Fire

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Disc 2 track 3 of The Promise, 2010.

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Credits

• The Promise (2010)
  • Bruce Springsteen: vocals, guitar
  • Roy Bittan: piano, backing vocals
  • Clarence Clemons: saxophone, percusison, backing vocals
  • Danny Federici: organ, glockenspiel
  • Garry Tallent: bass
  • Steven Van Zandt: guitar, backing vocals
  • Max Weinberg: drums

• Fresh Fish Special (Robert Gordon with Link Wray, 1978)
  • Robert Gordon: vocals
  • Link Wray: guitar
  • Billy Cross: guitar
  • Charlie Messing: guitar
  • Bruce Springsteen: piano
  • Rob Stoner: bass
  • Howie Wyeth: drums

Performances

Performed live 266 times (not including snippet performances). 2024-04-07 Kia Forum, Inglewood, CA 2024-04-04 Kia Forum, Inglewood, CA 2021-09-04 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-09-03 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-09-02 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-09-01 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-08-31 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-08-28 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-08-27 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-08-26 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-08-25 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-08-24 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-08-20 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-08-19 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-08-18 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-08-17 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-07-17 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-07-16 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-07-15 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-07-14 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-07-13 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-07-10 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-07-09 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-07-08 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-07-07 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-07-06 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-07-03 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-07-02 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-07-01 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-06-30 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-06-29 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-06-26 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-06-25 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2021-06-24 St. James Theatre, New York City, NY 2017-02-16 Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 2016-07-05 Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy 2016-05-17 Estadio Anoeta, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain 2012-11-17 Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO 2012-07-24 Koengen, Bergen, Norway 2012-06-19 Park & Suites Arena, Montpellier, France 2011-11-03 Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum, Pittsburgh, PA 2010-11-04 Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum, Pittsburgh, PA 2009-04-28 Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 2008-06-27 Parc Des Princes, Paris, France 2008-06-23 Sportpaleis, Antwerp, Belgium 2008-04-23 Amway Arena, Orlando, FL 2008-04-05 HP Pavilion At San Jose, San Jose, CA 2006-11-07 Sportpaleis, Antwerp, Belgium 2006-10-29 Oslo Spektrum, Oslo, Norway 2006-10-28 Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark 2006-10-25 Pabellón Deportivo, Santander, Spain 2006-10-12 Color Line Arena, Hamburg, Germany 2006-10-05 Arena Di Verona, Verona, Italy 2005-11-22 Sovereign Bank Arena, Trenton, NJ 2003-11-01 Stone Pony (The), Asbury Park, NJ 2003-03-11 Blue Cross Arena At The War Memorial, Rochester, NY 2002-11-02 Tradewinds, Sea Bright, NJ 2001-11-03 Tradewinds, Sea Bright, NJ 1986-10-13 Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA 1985-09-01 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ 1984-08-19 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ 1984-08-17 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ 1984-08-16 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ 1984-08-11 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ 1984-08-08 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ 1984-08-06 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ 1984-07-30 Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI 1984-07-27 Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY 1984-07-26 CNE Grandstand, Toronto, ON 1984-07-23 CNE Grandstand, Toronto, ON 1984-07-21 Montreal Forum, Montreal, QC 1984-07-18 Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL 1984-07-17 Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL 1984-07-15 Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL 1984-07-13 Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI 1984-07-09 Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH 1984-07-08 Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH 1984-07-06 Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH 1984-07-01 St. Paul Civic Center, Saint Paul, MN 1984-06-29 St. Paul Civic Center, Saint Paul, MN 1984-05-19 Stone Pony (The), Asbury Park, NJ 1984-04-21 Expo, Mount Ivy, NY 1984-04-13 Ripley's Music Hall, Philadelphia, PA 1981-08-28 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA 1981-08-23 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA 1981-08-05 Capital Centre, Largo, MD 1981-07-16 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 1981-07-05 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ 1981-06-08 Birmingham International Arena, Birmingham, England 1981-06-07 Birmingham International Arena, Birmingham, England 1981-06-05 Wembley Arena, London, England 1981-06-04 Wembley Arena, London, England 1981-06-02 Wembley Arena, London, England 1981-05-30 Wembley Arena, London, England 1981-05-29 Wembley Arena, London, England 1981-05-27 Brighton Centre (The), Brighton, England 1981-05-20 New Bingley Hall, Stafford, England 1981-05-17 Edinburgh Playhouse, Edinburgh, Scotland 1981-05-13 Apollo Theatre, Manchester, England 1981-05-07 Johanneshovs Isstadion, Stockholm, Sweden 1981-05-05 Drammenshallen, Drammen, Norway 1981-05-02 Brøndbyhallen, Copenhagen, Denmark 1981-04-29 Sportpaleis Ahoy, Rotterdam, The Netherlands 1981-04-26 Forest National, Brussels, Belgium 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 1981-02-25 Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, TN 1981-02-22 Carolina Coliseum, Columbia, SC 1981-02-15 Lakeland Civic Center, Lakeland, FL 1981-02-13 Humphrey Coliseum, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 1981-02-12 Municipal Auditorium, Mobile, AL 1981-02-07 Assembly Hall, University Of Illinois, Champaign, IL 1981-02-05 Kemper Arena, Kansas City, MO 1981-02-04 SIU Arena, Southern Illinois University, 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, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 1981-01-28 Checkerdome, St. Louis, MO 1981-01-26 Athletic & Convocation Center, University Of Notre Dame, 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, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 1980-11-09 Special Events Center, University Of Texas, Austin, TX 1980-11-08 Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX 1980-11-05 ASU Activity Center, Arizona State University, 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, University Of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 1979-06-03 Whisky A Go Go, West Hollywood, CA 1979-05-27 Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ 1979-03-14 Fast Lane (The), Asbury Park, NJ 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, University Of Texas, Austin, TX 1978-12-05 LSU Assembly Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 1978-12-03 SIU Arena, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 1978-12-01 Lloyd Noble Center, University Of Oklahoma, 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, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 1978-11-20 Assembly Hall, University Of Illinois, Champaign, IL 1978-11-18 Millett Hall, Miami University, Oxford, OH 1978-11-17 Munn Ice Arena, Michigan State University, 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, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 1978-11-10 Reilly Center, St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, NY 1978-11-08 Montreal Forum, Montreal, QC 1978-11-07 Barton Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 1978-11-05 UNH Fieldhouse, University Of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 1978-11-04 Patrick Gymnasium, University Of Vermont, Burlington, VT 1978-11-02 Capital Centre, Largo, MD 1978-11-01 Jadwin Gymnasium, Princeton University, 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, University Of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN 1978-09-06 Uptown Theatre, Chicago, IL 1978-09-03 Saginaw Civic Center, Saginaw, MI 1978-08-23 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY 1978-08-09 Agora (The), Cleveland, OH 1978-08-07 Wings Stadium, Kalamazoo, MI 1978-07-21 Nashville Municipal Auditorium, Nashville, TN 1978-07-18 Jackson Municipal Auditorium, Jackson, MS 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 page 1 of 212next »

Performances broken down by tour (not including rehearsals and snippet performances) Performed at 2 show(s) of 130 on the 2023-25 International Tour. Performed at 30 show(s) of 266 on the Springsteen On Broadway run. Performed at 1 show(s) of 14 on the Summer '17 Tour. Performed at 2 show(s) of 75 on the The River Tour 2016. Performed at 0 show(s) of 33 on the High Hopes Tour. Performed at 3 show(s) of 133 on the Wrecking Ball Tour. Performed at 1 show(s) of 83 on the Working On A Dream Tour. Performed at 4 show(s) of 99 on the Magic Tour. Performed at 6 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 show(s) of 132 on The Reunion Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 127 on The Ghost Of Tom Joad Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 102 on the World Tour 1992-93. Performed at 0 show(s) of 20 on the Human Rights Now! Tour. Performed at 0 show(s) of 67 on the Tunnel Of Love Express Tour. Performed at 21 show(s) of 156 on the Born In The U.S.A. Tour. Performed at 95 show(s) of 138 on The River Tour. Performed at 85 show(s) of 111 on the Darkness On The Edge Of Town Tour. Performed at 12 known other show(s), plus 2 public tour rehearsal(s).

Snippets

^{Performed live 5 times as a snippet.}

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• 1999-08-22 FleetCenter, Boston, MA
• 1999-08-01 Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
• 1999-07-29 Continental Airlines Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
• 1999-06-26 Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark
• 1999-06-24 Stockholms Stadion, Stockholm, Sweden

Released on Album

Released on Fresh Fish Special (Robert Gordon with Link Wray, 1977) and The Promise (2010).

Live versions are released on Live/1975–85 (1986)/Live Collection (EP, 1986)/Fire (Single, 1987)/Greatest Hits (2009, Europe only) (recorded December 16, 1978) (song) and July 7, 1978 (spoken intro)).

Released as Live Download

Live versions are available on the following 26 official live downloads:

• 2024-04-07 Kia Forum, Inglewood, CA
• 2024-04-04 Kia Forum, Inglewood, CA
• 2017-02-16 Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
• 2016-07-05 Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy
• 2016-05-17 Estadio Anoeta, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain
• 2008-04-23 Amway Arena, Orlando, FL
• 2005-11-22 Sovereign Bank Arena, Trenton, NJ
• 1986-10-13 Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA
• 1984-08-19 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
• 1984-08-06 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
• 1981-06-05 Wembley Arena, London, England
• 1981-06-04 Wembley Arena, London, England
• 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
• 1978-12-16 Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA
• 1978-12-15 Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco, CA
• 1978-12-08 Summit (The), Houston, TX
• 1978-10-01 Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA
• 1978-09-30 Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA
• 1978-09-21 Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ
• 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
• 1978-07-01 Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA

One of these recordings is also available on the playlists The Darkness Tour '78 (2023) and Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band (2024).

On The Tracks

FIRE - V1	5:14	LM-2 / DDO / DO-2 / MT1 / AM
FIRE - V2		private reel-to-reel
FIRE - V3	4:05	PROMISE
FIRE - V4	2:39	GUEST: FISH

Note: Written in May 1977, a few days after Bruce and Steve attended an Elvis Presley concert in Philadelphia. V1 (which is not a final take) comes from June 17, 1977 at Atlantic Studios. Introducing the song on November 20, 1978 in Champaign, IL, Bruce said "This is a song I wrote, oh, we jammed it up in the studio one night in twenty minutes." Allegedly (and this may be myth) a finished demo take was sent to Elvis Presley in July or August 1977, shortly before his death, with the hope that Elvis might cover it. Bruce ended up donating the song to Robert Gordon, sending two demo versions on a reel-to-reel tape that was auctioned off by the Gordon estate in 2024 (likely V1 and V2). Gordon recorded his cover (V4, with Bruce on piano) in early December 1977 (released June 1978). The Pointer Sisters then quickly covered Gordon's released version and had a major international hit in early 1979. The officially released V3 was partly recorded in 1977, and partly recorded in 2010.

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^{Studio Sessions: Darkness On the Edge of Town}

Lyrics

Fire

I'm driving in my car, I turn on the radio
I'm pulling you close, you just say no
You say you don't like it, but girl I know you're a liar
'Cause when we kiss, oh, fire

Well late at night, I'm taking you home
I say I wanna stay, you say you wanna be alone
You say you don't love me, but you can't hide your desire
When we kiss, oh, fire

You had a hold on me right from the start
A grip so tight I couldn't tear it apart
My nerves all jumping acting like a fool
Your kisses they burn but your heart stays cool

Romeo and Juliet, Samson and Delilah
You can bet their love they couldn't deny
Your words say split, but your words they lie
When we kiss, oh, fire, fire

You had a hold on me right from the start
A grip so tight I couldn't tear it apart
My nerves all jumping acting like a fool
Your kisses they burn but your heart stays cool

Romeo and Juliet, Samson and Delilah
You can bet their love they couldn't deny
Your words say split, but your words they lie
When we kiss, oh, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire, fire,
…

Visit SpringsteenLyrics.com for other versions of this song.

Links

• MusicBrainz

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