Chain Lightning

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Track 7 of The River: Outtakes, 2015.

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Credits

• The River: Outtakes (2015)
  • Bruce Springsteen: vocals, guitar
  • Roy Bittan: piano, backing vocals
  • Clarence Clemons: saxophone, backing vocals, percussion
  • Danny Federici: organ, glockenspiel
  • Garry Tallent: bass
  • Steven Van Zandt: guitar, backing vocals
  • Max Weinberg: drums, percussion

Performances

Performed live 0 times (not including snippet performances).

Released on Album

Released on The Ties That Bind: The River Collection (2015).

On The Tracks

CHAIN LIGHTNING - V1	1:07	LM-8
CHAIN LIGHTNING - V2	1:24	LM-8
CHAIN LIGHTNING - V3	0:29	LM-8
CHAIN LIGHTNING - V4	2:18	LM-4 / OSOR
CHAIN LIGHTNING - V5	2:49	RIVER: OUTTAKES

Note: V1–V3 are early acoustic demos from around March/April 1979, according to the Lost Masters liner notes. V4 is a full band performance from Telegraph Hill rehearsals on March 30, 1979. The arrangement of this version is quite different to the take that was later recorded at the Power Station, possibly on February 17, 1980, and issued on The River:Outtakes CD in 2015. It is worth noting that the arrangement of the acoustic demos is very similar to the hard rocking, almost punk styling of the Telegraph Hill rehearsal. The age of the lead vocal on the 2015 release is hard to pin down. It does not sound like a River-era vocal, but at the same time it doesn't sound like Springsteen's 2015 voice. Best guess for now is a 1998 vocal, recorded during overdub sessions for Tracks. Note the reference to "Jungleland" in the third verse: "All along the strand baby down in jungleland / Everybody's caught up in chain lightning."

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^{Studio Sessions: The River}

Lyrics

Chain Lightning

Hey!

Well there's a rumble in the park, there's a thunder in the dark
The night's so quiet, it's chain lightning
Beneath a street light two boys bopping in the night
They have something in 'em called chain lightning

Though you never hear a sound, there's a fire underground
Rambling through the town, you can't keep it from coming down
Lovers walking through the mist, Romeo he steal a kiss
Caught up in the moment of chain lightning

Heyyy, hey!

Now I don't know about romance, but baby it's the latest thing
Everybody's getting up, doing it, chain lightning
All along the strand baby down in jungleland
Everybody's caught up in chain lightning

Ever hear the sound of a fire underground
Rumbling through the town, the big cold is coming down
Sitting at the light, I'm a rider in the night
Streaking light to light for chain lightning

Hey!
Hey! Hey! Hey hey hey! Hey! Hey!
Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Heyyy!

I ain't into style, baby, ain't into fashion
I just got a passion for chain lightning
Sitting at the light, I'm a rider in the night
Streaking light to light for chain lightning

Yeah
Aw!

Visit SpringsteenLyrics.com for other versions of this song.

Gallery

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