County Fair

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Disc 3 (bonus disc) track 9 of The Essential Bruce Springsteen, 2003.

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Credits

• The Essential Bruce Springsteen (2003)
  • Bruce Springsteen: vocals, guitar
  • Roy Bittan: keyboards
  • Clarence Clemons: percussion
  • Danny Federici: organ
  • Ruth Jackson: backing vocals (uncredited)
  • Garry Tallent: bass
  • Max Weinberg: drums

• Tracks II: The Lost Albums (2025)
  • Bruce Springsteen: vocals, guitar
  • Roy Bittan: keyboards (uncredited)
  • Clarence Clemons: percussion (uncredited)
  • Danny Federici: organ (uncredited)
  • Ruth Jackson: backing vocals (uncredited)
  • Garry Tallent: bass (uncredited)
  • Max Weinberg: drums (uncredited)

Performances

Performed live 2 times (not including snippet performances). 2005-08-06 Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 2003-09-20 Darien Lake Performing Arts Center, Darien, NY

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 1 show(s) of 72 on the Devils & Dust Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 7 on the Vote For Change Tour. Performed at 1 show(s) of 120 on The Rising Tour. Performed at 0 known other show(s), plus 0 public tour rehearsal(s).

Released on Album

Released on The Essential (2003) and Tracks II: The Lost Albums (2025).

On The Tracks

COUNTY FAIR - V1	4:58	LM-17
COUNTY FAIR - V2a	5:02	LM-19 / UH
COUNTY FAIR - V2b	4:50	ESSENTIAL: BONUS
COUNTY FAIR - V2c	4:50	TRACKSII

Note: V1 was recorded at Springsteen's home studio on March 24, 1983 by Springsteen alone on all instruments. V2 was recorded two months later on May 23, 1983 at The Hit Factory, and uses Springsteen's original vocal and guitar track over a new band backing. The November 9, 1983 date given in the Lost Masters liner notes appears to be incorrect, and may be a mixing or overdub date, or merely the date that the recording was dubbed to the original tape used for the bootleg. V2 also features Ruth Jackson (wife of Bruce Jackson) on backing vocals - presumably these are the ethereal vocals over the closing coda. This overdub was likely recorded at the same session as "My Hometown" (possibly June 29, 1983 at the Hit Factory), which also features Jackson. V2a and b are very similar, and in fact may be identical, with the only differences in flaws and variations in the bootleg source. V2c from Tracks II is again, fundamentally identical, but appears to be a fresh mix of the same source.

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^{Studio Sessions: Born In The U.S.A.}

Lyrics

County Fair

Every year when summer comes around
They stretch a banner 'cross the main street in town
You can feel somethin' happenin' in the air
Well from Carol's house up on Telegraph Hill
You can see the lights goin' up out in the soldiers' field
Gettin' ready for the county fair

County fair, county fair
Everybody in town will be there
So come on, hey, we're goin' down there
Hey little girl with the long blond hair
Come win your daddy one of them stuffed bears
Baby down at the county fair

Now you'll be hangin' tight when we hit the top
And that rollercoaster's ready to drop
And you brag, how you wasn't even scared*
Well baby you know I just love the sound
Of the pipe organ on the merry-go-round
Baby down at the county fair**

County fair, county fair
Everybody in town will be there
So come on, we're goin', goin' down there
Hey little girl with the long blond hair
Come win your daddy one of them stuffed bears
Baby down at the county fair

Now at the north end of the field, well they set up a stand
And they got a little Rock 'N' Roll band
The people dancin', yeah, out in the open air
Well it's James Young and the Immortal Ones
Just two guitars, baby, bass and drums
Just rockin' down at the county fair

Well county fair, county fair
Everybody in town will be there
So come on, we're goin' down there
Hey little girl with the long blond hair
Come win your daddy one of them stuffed bears
Baby down at the county fair

Now it's gettin' late before we head back to town
We let the fortune wheel spin around
Come on mister, tell me what's waitin' out there
On my way out I steal a kiss in the dark
Hope I can remember where our car's parked
Baby at the county fair

Now off down the highway there's the last stream of cars
We sit a while in my front yard
With the radio playin' soft and low
I pull Carol close to my heart
And I lean back and stare up at the stars
Oh I wish never had to let this moment go

Visit SpringsteenLyrics.com for other versions of this song.

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