Balboa Park

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Track 7 of The Ghost Of Tom Joad, 1995.

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Credits

• The Ghost Of Tom Joad (1995)
  • Bruce Springsteen: vocals, guitar, keyboard

Performances

Performed live 121 times (not including snippet performances). 1997-05-26 Palais Des Congrès De Paris, Paris, France 1997-05-25 Palais Des Congrès De Paris, Paris, France 1997-05-22 Teatro Augusteo, Naples, Italy 1997-05-21 Teatro Verdi, Florence, Italy 1997-05-19 Zénith Oméga, Toulon, France 1997-05-18 Palais Des Congrès Acropolis, Nice, France 1997-05-16 Opéra Berlioz, Corum (Le), Montpellier, France 1997-05-15 Auditorium Maurice-Ravel, Lyon, France 1997-05-12 Congress Centre, Prague, Czech Republic 1997-05-10 Sala Kongresowa, Warsaw, Poland 1997-05-09 Sala Kongresowa, Warsaw, Poland 1997-05-07 Austria Center Vienna, Vienna, Austria 1997-05-06 Austria Center Vienna, Vienna, Austria 1997-02-16 Palais Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 1997-02-15 Palais Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 1997-02-11 Capitol Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 1997-02-10 Capitol Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 1997-02-08 Capitol Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 1997-02-07 Capitol Theatre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 1997-02-05 Concert Hall (The), QPAC, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 1997-02-04 Concert Hall (The), QPAC, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 1997-01-31 Tōkyō Kokusai Fōramu, Forum Hall A, Tokyo, Japan 1997-01-30 Tōkyō Kokusai Fōramu, Forum Hall A, Tokyo, Japan 1997-01-29 Tōkyō Kokusai Fōramu, Forum Hall A, Tokyo, Japan 1997-01-27 Tōkyō Kokusai Fōramu, Forum Hall A, Tokyo, Japan 1996-12-14 Ovens Auditorium, Charlotte, NC 1996-12-12 Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN 1996-12-11 Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Columbus, OH 1996-12-10 Music Hall, Cincinnati, OH 1996-12-06 Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Concert Hall, Birmingham, AL 1996-12-05 Township Auditorium, Columbia, SC 1996-12-03 Sunrise Musical Theatre, Sunrise, FL 1996-12-02 Sunrise Musical Theatre, Sunrise, FL 1996-11-21 Murat Theatre, Indianapolis, IN 1996-11-20 Louisville Palace (The), Louisville, KY 1996-11-19 Ellis Auditorium, Memphis, TN 1996-11-14 Lowell Memorial Auditorium, Lowell, MA 1996-11-13 Landmark Theatre, Syracuse, NY 1996-11-12 Shea's Performing Arts Center, Buffalo, NY 1996-11-08 St. Rose Of Lima School, Gymnasium, Freehold, NJ 1996-10-29 Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA 1996-10-28 Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland, OR 1996-10-26 Event Center Arena, San Jose, CA 1996-10-25 Arlington Theater, Santa Barbara, CA 1996-10-22 San Diego Civic Theatre, San Diego, CA 1996-10-21 Grady Gammage Memorial Auditorium, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 1996-10-19 Kiva Auditorium, Albuquerque, NM 1996-10-17 Paramount Theatre, Denver, CO 1996-10-16 Paramount Theatre, Denver, CO 1996-10-15 Abravanel Hall, Salt Lake City, UT 1996-10-03 Northrop Auditorium, Minneapolis, MN 1996-10-02 Riverside Theater, Milwaukee, WI 1996-10-01 Braden Auditorium, Normal, IL 1996-09-24 James W. Miller Auditorium, Kalamazoo, MI 1996-09-19 Providence Performing Arts Center, Providence, RI 1996-09-18 Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford, CT 1996-09-16 Benedum Center For The Performing Arts, Pittsburgh, PA 1996-05-08 Palacio De Congresos Y Exposiciones, Madrid, Spain 1996-05-07 Teatro Tívoli, Barcelona, Spain 1996-05-06 Teatro Tívoli, Barcelona, Spain 1996-05-02 Zürich Kongresshaus, Zurich, Switzerland 1996-05-01 Palais Des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, Belgium 1996-04-30 Salle Erasme, Strasbourg, France 1996-04-27 Royal Albert Hall, London, England 1996-04-25 Brixton Academy, London, England 1996-04-24 Brixton Academy, London, England 1996-04-22 Royal Albert Hall, London, England 1996-04-20 Koningin Elisabethzaal, Antwerp, Belgium 1996-04-19 ICC Berlin, Saal 1, Berlin, Germany 1996-04-17 Royal Albert Hall, London, England 1996-04-16 Royal Albert Hall, London, England 1996-04-13 Teatro Carlo Felice, Genoa, Italy 1996-04-11 Teatro Smeraldo, Milan, Italy 1996-04-10 Auditorium Santa Cecilia, Rome, Italy 1996-03-20 Point Theatre (The), Dublin, Ireland 1996-03-19 King's Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland 1996-03-16 Falkonersalen, Copenhagen, Denmark 1996-03-14 Oslo Spektrum, Oslo, Norway 1996-03-13 Cirkus, Stockholm, Sweden 1996-03-03 Edinburgh Playhouse, Edinburgh, Scotland 1996-03-02 City Hall, Newcastle, England 1996-02-29 Symphony Hall, Birmingham, England 1996-02-28 Apollo Theatre, Manchester, England 1996-02-26 Koninklijk Theater Carré, Amsterdam, The Netherlands 1996-02-25 Doelen (De), Rotterdam, The Netherlands 1996-02-22 Zénith De Paris (Le), Paris, France 1996-02-21 Zénith De Paris (Le), Paris, France 1996-02-18 Philipshalle, Düsseldorf, Germany 1996-02-17 Congress Centrum Hamburg, Halle 1, Hamburg, Germany 1996-02-15 Rudi-Sedlmayer-Halle, Munich, Germany 1996-02-14 Kulturpalast, Dresden, Germany 1996-02-12 Alte Oper, Frankfurt, Germany 1996-01-28 Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA 1996-01-26 Bronco Bowl (The), Dallas, TX 1996-01-25 Austin Music Hall, Austin, TX 1996-01-23 Jesse H. Jones Hall For The Performing Arts, Houston, TX 1996-01-22 Saenger Performing Arts Center, New Orleans, LA 1996-01-18 Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 1996-01-17 Music Hall, Cleveland, OH 1996-01-16 Music Hall, Cleveland, OH 1996-01-12 Stambaugh Auditorium, Youngstown, OH 1996-01-11 Fox Theatre, Detroit, MI 1996-01-10 Fox Theatre, Detroit, MI 1996-01-08 Massey Hall, Toronto, ON 1996-01-07 Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Montreal, QC 1995-12-17 Beacon Theatre, New York City, NY 1995-12-16 Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA 1995-12-15 Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA 1995-12-13 Beacon Theatre, New York City, NY 1995-12-12 Beacon Theatre, New York City, NY 1995-12-09 Tower Theater, Upper Darby, Philadelphia, PA 1995-12-08 Tower Theater, Upper Darby, Philadelphia, PA 1995-12-06 DAR Constitution Hall, Washington, DC 1995-12-05 DAR Constitution Hall, Washington, DC 1995-12-03 Rosemont Theatre, Rosemont, IL 1995-11-30 Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA 1995-11-29 Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA 1995-11-27 Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles, CA 1995-11-26 Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles, CA 1995-11-22 Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ 1995-11-21 State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ

Performances broken down by tour (not including rehearsals and snippet performances) Performed at 0 show(s) of 130 on the 2023-25 International Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 266 on the Springsteen On Broadway run. Performed at 0 show(s) of 14 on the Summer '17 Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 75 on the The River Tour 2016. Performed at 0 show(s) of 33 on the High Hopes Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 133 on the Wrecking Ball Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 83 on the Working On A Dream Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 99 on the Magic Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 56 on The Seeger Sessions Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 72 on the Devils & Dust Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 7 on the Vote For Change Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 120 on The Rising Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 132 on The Reunion Tour. Performed at 120 show(s) of 128 on The Ghost Of Tom Joad Tour. Performed at 0 known other show(s), plus 1 public tour rehearsal(s).

Released on Album

Released on The Ghost Of Tom Joad (1995).

A live version is released on Columbia Records Radio Hour (US-only Promotional Tape, 1995) (recorded December 9, 1995).

Released as Live Download

Live versions are available on the following 4 official live downloads:

• 1997-05-18 Palais Des Congrès Acropolis, Nice, France
• 1996-11-08 St. Rose Of Lima School, Gymnasium, Freehold, NJ
• 1996-03-19 King's Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland
• 1995-12-09 Tower Theater, Upper Darby, Philadelphia, PA

One of these recordings is also available on the playlist The Live Series: Songs Of Location (2022).

On The Tracks

BALBOA PARK

3:15

JOAD

Note: Recorded sometime March–August 1995 at Thrill Hill West (Bruce's Los Angeles home studio). Springsteen solo.

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^{Studio Sessions: The Ghost Of Tom Joad}

Lyrics

Balboa Park

He lay his blanket underneath the freeway as the evening sky grew dark
Took a sniff of toncho from his coke can, headed through Balboa Park
Where the men in their Mercedes come nightly to employ
In the cool San Diego evening the services of the border boys

He grew up near the Zona Norte with the hustlers and smugglers he hung out with
He swallowed their balloons of cocaine, brought 'em across the Twelfth Street strip
Sleeping in a shelter if the night got too cold
Running from the migra of the border patrol

Past the salvage yard 'cross the train tracks and in through the storm drain
They stretched their blankets out 'neath the freeway and each one took a name
There was X-man and Cochise, Little Spider his sneakers covered in river mud
They come north to California, end up with the poison in their blood

He did what he had to for the money, sometimes he sent home what he could spare
The rest went to high-top sneakers and toncho and jeans like the gavachos wear

One night the border patrol swept Twelfth Street, a big car come fast down the boulevard
Spider stood caught in its headlights, got hit and went down hard
Car sped away, Spider held his stomach, limped to his blanket 'neath the underpass
Lie there tasting his own blood on his tongue, closed his eyes and listened to the cars rushing by so fast

Visit SpringsteenLyrics.com for other versions of this song.

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