Meet Me In The City

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Track 1 of The River: Outtakes, 2015.

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Credits

• The River: Outtakes (2015)
  • Bruce Springsteen: vocals, guitar
  • Roy Bittan: piano, backing vocals
  • Clarence Clemons: saxophone, percussion, backing vocals
  • Danny Federici: organ, glockenspiel
  • Garry Tallent: bass
  • Steven Van Zandt: guitar, backing vocals
  • Max Weinberg: drums

Performances

Performed live 41 times (not including snippet performances). 2016-07-28 Frognerparken, Oslo, Norway 2016-07-23 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden 2016-07-05 Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy 2016-04-25 Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY 2016-04-23 Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY 2016-04-20 Royal Farms Arena, Baltimore, MD 2016-04-18 Bryce Jordan Center, Penn State University, University Park, PA 2016-04-14 Palace Of Auburn Hills (The), Auburn Hills, MI 2016-04-12 Schottenstein Center, Columbus, OH 2016-04-07 Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO 2016-04-05 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX 2016-04-03 Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OK 2016-03-31 Pepsi Center, Denver, CO 2016-03-28 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY 2016-03-24 KeyArena At Seattle Center, Seattle, WA 2016-03-22 Moda Center, Portland, OR 2016-03-19 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA 2016-03-17 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA 2016-03-15 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA 2016-03-13 Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA 2016-03-10 Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix, AZ 2016-03-06 Chaifetz Arena, St. Louis, MO 2016-03-03 BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI 2016-02-29 Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, MN 2016-02-27 Blue Cross Arena At The War Memorial, Rochester, NY 2016-02-25 First Niagara Center, Buffalo, NY 2016-02-23 Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH 2016-02-21 KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, KY 2016-02-18 Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA 2016-02-16 BB&T Center, Sunrise, FL 2016-02-12 Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA 2016-02-10 XL Center, Hartford, CT 2016-02-08 Times Union Center, Albany, NY 2016-02-04 TD Garden, Boston, MA 2016-02-02 Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON 2016-01-31 Prudential Center, Newark, NJ 2016-01-29 Verizon Center, Washington, DC 2016-01-27 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY 2016-01-19 United Center, Chicago, IL 2016-01-16 Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PA 2015-12-19 Rockefeller Center, GE Building, Studio 8H, New York City, 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 40 show(s) of 75 on the The River Tour 2016. Performed at 1 known other show(s), plus 0 public tour rehearsal(s).

Released on Album

Released on The Ties That Bind: The River Collection (2015).

Released as Live Download

Live versions are available on the following 40 official live downloads:

• 2016-07-28 Frognerparken, Oslo, Norway
• 2016-07-23 Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden
• 2016-07-05 Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Milan, Italy
• 2016-04-25 Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
• 2016-04-23 Barclays Center, Brooklyn, NY
• 2016-04-20 Royal Farms Arena, Baltimore, MD
• 2016-04-18 Bryce Jordan Center, Penn State University, University Park, PA
• 2016-04-14 Palace Of Auburn Hills (The), Auburn Hills, MI
• 2016-04-12 Schottenstein Center, Columbus, OH
• 2016-04-07 Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO
• 2016-04-05 American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
• 2016-04-03 Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, OK
• 2016-03-31 Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
• 2016-03-28 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
• 2016-03-24 KeyArena At Seattle Center, Seattle, WA
• 2016-03-22 Moda Center, Portland, OR
• 2016-03-19 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
• 2016-03-17 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
• 2016-03-15 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA
• 2016-03-13 Oracle Arena, Oakland, CA
• 2016-03-10 Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix, AZ
• 2016-03-06 Chaifetz Arena, St. Louis, MO
• 2016-03-03 BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
• 2016-02-29 Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, MN
• 2016-02-27 Blue Cross Arena At The War Memorial, Rochester, NY
• 2016-02-25 First Niagara Center, Buffalo, NY
• 2016-02-23 Quicken Loans Arena, Cleveland, OH
• 2016-02-21 KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, KY
• 2016-02-18 Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
• 2016-02-16 BB&T Center, Sunrise, FL
• 2016-02-12 Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA
• 2016-02-10 XL Center, Hartford, CT
• 2016-02-08 Times Union Center, Albany, NY
• 2016-02-04 TD Garden, Boston, MA
• 2016-02-02 Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
• 2016-01-31 Prudential Center, Newark, NJ
• 2016-01-29 Verizon Center, Washington, DC
• 2016-01-27 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
• 2016-01-19 United Center, Chicago, IL
• 2016-01-16 Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh, PA

One of these recordings is also available on the playlist The Live Series: Songs Of Location (2022).

On The Tracks

IN THE CITY TONIGHT - V1	4:47	LM-14
IN THE CITY TONIGHT - V2	4:14	LM-14 / OSOR
IN THE CITY TONIGHT - V3	1:37	LM-14
IN THE CITY TONIGHT - V4	4:01	LM-14
IN THE CITY TONIGHT - V5	8:41	LM-14
IN THE CITY TONIGHT - V6	3:46	LM-14
IN THE CITY TONIGHT - V7	3:19	LM-14
UNTITLED SONG #3 - V8	1:45	DROC2
DO YOU WANT ME TO SAY ALRIGHT - V9		uncirculating
MEET ME IN THE CITY - V10	3:28	RIVER: OUTTAKES / 2015 single

Note: "In The City Tonight" V1–V8 are takes from Telegraph Hill rehearsals on March 25, 1979. V8 is listed as 'Untitled Song #3' on disc two of 'The Definitive River Outtakes Collection Volume 2'. Working titles included "In The City Tonight", "In The City", and "Meet Me In The City Tonight" (the last used on Springsteen's handwritten lyric sheet). "In the City Tonight" V9 was recorded at Power Station Studios June 14, 1979, under the title "Do You Want Me To Say Alright", for reasons unknown. A modern lead vocal was used over backing tracks from 1979 for V10, "Meet Me In The City", released online on October 16, 2015 to accompany the announcement of The Ties That Bind: The River Collection, which was released on December 4, 2015.

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^{Studio Sessions: The River}

Lyrics

Meet Me In The City

A one two three four, one two three four!

Hey girl I'm calling all stations, blowing down the wire tonight
I'm singing through these power lines, I'm running on time and feeling alright
Skipping over the currents in the air, reaching to see if you're out there
Coming across your radio station, calling out nation to nation
If you can hear me then say alright
And if you can, meet me in the city tonight

I was busted for feeling no pain
Charged with doing things I can't explain
Picked up for parole violation
Locked with the boys in the subway station
Handcuffed on the killing floor
Transmitting from behind these jailhouse doors
If you're sick, if you're tired, if you're bored
Then check the line, check the time, check the action, check the score
Come and get me if I ain't right
But if I am, meet me in the city tonight

Everybody's lost in romance
Do you feel the way I feel, oh-oh
I'm just searching, girl
For the blood, for the bone, for the muscle, for what's real

I was busted for feeling no pain
Charged with doing things I can't explain
Picked up for parole violation
Locked with the boys in the subway station
I pushed my way through the heart of the crowd
I shoved my way through the heart of the crowd
Past the sign saying this is not allowed
To where someone's standing straight and shouting out loud

Handcuffed to the jailhouse door
Transmitting from the gallows floor
And if you're sick, if you're tired, if you're bored
Check the line, check the time, check the action, check the score

If you can holler, then say alright (alright)
If you can holler, then say alright (alright)
If you can holler, then say alright (alright)
If you can holler, then say alright (alright)
If you can holler, then say alright (alright)
And if you can, meet me in the city tonight
Meet me in the city tonight
Meet me in the city tonight
In the city, meet me in the city tonight
In the city, meet me in the city tonight
In the city, meet me in the city tonight
In the city, meet me in the city tonight

Visit SpringsteenLyrics.com for other versions of this song.

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