Track 1 of Darkness On The Edge Of Town, 1978.
- Credits
- Performances
- Snippets
- Released on Album
- Released as Live Download
- On The Tracks
- Lyrics
- Links
- Darkness On The Edge Of Town (1978)
- Bruce Springsteen: vocals, guitar
- Roy Bittan: piano, backing vocals
- Clarence Clemons: saxophone, percussion, backing vocals
- Danny Federici: organ, glockenspiel
- Garry Tallent: bass
- Steven Van Zandt: guitar, backing vocals
- Max Weinberg: drums
Performed live 1205 times (not including snippet performances).
- 1981-05-16 Edinburgh Playhouse, Edinburgh, Scotland
- 1981-05-14 Apollo Theatre, Manchester, England
- 1981-05-13 Apollo Theatre, Manchester, England
- 1981-05-11 City Hall, Newcastle, England
- 1981-05-08 Johanneshovs Isstadion, Stockholm, Sweden
- 1981-05-07 Johanneshovs Isstadion, Stockholm, Sweden
- 1981-05-05 Drammenshallen, Drammen, Norway
- 1981-05-03 Scandinavium, Gothenburg, Sweden
- 1981-05-02 Brøndbyhallen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- 1981-04-29 Sportpaleis Ahoy, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- 1981-04-28 Sportpaleis Ahoy, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- 1981-04-26 Forest National, Brussels, Belgium
- 1981-04-24 Palais Des Sports De Gerland, Lyon, France
- 1981-04-21 Palau Municipal D'Esports, Barcelona, Spain
- 1981-04-19 Palais Des Sports De Saint-Ouen, Paris, France
- 1981-04-18 Palais Des Sports De Saint-Ouen, Paris, France
- 1981-04-16 Olympiahalle, Munich, West Germany
- 1981-04-14 Festhalle, Frankfurt, West Germany
- 1981-04-11 Hallenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland
- 1981-04-09 ICC Berlin, West Berlin, West Germany
- 1981-04-07 Congress Centrum Hamburg, Hamburg, West Germany
- 1981-03-05 Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, IN
- 1981-03-04 Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY
- 1981-03-02 Hampton Roads Coliseum, Hampton, VA
- 1981-02-28 Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
- 1981-02-26 Nashville Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, TN
- 1981-02-25 Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, TN
- 1981-02-23 Omni (The), Atlanta, GA
- 1981-02-22 Carolina Coliseum, Columbia, SC
- 1981-02-20 Hollywood Sportatorium (The), Pembroke Pines, FL
- 1981-02-18 Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Jacksonville, FL
- 1981-02-16 Lakeland Civic Center, Lakeland, FL
- 1981-02-15 Lakeland Civic Center, Lakeland, FL
- 1981-02-13 Humphrey Coliseum, Starkville, MS
- 1981-02-12 Municipal Auditorium, Mobile, AL
- 1981-02-07 Assembly Hall, Champaign, IL
- 1981-02-05 Kemper Arena, Kansas City, MO
- 1981-02-04 SIU Arena, Carbondale, IL
- 1981-02-02 Dane County Memorial Coliseum, Madison, WI
- 1981-02-01 St. Paul Civic Center, Saint Paul, MN
- 1981-01-29 Hilton Coliseum, Ames, IA
- 1981-01-28 Checkerdome, St. Louis, MO
- 1981-01-26 Athletic & Convocation Center, South Bend, IN
- 1981-01-24 Ottawa Civic Centre, Ottawa, ON
- 1981-01-23 Montreal Forum, Montreal, QC
- 1981-01-21 Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON
- 1981-01-20 Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON
- 1980-12-31 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
- 1980-12-29 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
- 1980-12-28 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
- 1980-12-19 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1980-12-18 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1980-12-16 Boston Garden, Boston, MA
- 1980-12-15 Boston Garden, Boston, MA
- 1980-12-12 Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT
- 1980-12-11 Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI
- 1980-12-09 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
- 1980-12-08 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
- 1980-12-06 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
- 1980-12-04 Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, NY
- 1980-12-02 Rochester Community War Memorial, Rochester, NY
- 1980-12-01 Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
- 1980-11-30 Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
- 1980-11-28 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1980-11-27 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1980-11-24 Capital Centre, Largo, MD
- 1980-11-23 Capital Centre, Largo, MD
- 1980-11-20 Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL
- 1980-11-15 Summit (The), Houston, TX
- 1980-11-14 Summit (The), Houston, TX
- 1980-11-11 LSU Assembly Center, Baton Rouge, LA
- 1980-11-09 Special Events Center, Austin, TX
- 1980-11-08 Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX
- 1980-11-05 ASU Activity Center, Tempe, AZ
- 1980-11-03 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1980-11-01 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1980-10-31 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1980-10-30 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 1980-10-28 Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA
- 1980-10-27 Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA
- 1980-10-25 Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR
- 1980-10-24 Seattle Center Coliseum, Seattle, WA
- 1980-10-20 McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, CO
- 1980-10-18 Kiel Opera House, St. Louis, MO
- 1980-10-17 Kiel Opera House, St. Louis, MO
- 1980-10-14 Mecca Arena, Milwaukee, WI
- 1980-10-13 St. Paul Civic Center, Saint Paul, MN
- 1980-10-11 Uptown Theatre, Chicago, IL
- 1980-10-10 Uptown Theatre, Chicago, IL
- 1980-10-09 Cobo Arena, Detroit, MI
- 1980-10-07 Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
- 1980-10-06 Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
- 1980-10-04 Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH
- 1980-10-03 Crisler Arena, Ann Arbor, MI
- 1979-09-22 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1979-09-21 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1979-01-01 Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
- 1978-12-31 Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
- 1978-12-30 Cobo Arena, Detroit, MI
- 1978-12-28 Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA
- 1978-12-27 Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA
- 1978-12-20 Seattle Center Arena, Seattle, WA
- 1978-12-19 Paramount Theatre, Portland, OR
- 1978-12-16 Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA
- 1978-12-15 Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA
- 1978-12-13 Tucson Community Center Arena, Tucson, AZ
- 1978-12-09 Dallas Convention Center Arena, Dallas, TX
- 1978-12-08 Summit (The), Houston, TX
- 1978-12-07 Special Events Center, Austin, TX
- 1978-12-05 LSU Assembly Center, Baton Rouge, LA
- 1978-12-03 SIU Arena, Carbondale, IL
- 1978-12-01 Lloyd Noble Center, Norman, OK
- 1978-11-29 St. Paul Civic Center, Saint Paul, MN
- 1978-11-28 Dane County Memorial Coliseum, Madison, WI
- 1978-11-27 Mecca Arena, Milwaukee, WI
- 1978-11-25 Kiel Opera House, St. Louis, MO
- 1978-11-21 McGaw Hall, Evanston, IL
- 1978-11-20 Assembly Hall, Champaign, IL
- 1978-11-18 Millett Hall, Oxford, OH
- 1978-11-17 Munn Ice Arena, East Lansing, MI
- 1978-11-16 Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, ON
- 1978-11-14 Utica Memorial Auditorium, Utica, NY
- 1978-11-12 RPI Field House, Troy, NY
- 1978-11-10 Reilly Center, St. Bonaventure, NY
- 1978-11-08 Montreal Forum, Montreal, QC
- 1978-11-07 Barton Hall, Ithaca, NY
- 1978-11-05 UNH Fieldhouse, Durham, NH
- 1978-11-04 Patrick Gymnasium, Burlington, VT
- 1978-11-02 Capital Centre, Largo, MD
- 1978-11-01 Jadwin Gymnasium, Princeton, NJ
- 1978-10-01 Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA
- 1978-09-30 Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA
- 1978-09-29 Boutwell Memorial Auditorium, Birmingham, AL
- 1978-09-25 Boston Garden, Boston, MA
- 1978-09-21 Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ
- 1978-09-20 Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ
- 1978-09-19 Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ
- 1978-09-17 Palladium, New York City, NY
- 1978-09-16 Palladium, New York City, NY
- 1978-09-15 Palladium, New York City, NY
- 1978-09-13 Springfield Civic Center, Springfield, MA
- 1978-09-12 Onondaga County War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, NY
- 1978-09-10 Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH
- 1978-09-09 Athletic & Convocation Center, South Bend, IN
- 1978-09-06 Uptown Theatre, Chicago, IL
- 1978-09-05 Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Columbus, OH
- 1978-09-03 Saginaw Civic Center, Saginaw, MI
- 1978-09-01 Masonic Temple Theatre, Detroit, MI
- 1978-08-30 Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH
- 1978-08-29 Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA
- 1978-08-28 Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA
- 1978-08-26 Providence Civic Center, Providence, RI
- 1978-08-25 New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum, New Haven, CT
- 1978-08-23 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1978-08-22 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1978-08-21 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1978-08-19 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
- 1978-08-18 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
- 1978-08-15 Capital Centre, Largo, MD
- 1978-08-14 Hampton Roads Coliseum, Hampton, VA
- 1978-08-12 Augusta Civic Center, Augusta, ME
- 1978-08-10 Rochester Community War Memorial, Rochester, NY
- 1978-08-09 Agora (The), Cleveland, OH
- 1978-08-07 Wings Stadium, Kalamazoo, MI
- 1978-08-05 Louisville Gardens, Louisville, KY
- 1978-08-04 Charleston Civic Center, Charleston, WV
- 1978-08-02 Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC
- 1978-08-01 Gaillard Municipal Auditorium, Charleston, SC
- 1978-07-31 Township Auditorium, Columbia, SC
- 1978-07-29 Bayfront Center Arena, St. Petersburg, FL
- 1978-07-28 Jai Alai Fronton, Miami, FL
- 1978-07-21 Nashville Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, TN
- 1978-07-18 Jackson Municipal Auditorium, Jackson, MS
- 1978-07-16 Municipal Auditorium, New Orleans, LA
- 1978-07-15 Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, TX
- 1978-07-14 San Antonio Municipal Auditorium, San Antonio, TX
- 1978-07-12 Dallas Convention Center Theater, Dallas, TX
- 1978-07-09 San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, CA
- 1978-07-08 Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix, AZ
- 1978-07-07 Roxy Theatre (The), West Hollywood, CA
- 1978-07-05 Forum (The), Inglewood, CA
- 1978-07-01 Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA
- 1978-06-30 Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA
- 1978-06-29 San Jose Center For The Performing Arts, San Jose, CA
- 1978-06-26 Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver, BC
- 1978-06-25 Paramount Northwest Theatre, Seattle, WA
- 1978-06-24 Paramount Theatre, Portland, OR
- 1978-06-20 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
- 1978-06-17 Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO
- 1978-06-16 Memorial Hall, Kansas City, KS
- 1978-06-14 Civic Auditorium Music Hall, Omaha, NE
- 1978-06-13 Hancher Auditorium, Iowa City, IA
- 1978-06-10 Metropolitan Sports Center, Bloomington, MN
- 1978-06-09 Mecca Arena, Milwaukee, WI
- 1978-06-08 Dane County Memorial Coliseum, Madison, WI
- 1978-06-06 Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis, IN
- 1978-06-05 Sports Arena, Toledo, OH
- 1978-06-03 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
- 1978-05-31 Music Hall, Boston, MA
- 1978-05-30 Music Hall, Boston, MA
- 1978-05-29 Music Hall, Boston, MA
- 1978-05-27 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
- 1978-05-26 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
- 1978-05-24 Palace Theatre, Albany, NY
- 1978-05-23 Shea's Buffalo Theatre, Buffalo, NY
Performed live 2 times as a snippet.
Released on Darkness On The Edge Of Town (1978), Badlands (Single, 1978), Greatest Hits (1995), The Essential (2003), Collection: 1973–2012 (2013), Chapter And Verse (2016), and Blinded By The Light (Soundtrack, 2019).
Live versions are released on Live/1975–85 (1986) (recorded November 5, 1980) and Live In New York City (2001) (recorded June 29, 2000).
Live versions are available on the following official live downloads:
- 2017-02-25 Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
- 2017-02-21 AMI Stadium, Christchurch, New Zealand
- 2017-02-18 Hope Estate, Hunter Valley, Australia
- 2017-02-16 Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
- 2017-02-14 Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
- 2017-02-11 Hanging Rock, Mt. Macedon, Australia
- 2017-02-09 Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia
- 2017-02-07 Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney, Australia
- 2017-02-04 AAMI Park, Melbourne, Australia
- 2017-02-02 AAMI Park, Melbourne, Australia
- 2017-01-30 Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, Australia
- 2017-01-27 Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
- 2017-01-25 Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
- 2017-01-22 Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
- 2016-09-14 Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
- 2016-09-11 Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PA
- 2016-09-09 Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
- 2016-09-07 Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, PA
- 2016-09-05 Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater, Virginia Beach, VA
- 2016-09-01 Nationals Park, Washington, DC
- 2016-08-30 MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
- 2016-08-28 United Center, Chicago, IL
- 2016-08-25 MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
- 2016-08-23 MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
- 2016-07-31 Letzigrund, Zurich, Switzerland
- 2016-07-28 Frognerparken, Oslo, Norway
- 2016-07-26 Granåsen Arena, Trondheim, Norway
- 2016-07-23 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
- 2016-07-20 CASA Arena, Horsens, Denmark
- 2016-07-16 Circus Maximus, Rome, Italy
- 2016-07-13 AccorHotels Arena, Paris, France
- 2016-07-11 AccorHotels Arena, Paris, France
- 2016-07-09 Festivalpark, Werchter, Belgium
- 2016-07-05 Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy
- 2016-07-03 Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy
- 2016-06-29 Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway
- 2016-06-27 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
- 2016-06-25 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
- 2016-06-22 Telia Parken, Copenhagen, Denmark
- 2016-06-19 Olympiastadion, Berlin, Germany
- 2016-06-17 Olympiastadion, Munich, Germany
- 2016-06-14 Malieveld, The Hague, The Netherlands
- 2016-06-05 Wembley Stadium, London, England
- 2016-06-03 Ricoh Arena, Coventry, England
- 2016-06-01 Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland
- 2016-05-29 Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland
- 2016-05-27 Croke Park, Dublin, Ireland
- 2016-05-25 Etihad Stadium, Manchester, England
- 2016-05-21 Estadio Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid, Spain
- 2016-05-19 Bela Vista Park, Lisbon, Portugal
- 2016-05-17 Estadio Anoeta, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
- 2016-05-14 Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain
- 2016-04-25 Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
- 2016-04-23 Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
- 2016-04-20 Royal Farms Arena, Baltimore, MD
- 2016-04-18 Bryce Jordan Center, University Park, PA
- 2016-04-14 Palace Of Auburn Hills (The), Auburn Hills, MI
- 2016-04-12 Schottenstein Center, Columbus, OH
- 2016-04-07 Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO
- 2016-04-05 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
- 2016-04-03 Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OK
- 2016-03-31 Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
- 2016-03-28 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2016-03-24 KeyArena At Seattle Center, Seattle, WA
- 2016-03-22 Moda Center, Portland, OR
- 2016-03-19 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 2016-03-17 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 2016-03-15 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
- 2016-03-13 Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA
- 2016-03-10 Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix, AZ
- 2016-03-06 Chaifetz Arena, St. Louis, MO
- 2016-03-03 BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
- 2016-02-29 Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, MN
- 2016-02-27 Blue Cross Arena At The War Memorial, Rochester, NY
- 2016-02-21 KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, KY
- 2016-02-18 Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
- 2016-02-16 BB&T Center, Sunrise, FL
- 2016-02-08 Times Union Center, Albany, NY
- 2016-02-04 TD Garden, Boston, MA
- 2016-02-02 Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
- 2016-01-31 Prudential Center, Newark, NJ
- 2016-01-16 Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PA
- 2014-05-18 Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT
- 2014-05-17 Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, CT
- 2014-05-14 Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey, PA
- 2014-05-13 Times Union Center, Albany, NY
- 2014-05-06 Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston, TX
- 2014-05-01 MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa, FL
- 2014-04-29 BB&T Center, Sunrise, FL
- 2014-04-26 Aaron's Amphitheatre At Lakewood, Atlanta, GA
- 2014-04-24 PNC Arena, Raleigh, NC
- 2014-04-22 Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PA
- 2014-04-19 Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC
- 2014-04-17 Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, TN
- 2014-04-15 Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
- 2014-04-12 Farm Bureau Live At Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach, VA
- 2014-04-08 U.S. Bank Arena, Cincinnati, OH
- 2014-03-02 Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
- 2014-03-01 Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand
- 2014-02-26 Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
- 2014-02-23 Hope Estate, Hunter Valley, Australia
- 2014-02-22 Hope Estate, Hunter Valley, Australia
- 2014-02-19 AllPhones Arena, Sydney, Australia
- 2014-02-15 AAMI Park, Melbourne, Australia
- 2014-02-12 Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, Australia
- 2014-02-11 Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, Australia
- 2014-02-08 Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
- 2014-02-07 Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
- 2014-02-05 Perth Arena, Perth, Australia
- 2014-02-01 FNB Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa
- 2014-01-29 Bellville Velodrome, Cape Town, South Africa
- 2014-01-28 Bellville Velodrome, Cape Town, South Africa
- 2014-01-26 Bellville Velodrome, Cape Town, South Africa
- 2013-07-24 First Direct Arena, Leeds, England
- 2013-07-11 Ippodromo Delle Capannelle, Rome, Italy
- 2012-11-12 Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, MN
- 2012-09-22 MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
- 2012-07-31 Olympiastadion, Helsinki, Finland
- 2012-07-28 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
- 2012-03-09 Apollo Theater, New York City, NY
- 2009-11-08 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2009-05-04 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
- 2008-08-23 Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO
- 2008-04-28 Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, NC
- 2008-04-22 St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, FL
- 2007-11-19 TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, MA
- 2003-06-16 Olympiastadion, Helsinki, Finland
- 2000-07-01 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 2000-06-27 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1999-10-23 Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
- 1999-09-30 United Center, Chicago, IL
- 1999-09-25 First Union Center, Philadelphia, PA
- 1993-06-24 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
- 1992-07-25 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
- 1985-09-27 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, CA
- 1984-08-20 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
- 1984-08-06 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
- 1984-08-05 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
- 1981-07-09 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
- 1981-06-05 Wembley Arena, London, England
- 1980-12-31 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
- 1980-12-29 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
- 1979-09-22 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1979-09-21 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
- 1978-12-16 Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA
- 1978-12-15 Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA
- 1978-12-08 Summit (The), Houston, TX
- 1978-09-30 Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA
- 1978-09-20 Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ
- 1978-09-19 Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ
- 1978-08-09 Agora (The), Cleveland, OH
- 1978-07-07 Roxy Theatre (The), West Hollywood, CA
BADLANDS - V1 | 4:07 | LM-2 / DDO / DDOC / DO-3 / AM / UP |
BADLANDS - V2 | 3:47 | LM-3 / DDO / DDOC / DO-2 / UP |
BADLANDS - V3 | 3:40 | LM-3 / UP / AM / LMEC1 |
BADLANDS - V4a | 3:57 | ODM / HOD / AM |
BADLANDS - V4b | 3:59 | uncirculating |
BADLANDS - V4c take 23 | 3:59 | DARKNESS / ESSENTIAL / GREATEST |
Note: Unfortunately, very few outtakes circulate of "Badlands", although given Springsteen's recording methods at the time far more likely exists in the vault. The title came from Terrence Malick's 1973 movie Badlands (though Bruce had not seen the movie). In late June, the music had been composed, and was first played by the E Street Band on June 27, 1977 at Atlantic Studios. The song's opening riff, Springsteen revealed years later, is a major-key twist on the minor-key intro to the Animals' 1965 hit "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood". V1 is an instrumental backing track; Max Weinberg said his opening drum part was suggested by Steve Van Zandt, and inspired by Motown. Bruce had a routine with his engineers to create 'Ruffs' tapes for him, so he could take instrumental or early recordings home and write lyrics. V2 had to be recorded on June 27, 30, or on July 11 or 13 at Atlantic Studios. Springsteen was working at Atlantic Studios on July 13, 1977, when the twenty-five-hour-long New York City blackout began; soon after, the opening lyric "lights out tonight" came into being. New takes, with developing lyrics, were recorded on August 24 and 30, 1977, but contrary to Lost Masters liner notes and many other sources, no outtakes circulate from these sessions.
It wasn't until November 1977, that Badlands was re-written with new lines, including "I wanna go out tonight, I wanna find out what I got" borrowed from "Iceman", about which Bruce later recalled, "That whole record was a record where I felt like I was going to have to test myself, and that was what I wanted to know, so that line ended up in a few different songs" (Los Angeles Times interview, 1998). Next, from a song by Elvis Presley from the 1962 movie Kid Galahad, King Of The Whole Wide World: "A poor man wants to be a rich man, a rich man wants to be a king, but the man who can sing when he hasn't got a thing, he's the king of the whole wide world." Bruce translated this to these Verse 2 lines: "Poor man wanna be rich, rich man wanna be king, and a king ain't satisfied till he rules everything." Verse 3 was strengthened by "for the ones who once had a notion, it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive" from "Breakout".
V3 was recorded, perhaps on December 12, 1977 at the Record Plant, with many new pieces in place. Bruce is still yelling at "the man on the TV," but "Badlands" has started to take shape. The vocals for V4, the album version, were dubbed in during a three-day mixing marathon on February 22, 24 and 25, 1978. V4b has less double-tracked vocals than V4c, a last moment dubbing of Clarence Clemons's sax solo on April 11, which was pressed to acetate on April 12, 1978. Springsteen's initial excuse for almost leaving it off was that he believed the instrument evoked the city, leaving it out of place on an album set in something more like "the heartland"; he later admitted that "that would have been a major error."
Studio Sessions: Darkness On The Edge Of Town
Badlands |
Lights out tonight, trouble in the heartland
Got a head-on collision smashing in my guts man
I'm caught in a crossfire that I don't understand
But there's one thing I know for sure
Girl, I don't give a damn for the same old played out scenes
Baby, I don't give a damn for just the in-betweens
Honey, I want the heart, I want the soul, I want control right now
You better listen to me baby, talk about a dream, try to make it real
You wake up in the night with a fear so real
You spend your life waiting for a moment that just don't come
Well don't waste your time waiting
Badlands, you gotta live it every day
Let the broken hearts stand as the price you've gotta pay
We'll keep pushing till it's understood
And these badlands start treating us good
Working in the field till you get your back burned
Working 'neath the wheels till you get your facts learned
Baby, I got my facts learned real good right now
You better get it straight, darling
Poor man wanna be rich, rich man wanna be king
And a king ain't satisfied till he rules everything
I wanna go out tonight, I wanna find out what I got
Well I believe in the love that you gave me
I believe in the faith that could save me
I believe in the hope and I pray that some day it may raise me above these
Badlands, you gotta live it every day
Let the broken hearts stand as the price you've gotta pay
Keep pushing till it's understood
And these badlands start treating us good
Awhoa whoa whoa whoa
Mmmmmmmmm
Mmmmmmmmm
Mmmmmmmmm
Mmmmmmmmm
For the ones who had a notion, a notion deep inside
That it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive
I wanna find one face that ain't looking through me
I wanna find one place, I wanna spit in the face of these
Badlands, you gotta live it every day
Let the broken hearts stand as the price you've gotta pay
Keep moving till it's understood
And these badlands start treating us good
Awhoa whoa whoa whoa
Badlands, awhoa whoa whoa whoa
Badlands, awhoa whoa whoa whoa
Badlands, ahwoa whoa whoa whoa
Badlands, ahwoa whoa whoa whoa
Badlands, ahwoa whoa whoa whoa
Badlands…
Visit SpringsteenLyrics.com for other versions of this song. |
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