Local Hero

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Track 3 of Lucky Town, 1992.

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Credits

• Lucky Town (1992)
  • Bruce Springsteen: vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass guitar, harmonica, percussion
  • Lisa Lowell: backing vocals
  • Gary Mallaber: drums
  • Patti Scialfa: backing vocals
  • Soozie Tyrell: backing vocals

Performances

Performed live 83 times. 2024-09-15 Beach, Surf Stage, Asbury Park, NJ 2023-04-14 Prudential Center, Newark, NJ 2013-07-24 First Direct Arena, Leeds, England 2003-09-21 Comerica Park, Detroit, MI 1993-03-23 Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ 1992-12-17 Rupp Arena, Lexington, KY 1992-12-16 Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA 1992-12-14 Boston Garden, Boston, MA 1992-12-13 Boston Garden, Boston, MA 1992-12-08 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 1992-12-07 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 1992-12-05 Market Square Arena, Indianapolis, IN 1992-12-03 St. Louis Arena, St. Louis, MO 1992-12-02 Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX 1992-11-30 Omni (The), Atlanta, GA 1992-11-24 Miami Arena, Miami, FL 1992-11-23 Orlando Arena, Orlando, FL 1992-11-18 Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC 1992-11-17 Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center, Chapel Hill, NC 1992-11-15 Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT 1992-11-13 Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY 1992-11-10 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY 1992-11-09 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY 1992-11-06 SkyDome, Toronto, ON 1992-11-05 SkyDome, Toronto, ON 1992-11-03 Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI 1992-10-31 Target Center, Minneapolis, MN 1992-10-30 Hilton Coliseum, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 1992-10-26 McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, CO 1992-10-22 Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA 1992-10-21 Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA 1992-10-18 Northlands Coliseum, Edmonton, AB 1992-10-17 Olympic Saddledome, Calgary, AB 1992-10-15 Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver, BC 1992-10-13 Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA 1992-10-06 ARCO Arena, Sacramento, CA 1992-10-03 America West Arena, Phoenix, AZ 1992-10-02 America West Arena, Phoenix, AZ 1992-09-29 San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, CA 1992-09-28 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA 1992-09-25 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA 1992-09-24 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA 1992-09-22 Warner Hollywood Studios, Los Angeles, CA 1992-09-03 World Music Theatre, Tinley Park, IL 1992-09-02 World Music Theatre, Tinley Park, IL 1992-08-29 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 1992-08-28 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 1992-08-26 Capital Centre, Largo, MD 1992-08-25 Capital Centre, Largo, MD 1992-08-22 Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH 1992-08-21 Richfield Coliseum, Richfield, OH 1992-08-18 Palace Of Auburn Hills (The), Auburn Hills, MI 1992-08-17 Palace Of Auburn Hills (The), Auburn Hills, MI 1992-08-14 Centrum In Worcester, Worcester, MA 1992-08-13 Centrum In Worcester, Worcester, MA 1992-08-10 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ 1992-08-07 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ 1992-08-06 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ 1992-08-04 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ 1992-08-02 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ 1992-07-31 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ 1992-07-30 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ 1992-07-28 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ 1992-07-26 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ 1992-07-25 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ 1992-07-23 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ 1992-07-13 Wembley Arena, London, England 1992-07-12 Wembley Arena, London, England 1992-07-10 Wembley Arena, London, England 1992-07-09 Wembley Arena, London, England 1992-07-06 Wembley Arena, London, England 1992-07-04 Plaza Monumental, Barcelona, Spain 1992-07-03 Plaza Monumental, Barcelona, Spain 1992-06-30 Palais Omnisports De Paris-Bercy, Paris, France 1992-06-29 Palais Omnisports De Paris-Bercy, Paris, France 1992-06-26 Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany 1992-06-25 Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany 1992-06-21 Forum Di Assago, Milan, Italy 1992-06-20 Forum Di Assago, Milan, Italy 1992-06-17 Globen, Stockholm, Sweden 1992-06-15 Globen, Stockholm, Sweden 1992-06-05 Hollywood Center Studios, Studio #4, Los Angeles, CA 1992-05-06 Bottom Line (The), New York City, NY

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 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 0 show(s) of 56 on The Seeger Sessions Tour. Performed at 0 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 128 on The Ghost Of Tom Joad Tour. Performed at 75 show(s) of 102 on the World Tour 1992-93. Performed at 2 known other show(s), plus 2 public tour rehearsal(s).

Released on Album

Released on Lucky Town (1992).

Released as Live Download

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

• 2024-09-15 Beach, Surf Stage, Asbury Park, NJ
• 2023-04-14 Prudential Center, Newark, NJ
• 2013-07-24 First Direct Arena, Leeds, England
• 1992-12-13 Boston Garden, Boston, MA
• 1992-07-25 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ

One of these recordings is also available on the playlist The Live Series: Songs Of New Jersey (2023).

On The Tracks

LOCAL HERO

3:59

LUCKY

Note: Recorded sometime from July to December 1991 at A&M Studios, Los Angeles. Springsteen handles all guitars, keyboards and lead vocals and his one-man backing band on this recording is Gary Mallaber (drums). Female background vocalists are Patti Scialfa, Lisa Lowell and Soozie Tyrell.

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^{Studio Sessions: Lucky Town}

Lyrics

Local Hero

I was driving through my hometown, I was just kinda killing time
When I seen a face staring out of a black velvet painting from the window of the Five And Dime
I couldn't quite recall the name but the pose looked familiar to me
So I asked the salesgirl "Who was that man between the Doberman and Bruce Lee?"
She said "Just a local hero", "Local hero" she said with a smile
"Yeah a local hero, he used to live here for a while"

I met a stranger dressed in black at the train station, he said "Son your soul can be saved"
There's beautiful women, nights of low living, and some dangerous money to be made
There's a big town 'cross the whiskey line and if we turn the right cards up
Well they make us boss, the devil pays off, and them folks that are real hard up
They get their local hero, yeah somebody with the right style
They get their local hero, yeah somebody with just the right smile

Well I learned my job, I learned it well
Fit myself with religion and a story to tell
First they made me the king then they made me pope
Well then they brought the rope
Whoa!

I woke to a gypsy girl saying "Drink this", well my hands had lost all sensation
These days I'm feeling all right except I can't tell my courage from my desperation
From the tainted chalice well I drunk some heady wine
Tonight I'm laying here but there's something in my ear saying there's a little town just beneath the floodline
Needs a local hero, yeah somebody with the right style
Looking for a local hero, yeah someone with the right smile
Looking for a local hero, yeah somebody with the right smile
Looking for a local hero, yeah somebody with just the right smile
Local hero, "local hero" she said with a smile
Local, local hero, he used to live here for a while
(Local hero)
Oh yeah
(Local hero)
Yeah
Yeah, oh yeah
(Local hero)
Hoo hoo
Hoo hoo hoo
(Local hero)
Hoo hoo
…..

Visit SpringsteenLyrics.com for other versions of this song.

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