The E Street Shuffle
Sparks on E Street when the boy prophets walk it handsome and hot
All the little girls' soul go weak when the man-child gives them a
double shot
The schoolboy bops pull out all the stops on a Friday night
The teenage tramps in skin-tight pants do the E Street dance and everything's
all right
Them kids down there are either dancin' or hooked up in a scuffle
Dressed in snakeskin suits backed with Detroit muscle
They're doin' the E Street Shuffle
Now those E Street brats in twilight dual flashlight phantoms in full
star stream
Down fire trails on silver nights with blonde girls playing sweet sixteen
The newsboys say the heat's been bad since Power 13 gave a trooper
all he had in a summer scuffle
And Power's girl, Little Angel, been on the corner keepin' those crazy
boys out of trouble
Little Angel steps the shuffle like she ain't got no brains
She's deaf in combat down on Lover's Lane
She drives all them local boys insane
Little Angel says,
"Oh oh oh (oh oh oh), everybody form a line
Oh oh oh (oh oh oh), everybody form a line"
Well the sparks fly on E Street when the boy prophets walk it handsome
and hot
All them little girls' souls grow weak when the manchild gives them
a double shot
Little Angel hangs out at Easy Joe's, it's a club where all the riot
squad goes when they're cashin' in for a cheap hustle
But them boys are still on the corner loose and doin' that lazy E Street
Shuffle
As them sweet summer nights turn into summer dreams
Little Angel picks up Power and he slips on his jeans
And they move on out
Down to the scene, all the kids are there
--UP--
4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)
Sandy the fireworks are hailin' over Little Eden tonight
Forcin' a light into all thode stony faces left stranded on this warm
July
Down in town the circuit's full wit switchblade lovers so fast so shiny
so sharp
As the wizards play down on Pinball Way on the boardwalk way past dark
And the boys from the casino dance with their shirts open like latin
lovers on the shore
Chasin' all them silly New York Virgins by the score
Sandy the aurora is risin' behind us
Those pier lights our carnival life forever
Love me tonight for I may never see you again
Hey Sandy girl, now now baby
Now the greasers they tramp the streets or get busted for trying to
sleep on the beach all night
Them boys in their spiked high heels ah Sandy their skins are so white
And me I just got tired of hangin' in them dusty arcades bangin' them
pleasure machines
Chasin' the factory girls underneath the boardwalk where they
promise to unsnap their jeans
And you know that tilt-a-whirl down on the south beach drag
I got on it last night and my shirt got caught
And it kept me spinnin', they didn't think I'd ever get off
Oh Sandy the aurora is risin' behind us
Those pier lights our carnival life on the water
Runnin',laughin underneath the boardwalk oh,with the bosses'daughter
I remember, Sandy girl, now now now baby
Sandy that waitress i was seein'lost their desire for me
I spoke with her last night,she said she won't set herself on fire
for me anymore
She worked that joint underneath the boardwalk, she was always the
girl you saw bopin'down the beach with the radio
The kids say last night she was dressed like a star in one of them
cheap little seaside bars
And I saw her parked with her lover-boy out on the kokomo
Did you hear, the cops finally busted madame marie for tellin'fortunes
better than they do
For me, this boardwalk life's through,babe
You ough to quit this scene too
Sandy the aurora's rising behind us
Those pier lights our carnival life forever
Oh, love me tonight and I promise I'll love you forever
Oh, I mean it, Sandy girl my, my, my, my, my baby
I promise, Sandy girl, sha, la, la, la, la baby.
--UP--
Kitty's Back
Catlong sighs holdin' Kitty's black tooth
She left to marry some top cat, ain't it the cold truth?
And there hasn't been a tally since Sally left the alley
Since Kitty left with big pretty things have got pretty thin
Oh yeah, It's tight in this business and young dudes are musclin' in
Jack Knife cries ah cause baby's in a bundle
She goes runnin' nightly, lightly through the jungle
And them tin cans are explodin' down in the ninety degree heat
Cat somehow lost his baby down on Bleeker Street
It's sad but it sure is true
Cat shrugs his shoulders, sits back and sighs
Ooh what can I do, ooh what can I do?
Ooh what can I do, ooh what can I do?
Catlong lies back bent on a trash can
Flashin' lights cut the night, in the white cities of neon
Well you better learn to move fast when you're young or you're not
long around
Cat somehow lost his Kitty down in the city pound
So get right, get tight, get down!
Well, who's that down at the end of the alley?
She's been gone so long
Here she comes, here she comes, here she comes, here she comes
Here she comes, here she comes, here she comes, here she comes
Kitty's back in town (here she comes now), Kitty's back in town (oh,
oh allright)
Kitty's back in town (here she comes now), Kitty's back in town (oh,
oh allright)
Kitty's back in town (here she comes now), Kitty's back in town (oh,
oh allright)
Kitty's back in town (here she comes now), Kitty's back in town (oh,
oh allright)
Now Cat knows his Kitty's been untrue
And that she left for a city dude
Well she's so soft, she's so blue
When he looks into her eyes
He just sits back and sighs
Ooh what can I do, ooh what can I do?
Ooh what can I do, ooh what can I do?
Oh oh oh oh oh, all right
--UP--
Wild Billy's Circus Story
The Machinist climbs his ferris wheel like a brave
And the fireeater's lyin' in a pool of sweat victim of the heatwave
Behind the tent the hired hand tightens his legs on the sword swallowers
blade
Circus town's on the shortwave
Well the runway lies ahead like a great false dawn
Fat lady, big mama, Missy Bimbo sits in her chair and yawns
And the man-beast lies in his cage sniffin' popcorn
And the midget licks his fingers and suffers Missy Bimbo's scorn
Circus town's been born.
Whoa and a press roll drummer go, ballerina to-and-from cartwheelin'
up on that tightrope
With a cannon blast, lightin' flash, movin' fast through the tent,
Mars bent
He's gonna miss his fall
Oh God save the human cannonball
And the flying Zambini's watch Marguarita do her neck twist
And the ringmaster gets the crowd to count along: 95, 96, 97
A ragged suitcase in his hand, he steals silently away from the circus
grounds
And the highway's haunted by the carnival sounds
They dance like a great greasepaint ghost on the wind
A man in baggy pants, a lonely face, a crazy grin
Runnin' home to some small Ohio town
Jesus, send some sweet women to save all your clowns
And circus boy dances like a monkey on barbed wire,
And the barker romances with a junkie, she's got a flat tire
And now the elephants dance real funky and the band plays like a jungle
fire
Circus town's on the live wire
And the strong man Sampson lifts the midget, little Tiny Tim, up on
his shoulders, way up
Carries him on down the midway past the kids, past the sailors, to
his dimly lit trailer
And the ferris wheel turns and turns like it ain't ever gonna stop
And the circus boss leans over and whispers in the little boy's ear
"Hey son you want to try the big top?"
All aboard, Nebraska's our next stop
--UP--
Incident on 57th Street
Spanish Johnny drove in from the underworld last night
With bruised arms and broken rhythm and a beat-up old Buick but dressed
just like dynamite
He tried sellin' his heart to the hard girls over on Easy Street
But they sigh "Johnny, it falls apart so easy and you know hearts these
days are cheap"
And the pimps swung their axes and said "Johnny, you're a cheater"
Well, the pimps swung their axes and said "Johnny, you're a liar"
And from out of the shadows cam e a young girl's voice, said: "Johnny
don't cry"
Portorican Jane, oh won't you tell me what's your name?
I want to drive you down to the other side of town where paradise ain't
so crowded and there'll be action goin' down on Shanty Lane tonight
All the golden heeled fairies in a real bitch-fight pull thirty-eights
and kiss their girls goodnight.
Oh, Goodnight, it's alright, Jane
Now let them black boys in to light the soul flame
We may find it out on the street tonight, baby
Or we may walk until the daylight, maybe
Well, like a cool Romeo he made his moves, oh she looked so fine
Like a late Juliet she knew she'd never be true but then she didn't
really mind
Upstairs a band was playin' and the singer was singin' something about
going home
She whispered "Spanish Johnny, you can leave me tonight, but just don't
leave me alone"
And Johnny cried, "Portorican Jane, word is down the cops have found
the vein"
Oh, them barefoot boys left their homes for the woods
Them little barefoot street boys, they said their homes ain't no good
They left the corners, threw away their switchblade knives and kissed
each other goodbye
Johnny was sittin' on the fire escape watchin' the kids playin' down
the street
He called down "Hey little heroes, summer's long but I guess it ain't
very sweet around here anymore"
Janey sleeps in sheets damp with sweat, Johnny sits up alone and watches
her dream on, dream on
And the sister prays for lost souls, then breaks down in the chapel
after everyone's gone
Jane moves over to share her pillow but opens her eyes to see Johnny
up and puttin' his clothes on
She says "Those romantic young boys, all they ever want to do is fight"
Those romantic young boys, they're callin' through the window:
"Hey, Spanish Johnny, you want to make a little easy money tonight?"
And Johnny whispered "Goodnight, it's all tight Jane
I'll meet you tomorrow night on Lover's Lane
We may find it out on the street tonight baby
Or we may walk until the daylight, maybe"
--UP--
Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)
Spread out now Rosie, doctor come cut loose her mama's reins
You know playin' Blind Man's Bluff is a little baby's game
You pick up Little Dynamite, I'm gonna pick up Little Gun
And together we're gonna go out tonight and make that highway run
You don't have to call me lieutenant, Rosie, and I don't want to be
your son
The only lover I'm ever gonna need's your soft, sweet little girl's
tongue
And Rosie, you're the one
Dynamite's in the belfry, baby, playin' with the bats
Little Gun's downtown in front of Woolworth's tryin' out his attitude
on all the cats
Papa's on the corner waitin' for the bus
Mama, she's home in the window, waitin' up for us
She'll be there in that chair when they wrestle her upstairs cause
you know we ain't gonna come
I ain't here on business, baby, I'm only here for fun
And Rosie, you're the one
Rosalita, jump a little lighter
Senorita, come sit by my fire
I just want to be your lover, ain't no liar
Rosalita, you're my stone desire
Jack the Rabbit and Weak Knee Willie, don't you know they're gonna be
there
Ah, Sloppy Sue and Big Bones Billy, they'll be coming up for air
We're gonna play some pool, skip some school, act real cool, stay out
all night, it's gonna feel alright
So Rosie come out tonight, little baby come out tonight
Windows are for cheaters, chimneys for the poor
Closets are for hangers, winners use the door
So use it Rosie, that's what it's there for
Rosalita, jump a little lighter
Senorita, come sit by my fire
I just want to be your lover, ain't no liar
Rosalita, you're my stone desire
Now I know your mama, she don't like me cause I play in a rock and roll
band
And I know your daddy, he don't dig me but he never did understand
Your papa lowered the boom, he locked you in your room
I'm comin' to lend a hand
I'm comin' to liberate you, confiscate you, I want to be your man
Some day we'll look back on this and it will all seem funny
But now you're sad, your mama's mad
and your papa says he knows that I don't have any money
Well tell him this is his last chance to get his daughter in a fine
romance
Cause a record company, Rosie, just gave me a big advance!
And my tires were slashed and I almost crashed, but the Lord had mercy
And my machine, she's a dud, out stuck in the mud somewhere in the
swamps of Jersey
Well, hold on tight, stay up all night, cause Rosie I'm comin' on strong
By the time we meet the morning light, I will hold you in my arms
I know a pretty little place in Southern California, down San Diego
way
There's a little cafe, where they play guitars all night and day
You can hear them in the back room strummin'
So hold tight baby cause don't you know daddy's comin'
Ah, everybody sing
Rosalita, jump a little lighter
Senorita, come sit by my fire
I just want to be your lover, ain't no liar
Rosalita, you're my stone desire
--UP--
New York City Serenade
Billy, he's down by the railroad track, sittin' low in the back seat
of his Cadillac
Diamond Jackie, she's so intact, as she falls so softly beneath him
Jackie's heels are stacked, Billy's got cleats on his boots
Together they're gonna boogaloo down Broadway and come back home with
the loot
It's midnight in Manhattan, this is no time to get cute, it's a mad
dog's promenade
So walk tall, or better don't walk at all.
Fish lady, oh, fish lady, fish lady she baits them tenement walls
She won't take corner boys, they ain't got no money, and they're so
easy
I said, "Hey baby won't you take my hand, walk with me down Broadway
I'm a young man and I talk real loud, yeah, baby walk real proud for
you
So shake it away, so shake away your street life, shake away your city
life
And hook up to the train, hook up to the night train, hook it up"
But I know that she won't take the train, no she won't take the train,
She's afraid them tracks are gonna slow her down
And when she turns this boy'll be gone
So long, sometimes you just gotta walk on.
Hey vibes man, hey jazz man play me your serenade
Any deeper blue and you're playin' in your grave
Save your notes, don't spend 'em on the blues boy
Save your notes, don't spend 'em on the darlin' yearlin' sharp boy
Straight for the church note ringin', vibes man sting a trash can
Listen to your junk man, listen to your junk man
Listen to your junk man, listen to your junk man,
He's singin' (singin'), He's singin' (singin'), He's singin'
All dressed up in satin, walkin' down the alley
He's singin', singin', singin', singin'
Watch out for you junk man, watch out for your junk man
Watch out for your junk man
--UP--
