Nebraska

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Track 1 of Nebraska, 1982.

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Credits

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

Performances

Performed live 116 times (not including snippet performances). 2023-04-00 Former Springsteen Residence, Swimming River Reservoir, NJ 2020-10-27 Springsteen Residence, Colts Neck, NJ 2016-07-11 AccorHotels Arena, Paris, France 2013-07-20 King's Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland 2010-05-06 Dreyfuss Theater, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Madison, NJ 2005-11-21 Sovereign Bank Arena, Trenton, NJ 2005-11-09 Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 2005-10-21 Dunkin' Donuts Center, Providence, RI 2005-10-15 Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Alliant Energy Center, Madison, WI 2005-08-07 Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI 2005-07-20 Arena At Harbor Yard, Bridgeport, CT 2005-07-18 HSBC Arena, Buffalo, NY 2005-06-13 Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany 2005-06-06 PalaLottomatica, Rome, Italy 2005-06-01 Pavelló Olímpic De Badalona, Barcelona, Spain 2005-05-30 Forest National, Brussels, Belgium 2005-05-27 Royal Albert Hall, London, England 2005-05-24 Point Theatre (The), Dublin, Ireland 2005-05-19 Theater At The Continental Airlines Arena (The), East Rutherford, NJ 2005-05-10 Xcel Energy Center, Saint Paul, MN 2005-05-05 Paramount Theatre, Oakland, CA 2005-04-04 Joan And Robert Rechnitz Theater, Red Bank, NJ 2003-02-20 Somerville Theatre, Somerville, MA 2003-02-19 Somerville Theatre, Somerville, MA 1997-05-26 Palais Des Congrès De Paris, Paris, France 1997-05-19 Zénith Oméga, Toulon, France 1997-05-09 Sala Kongresowa, Warsaw, Poland 1997-05-06 Austria Center Vienna, Vienna, Austria 1997-02-16 Palais Theatre, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 1997-02-04 Concert Hall (The), QPAC, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 1997-01-30 Tōkyō Kokusai Fōramu, Forum Hall A, Tokyo, Japan 1997-01-29 Tōkyō Kokusai Fōramu, Forum Hall A, Tokyo, Japan 1996-12-06 Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center Concert Hall, Birmingham, AL 1996-10-21 Grady Gammage Memorial Auditorium, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 1996-10-16 Paramount Theatre, Denver, CO 1996-10-15 Abravanel Hall, Salt Lake City, UT 1996-10-03 Northrop Auditorium, Minneapolis, MN 1996-10-01 Braden Auditorium, Normal, IL 1996-09-26 Hill Auditorium, University Of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 1996-09-25 E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall, Akron, OH 1996-09-19 Providence Performing Arts Center, Providence, RI 1996-09-16 Benedum Center For The Performing Arts, Pittsburgh, PA 1996-05-08 Palacio De Congresos Y Exposiciones, Madrid, Spain 1996-05-06 Teatro Tívoli, Barcelona, Spain 1996-05-02 Zürich Kongresshaus, Zurich, Switzerland 1996-05-01 Palais Des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, Belgium 1996-04-30 Salle Erasme, Strasbourg, France 1996-04-22 Royal Albert Hall, London, England 1996-04-19 ICC Berlin, Saal 1, Berlin, Germany 1996-04-16 Royal Albert Hall, London, England 1996-04-13 Teatro Carlo Felice, Genoa, Italy 1996-04-10 Auditorium Santa Cecilia, Rome, Italy 1996-03-19 King's Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland 1996-03-16 Falkonersalen, Copenhagen, Denmark 1996-03-14 Oslo Spektrum, Oslo, Norway 1996-03-13 Cirkus, Stockholm, Sweden 1996-03-03 Edinburgh Playhouse, Edinburgh, Scotland 1996-02-29 Symphony Hall, Birmingham, England 1996-02-25 Doelen (De), Rotterdam, The Netherlands 1996-02-21 Zénith De Paris (Le), Paris, France 1996-02-18 Philipshalle, Düsseldorf, Germany 1996-02-15 Rudi-Sedlmayer-Halle, Munich, Germany 1996-02-14 Kulturpalast, Dresden, Germany 1996-02-12 Alte Oper, Frankfurt, Germany 1996-01-28 Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA 1996-01-25 Austin Music Hall, Austin, TX 1996-01-23 Jesse H. Jones Hall For The Performing Arts, Houston, TX 1996-01-22 Saenger Performing Arts Center, New Orleans, LA 1996-01-18 Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO 1996-01-10 Fox Theatre, Detroit, MI 1996-01-08 Massey Hall, Toronto, ON 1996-01-07 Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Montreal, QC 1995-12-17 Beacon Theatre, New York City, NY 1995-12-15 Orpheum Theatre, Boston, MA 1995-12-12 Beacon Theatre, New York City, NY 1995-12-08 Tower Theater, Upper Darby, Philadelphia, PA 1995-12-05 DAR Constitution Hall, Washington, DC 1995-12-03 Rosemont Theatre, Rosemont, IL 1995-11-30 Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA 1995-11-29 Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA 1995-11-27 Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles, CA 1995-11-26 Wiltern Theatre, Los Angeles, CA 1995-11-21 State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ 1990-11-17 Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA 1990-11-16 Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA 1985-03-31 QE II Jubilee Sports Centre, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia 1984-12-13 Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, TN 1984-12-09 Murphy Center, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN 1984-11-25 Reunion Arena, Dallas, TX 1984-11-23 Frank Erwin Center, University Of Texas, Austin, TX 1984-11-19 Kemper Arena, Kansas City, MO 1984-11-18 Bob Devaney Sports Center, University Of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 1984-11-16 Hilton Coliseum, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 1984-11-12 McNichols Sports Arena, Denver, CO 1984-11-04 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA 1984-10-29 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA 1984-10-26 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, Los Angeles, CA 1984-10-22 Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Arena, Oakland, CA 1984-09-12 Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 1984-09-08 Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT 1984-09-05 Centrum In Worcester, Worcester, MA 1984-08-26 Capital Centre, Largo, MD 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 1984-07-31 Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI 1984-07-24 CNE Grandstand, Toronto, ON 1984-07-18 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 1984-07-05 Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH 1984-07-02 St. Paul Civic Center, Saint Paul, MN 1984-07-01 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 1 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 16 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 58 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 30 show(s) of 156 on the Born In The U.S.A. Tour. Performed at 8 known other show(s), plus 1 public tour rehearsal(s).

Snippets

^{Performed live 1 times as a snippet.}

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• 2020-10-19 Springsteen Residence, Colts Neck, NJ

Multiples

Performed multiple times during the following shows:

• 2005-04-04 Joan And Robert Rechnitz Theater, Red Bank, NJ

Released on Album

Released on Nebraska (1982) and The Essential (2003).

A live version is released on Live/1975–85 (1986) (recorded August 6, 1984).

Released as Live Download

Live versions are available on the following 6 official live downloads:

• 2016-07-11 AccorHotels Arena, Paris, France
• 1996-09-25 E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall, Akron, OH
• 1996-03-19 King's Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland
• 1990-11-17 Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA
• 1990-11-16 Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA
• 1984-08-06 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ

On The Tracks

STARKWEATHER - V1	1:09	LM-1(17) / HNWB
STARKWEATHER - V2	1:05	LM-1(18) / HNWB
STARKWEATHER - V3 take 1		uncirculating
STARKWEATHER - V4 take 2		uncirculating
STARKWEATHER - V5 take 3		uncirculating
STARKWEATHER - V6a take 4 m	4:25	LM-1(1)
NEBRASKA - V6b take 4 mix 1	4:25	NEBRASKA / ESSENTIAL: 2003
NEBRASKA - V6c take 4 mix 2 early fade	4:25	uncirculating
NEBRASKA - V6d take 4 mix 3 bad harp	4:25	uncirculating
NEBRASKA - V6e take 4 mix 4 glock	4:25	uncirculating
NEBRASKA - V6f stereo mix	4:16	NEBRASKA
NEBRASKA - V7		uncirculating

Note: The first song recorded, and the first song in the final running order, for Nebraska. V1 and V2 are takes of the introduction and first two lines, recorded in late 1981 at Springsteen's home in Colts Neck, NJ. Six takes were recorded during the Portastudio sessions December 17, 1981–January 3, 1982, including V6b take 4, the title track of the album. V6 above are alternate mixes. Mix #1 is complete, with a 12-string guitar. #2 fades early, #3 is noted as "bad harp no good". Take #4 is with glock. Listed as "Starkweather" in an early song line-up, the song is about the Charles Starkweather murder spree in the 1950s. "Nebraska" was later recorded over three days at Power Station on April 27, 28 and 30, 1982; these recordings could be either solo or with the band, or possibly both.

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

Lyrics

Nebraska

I saw her standing on her front lawn
Just twirling her baton
Me and her went for a ride, sir
And ten innocent people died

From the town of Lincoln, Nebraska
With a sawed off .410 on my lap
Through to the badlands of Wyoming
I killed everything in my path

I can't say that I'm sorry
For the things that we done
At least for a little while, sir
Me and her we had us some fun

Now the jury brought in a guilty verdict
And the judge he sentenced me to death
Midnight in a prison storeroom
With leather straps across my chest

Sheriff, when the man pulls that switch, sir
And snaps my poor head back
You make sure my pretty baby
Is sitting right there on my lap

They declared me unfit to live
Said into that great void my soul'd be hurled
They wanted to know why I did what I did
Well sir I guess there's just a meanness in this world

Visit SpringsteenLyrics.com for other versions of this song.

Media

Links

• MusicBrainz

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