Cynthia

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Disc 3 track 1 of Tracks, 1998.

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Credits

• Tracks (1998)
  • Bruce Springsteen: vocals, guitar
  • Roy Bittan: piano, keyboards
  • Clarence Clemons: cowbell, tambourine
  • Garry Tallent: bass
  • Steven Van Zandt: guitar, backing vocals
  • Max Weinberg: drums

Performances

Performed live 11 times (not including snippet performances). 2013-07-23 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales 2012-09-22 MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ 2008-08-24 Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO 2007-10-10 Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ 2005-11-09 Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 2005-11-04 St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa, FL 2005-08-13 Pontiac Theatre At GM Place, Vancouver, BC 2005-08-06 Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 2005-08-03 Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI 2005-07-31 Value City Theatre, Schottenstein Center, Columbus, OH 2003-08-31 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, 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 2 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 2 show(s) of 99 on the Magic Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 56 on The Seeger Sessions Tour. Performed at 6 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 Tracks (1998).

Released as Live Download

Live versions are available on the following 5 official live downloads:

• 2013-07-23 Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
• 2012-09-22 MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
• 2005-08-13 Pontiac Theatre At GM Place, Vancouver, BC
• 2005-08-03 Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI
• 2005-07-31 Value City Theatre, Schottenstein Center, Columbus, OH

One of these recordings is also available on the playlists The Live Series Collection: Stripped Down (2020) and The Live Series: Songs Of Character (2022).

On The Tracks

CYNTHIA - V1	3:24	LM-18 / GS
CYNTHIA - V2a	4:01	SO / MAT / UH
CYNTHIA - V2b	4:10	TRACKS
CYNTHIA - V3		uncirculating

Note: V1 was recorded April 20–21, 1983 at Thrill Hill West, Bruce's Hollywood Hills home, in rockabilly style for a set of home demos. V2 was Bruce re-recording this with The E Street Band on June 15, 1983, not April 20 as the Tracks notes claim, at The Hit Factory, New York in a much more rocking arrangement. "Cynthia" was resurrected over a decade later on May 23, 1995 (V3); studio logs show takes were recorded at Thrill Hill West with a four-man backing band of Danny Federici (keyboards), Garry Tallent (bass), Marty Rifkin (pedal steel, dobro) and Gary Mallaber (drums), the same day as "The Ghost Of Tom Joad". Both 1983 and 1995 versions were on early Tracks listings, but the latter was eventually dropped for the final release.

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

Lyrics

Cynthia

Hey, alright, come on

Cynthia, when you come walking by you're an inspiring sight
Cynthia, you don't smile or say hi but baby that's alright
'Cause I don't need to hold you or taste your kiss
I just like knowing, Cynthia, you exist, doll, in a world like this

Cynthia, when you pass it seems like this whole town drops
Cynthia, or maybe it's just me, baby, and these fools stuck here punching this clock
Well you give us a reason to stop just for a while
To stop, stand, baby, and salute your style
Yeah Cynthia

Well now you ain't the finest thing I'll never have
And when you go the hurt you leave but baby it ain't so bad
Alright Cynthia

Yeah there ain't a man in this whole town who'd say you ain't fine
You hear them guys talking, tell me baby do you mind
Well you make us happy, honey, when we feel sad
To see something so good in a world gone bad
There's still Cynthia, oh yeah

Cynthia, no one knows your number, no one knows where you live
Cynthia, I wonder do you understand this strange thing you give
Yeah well baby is it your style, the mystery in your smile
Or just how cool you walk in a world gone wild
Oh tell me if you will, Cynthia

Well I gotta be pretty naive to believe in you
I know you ain't ever gonna be my dream come true
That's alright, I got other dreams as good as you, Cynthia
Yeah now baby, now this ain't no come-on
Now walk on, Cynthia, walk on
That's right
Yeah go on there baby

You make me holler, yeah, yeah, alright
I said yeah, yeah, alright
Well she's a yeah, yeah, alright
I said yeah, yeah, alright
Well I said yeah, yeah, alright
She's a yeah, yeah, alright
Say yeah, yeah, alright
Now yeah, yeah, alright
…

Visit SpringsteenLyrics.com for other versions of this song.

Gallery

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