Highway Patrolman

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Track 5 of Nebraska, 1982.

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Credits

• Nebraska (1982)
  • Bruce Springsteen: vocals, guitar, harmonica, mandolin, glockenspiel, tambourine, organ, synthesizer

Performances

Performed live 68 times (not including snippet performances). 2012-11-15 CenturyLink Center, Omaha, NE 2006-11-18 Point Theatre (The), Dublin, Ireland 2005-11-08 Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 2005-10-13 United Center, Chicago, IL 2005-10-09 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY 2005-08-11 KeyArena At Seattle Center, Seattle, WA 2005-08-06 Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 2005-07-24 Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC 2005-07-13 Corel Centre, Ottawa, ON 2005-06-27 Color Line Arena, Hamburg, Germany 2005-06-23 Scandinavium, Gothenburg, Sweden 2005-06-02 Palacio De Deportes De La Comunidad De Madrid, Madrid, Spain 2005-04-30 Glendale Arena, Glendale, AZ 2005-04-25 Fox Theatre, Detroit, MI 2005-04-22 Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ 2005-04-21 Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ 1997-05-25 Palais Des Congrès De Paris, Paris, France 1997-05-22 Teatro Augusteo, Naples, Italy 1997-05-21 Teatro Verdi, Florence, Italy 1997-05-18 Palais Des Congrès Acropolis, Nice, France 1997-05-15 Auditorium Maurice-Ravel, Lyon, France 1997-05-12 Congress Centre, Prague, Czech Republic 1997-05-10 Sala Kongresowa, Warsaw, Poland 1997-02-17 Palais Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 1997-02-12 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 1997-01-31 Tōkyō Kokusai Fōramu, Forum Hall A, Tokyo, Japan 1996-12-14 Ovens Auditorium, Charlotte, NC 1996-11-19 Ellis Auditorium, Memphis, TN 1996-11-14 Lowell Memorial Auditorium, Lowell, MA 1996-11-12 Shea's Performing Arts Center, Buffalo, NY 1996-10-29 Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA 1996-10-25 Arlington Theater, Santa Barbara, CA 1996-10-22 San Diego Civic Theatre, San Diego, CA 1996-10-19 Kiva Auditorium, Albuquerque, NM 1996-10-17 Paramount Theatre, Denver, CO 1996-10-02 Riverside Theater, Milwaukee, WI 1996-09-24 James W. Miller Auditorium, Kalamazoo, MI 1996-04-27 Royal Albert Hall, London, England 1996-04-25 Brixton Academy, London, England 1985-09-19 Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, CA 1985-07-06 Wembley Stadium, London, England 1985-01-13 Carolina Coliseum, Columbia, SC 1985-01-07 Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, IN 1985-01-05 Hampton Roads Coliseum, Hampton, VA 1984-12-16 Omni (The), Atlanta, GA 1984-10-26 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA 1984-10-22 Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA 1984-10-19 Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA 1984-09-25 Buffalo Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, NY 1984-09-22 Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA 1984-09-11 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 1984-09-07 Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT 1984-09-04 Centrum In Worcester, Worcester, MA 1984-08-28 Capital Centre, Largo, MD 1984-08-25 Capital Centre, Largo, MD 1984-08-20 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ 1984-08-17 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ 1984-08-09 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ 1984-08-05 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ 1984-07-30 Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI 1984-07-27 Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY 1984-07-23 CNE Grandstand, Toronto, ON 1984-07-17 Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont, IL 1984-07-08 Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH 1984-07-06 Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH 1984-06-29 St. Paul Civic Center, Saint Paul, MN

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 1 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 1 show(s) of 56 on The Seeger Sessions Tour. Performed at 12 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 25 show(s) of 128 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 27 show(s) of 156 on the Born In The U.S.A. Tour. Performed at 0 known other show(s), plus 2 public tour rehearsal(s).

Released on Album

Released on Nebraska (1982).

A live version is released on Live In Dublin (2007) (recorded November 18, 2006).

Released as Live Download

Live versions are available on the following 3 official live downloads:

• 1997-05-18 Palais Des Congrès Acropolis, Nice, France
• 1984-08-20 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ
• 1984-08-05 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ

On The Tracks

DEPUTY - V1		uncirculating
DEPUTY - V2		uncirculating
DEPUTY - V3		uncirculating
DEPUTY - V4a	5:30	LM-1 / HNWB
HIGHWAY PATROLMAN - V4b	5:36	NEBRASKA
HIGHWAY PATROLMAN - V4c stereo mix	5:37	NEBRASKA
HIGHWAY PATROLMAN - V5		uncirculating

Note: Four different takes were recorded - the three variants of V4 are merely alternate mixes. The original title was "Deputy". In a letter to Jon Landau, Bruce said he "worked very long on this and always had the feeling I was comin up short. Not really finished but is about as good as I can get it at the time. Don't think the ending was quite strong enough." Logs show takes at Power Station on April 30, 1982, either solo or with the band.

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

Lyrics

Highway Patrolman

My name is Joe Roberts, I work for the state
I'm a sergeant out of Perrineville, barracks number 8
I always done an honest job, as honest as I could
I got a brother named Franky, and Franky ain't no good

Now ever since we was young kids, it's been the same come down
I get a call on the shortwave, Franky's in trouble downtown
Well if it was any other man, I'd put him straight away
But when it's your brother sometimes you look the other way

Yeah me and Franky laughin' and drinkin', nothin' feels better than blood on blood
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria as the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood"
I catch him when he's strayin' like any brother would
Man turns his back on his family, well he just ain't no good

Well Franky went in the army back in 1965
I got a farm deferment, settled down, took Maria for my wife
But them wheat prices kept on droppin' till it was like we were gettin' robbed
Franky came home in '68 and me I took this job

Yeah we're laughin' and drinkin', nothin' feels better than blood on blood
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria as the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood"
I catch him when he's strayin', teach him how to walk that line
Man turns his back on his family, he ain't no friend of mine

Well the night was like any other, well I got a call 'bout quarter to nine
There was trouble in a roadhouse out on the Michigan line
There was a kid lyin' on the floor lookin' bad, bleedin' hard from his head
There was a girl cryin' at a table and it was Frank, they said

Well I went out and I jumped in my car and I hit the lights
Well I musta done a hundred and ten through Michigan County that night
It was out at the crossroads, down 'round Willow bank
Seen a Buick with Ohio plates, behind the wheel was Frank

Well I chased him through them county roads
Till a sign said "Canadian border five miles from here"
I pulled over the side of the highway and watched his taillights disappear

Me and Franky laughin' and drinkin', nothin' feels better than blood on blood
Takin' turns dancin' with Maria as the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood"
I catch him when he's strayin' like any brother would
Man turns his back on his family, he just ain't no good

Visit SpringsteenLyrics.com for other versions of this song.

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