) of the unarmed Bronx resident Amadou Diallo in February 1999.

High Hopes (2014)
- Bruce Springsteen: vocals, guitar, percussion
- Ron Aniello: bass, synthesizer, guitar, drum loop, percussion, organ, vibraphone
- Roy Bittan: piano
- Jake Clemons: tenor saxophone
- Barry Danielian: trumpet
- Clark Gayton: trombone
- Charles Giordano: organ
- Stan Harrison: saxophone
- Curtis King: backing vocals
- Nils Lofgren: backing vocals
- Ed Manion: saxophone
- Cindy Mizelle: backing vocals
- Tom Morello: guitar, backing vocals
- Curt Ramm: trumpet
- Patti Scialfa: backing vocals
- Scott Tibbs: horn orchestration
- Soozie Tyrell: backing vocals
- Steven Van Zandt: guitar, backing vocals
- Max Weinberg: drums

Promotion-Only Single (2001)
- Bruce Springsteen: vocals, guitar
- Roy Bittan: piano, keyboards
- Clarence Clemons: saxophone, percussion, vocals
- Danny Federici: organ
- Nils Lofgren: acoustic guitar, vocals
- Patti Scialfa: vocals, acoustic guitar
- Garry Tallent: bass
- Steven Van Zandt: guitar, vocals
- Max Weinberg: drums

AMERICAN SKIN (41 SHOTS) - V1	5:13	SA / 2001 promo
AMERICAN SKIN (41 SHOTS) - V2		uncirculating
AMERICAN SKIN (41 SHOTS) - V3	7:24	HOPES

Note: Written by Springsteen during the spring of 2000 and soundchecked several times in April and May of 2000 before it was premiered live on June 4, 2000 in Atlanta. "American Skin (41 Shots)" was inspired by the February 1999 police shooting of Amadou Diallo in New York City. Springsteen recorded V1, or at least a new vocal, at The Hit Factory, New York City on March 2, 2001. It appears that this recording utilizes the backing music (with a slightly altered mix) from the live version recorded on July 1, 2000 at Madison Square Garden and officially released on Live In New York City. Produced by Springsteen and Chuck Plotkin, it was released on a promotion-only single in June 2001.

Ron Aniello revealed in a December 2013 interview with Rolling Stone that the song was also recorded during the Wrecking Ball recording sessions (V2), but ultimately was not used. "We did try a track of that," he said, "but it wasn't really an outtake." V3 was recorded in 2013 and features Tom Morello on guitar. "His presence made a big, big difference," Springsteen said. "He obviously brings those things to great life and deepens them and deepens the characters." Prior to the March 2013 Australian leg of the Wrecking Ball Tour, Tom Morello was sent the song to add guitar: "I did that in my home studio and Bruce seemed to like that very much," he told Andy Greene in a January 2014 interview for Rolling Stone. "That song to me was the most challenging one. It was also the first one I did. Normally I'll go in there and tinker with a song a bit and try to capture inspiration and see if the world likes it or not. But that song just didn't come together for me. I went back to it a couple of times, and I'm glad that I did because at the end of the day I was really pleased with how the guitar solo and the rhythm stuff came out. But that one felt like it was work. I had to really work on that one." The final result was issued on High Hopes in 2014.

^{Studio Sessions: The Rising}

American Skin (41 Shots)

(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)

41 shots, and we'll take that ride
'Cross the bloody river to the other side
41 shots, cut through the night
You're kneeling over his body in the vestibule
Praying for his life

Is it a gun, is it a knife
Is it a wallet, this is your life
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
No secret my friend
You can get killed just for living in your American skin

(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)

41 shots, Lena gets her son ready for school
She says, "On these streets, Charles
You've got to understand the rules
If an officer stops you, promise me you'll always be polite
And that you'll never ever run away
Promise Mama you'll keep your hands in sight"

Is it a gun (is it a gun), is it a knife (is it a knife)
Is it a wallet (is it a wallet), this is your life (this is your life)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
No secret my friend
You can get killed just for living in your American skin

(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)

Is it a gun (is it a gun), is it a knife (is it a knife)
Is it in your heart (is it in your heart), is it in your eyes (is it in your eyes)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)

41 shots, and we'll take that ride
'Cross this bloody river to the other side
41 shots, I got my boots caked with this mud
We're baptized in these waters (baptized in these waters)
And in each other's blood (and in each other's blood)

41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots

41 shots (you can get killed just for living in)
41 shots (you can get killed just for living in)
41 shots (you can get killed just for living in)
41 shots (you can get killed just for living in)

^{Visit SpringsteenLyrics.com for other versions of this song.}

American Skin (41 Shots) ^{(Live Version)}

^{July 1, 2000}

(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)
[spoken:] We need some quiet

41 shots, and we'll take that ride
'Cross this bloody river to the other side
41 shots, cut through the night
You're kneeling over his body in the vestibule
Praying for his life

Well, is it a gun, is it a knife
Is it a wallet, this is your life
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
No secret my friend
You can get killed just for living in your American skin

(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)
(41 shots)

Is it a gun, is it a knife
Is it in your heart, is it in your eyes
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)

41 shots, and we'll take that ride
'Cross this bloody river to the other side
41 shots, got my boots caked in this mud
We're baptized in these waters
(baptized in these waters)
And in each other's blood
(and in each other's blood)

Is it a gun, is it a knife
Is it a wallet, this is your life
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
No secret my friend
You can get killed just for living in
You can get killed just for living in
You can get killed just for living in
You can get killed just for living in
You can get killed just for living in your American skin

(41 shots)
You can get killed just for living in
(41 shots)
You can get killed just for living in
(41 shots)
You can get killed just for living in
(41 shots)
You can get killed just for living in
(41 shots)
You can get killed just for living in
(41 shots)
You can get killed just for living in
(41 shots)
You can get killed just for living in
…

^{Visit SpringsteenLyrics.com for other versions of this song.}

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American Skin (41 Shots)

American Skin (41 Shots) ^{(Live Version)}

Brucebase Wiki

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American Skin (41 Shots)

American Skin (41 Shots) (Live Version)

American Skin (41 Shots) ^{(Live Version)}