THE E STREET SHUFFLE
Sparks fly on E Street when the boy prophets walk it
handsome and hot,
All the little girls' souls grow weak when the manchild
gives them a double shot,
The schoolboy pops pull out all the stops on a Friday
night,
The teenage tramps in skin-tight pants do the E Street
dance and everything's alright,
Little kids down there either dancin' or hooked up in a
scuffle,
Dressed in snake-skin suits packed with Detroit muscle
They're doin' the E Street Shuffle.
Now those E Street brats in twilight duel flashlight
phantoms in full star stream,
Down fire trails on silver nights with blonde girls
pledged sweet sixteen,
The newsboys say the heat's been bad since Power Thirteen
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, everybody form a line.
Oh, everybody form a line."
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 StreetShuffle,
As them sweet summer nights turn into summer dreams
Little Angel picks up
Power and he slips on his jeans as they move on out down
to the scene
All the kids are dancin'.
4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY)
Sandy the fireworks are hailin' over Little Eden tonight
Forcin' a light into all those stoned-out faces left
stranded on this Fourth of July
Down in town the circuit's full with switchblade lovers
so fast so shiny so sharp
And 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 along the shore
Chasin' all them silly New York girls
Sandy the aurora is risin' behind us, the pier lights our
carnival life forever
Love me tonight for I may never see you again, hey Sandy
girl
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' thempleasure 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 that Joey kept me spinnin' I didn't think I'd ever
get off
Oh Sandy the aurora is risin' behind us
The pier lights our carnival life on the water
Runnin' down the beach at night with my boss's daughter
Well he ain't my boss no more Sandy
Sandy the angels have lost their desire for us
I spoke to `em just last night and they said they won't
set themselves on fire for us anymore
Every summer when the weather gets hot they ride that
road down from heaven
on their Harleys they come and they go
And you can see `em dressed like stars in all the cheap
little seashore bars
parked making love with their babies out on the Kokomo
Well the cops finally busted Madame Marie for tellin'
fortunes better than they do
This boardwalk life for me is through
You know you ought to quit this scene too
Sandy the aurora's rising behind us, the pier lights our
carnival life forever
Oh love me tonight and I promise I'll love you forever
KITTY'S BACK
Catlong sighs holding
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
It's tight on this fence since them young dudes are
musclin' in
Jack Knife cries 'cause
baby's in a bundle
She goes running nightly, lightly through the jungle
And them tin cans are explodin' out in the ninety-degree
heat
Cat somehow lost his baby down on Bleecker 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,
Flashing lights cut the night, dude in the white says
he's the man
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
Kitty's back in town, here
she comes now
Kitty's back in town
Kitty's back in town, here she comes now
Kitty's back in town
Kitty's back in town, here she comes now
Kitty's back in town
Now Cat knows his Kitty's
been untrue
And that she left him for a city dude
But she's so soft, she's so blue
When he looks into het eyes
He just sits back and sighs
Ooh, what can I do, ooh, what can I do?
WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY
The machinist climbs his
ferris wheel like a brave
And the fire eater's lyin' in a pool of sweat, victim of
the heatwave
Behind the tent the hired hand tightens his legs on the
sword swallower's blade
And circus town's on the shortwave
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
As 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 fro
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 Zambinis watch Margarita do her neck
twist,
And the ringmaster gets the crowd to count along:
"Ninety-five, ninety-six, ninety-seven"
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 good 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 way up on his shoulders, way up
And 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, whispers into the little
boy's ear "Hey son, you want to try the big top?"
All aboard, Nebraska's our next stop.
INCIDENT ON 57th STREET
Spanish Johnny drove in
from the underworld last night
With bruised arms and broken rhythm in 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 sighed "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 came a young girl's voice
said: "Johnny don't cry"
Puerto Rican 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, there'll be action goin' down
on Shanty Lane tonight
All them golden-heeled fairies in a real bitch fight
Pull .38s and kiss the girls good night
Oh good night, 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 he'd never be true but then
she really didn't mind
Upstairs a band was playin', the singer was singin'
something about goin' home
She whispered, "Spanish Johnny, you can leave me
tonight but just don't leave me alone"
And Johnny cried
"Puerto Rican 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 say homes ain't no
good
They left the corners, threw away all their switchblade
knives and kissed each other good-bye
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
putting 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:
Good night, 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
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 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 for business, I'm only here for fun
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 Knees Willie you know they're
gonna be there
Ah sloppy Sue and Big Bones Billie they'll be comin' up
for air
We're gonna play some pool skip some school act real cool
Stay out all night it's gonna feel alright
Rosie come out tonight, Rosie come out tonight
Windows are for cheaters chimneys for the poor
Closets are for hangers winners use the door
Rosalita jump a little...
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
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
Someday 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
Tell him this is last chance to get his daughter in a
fine romance
Because a record company Rosie just gave me a big advance
My tires were slashed and I almost crashed but the Lord
had mercy
My machine she's a dud out stuck in the mud somewhere in
the swamps of Jersey
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'
Rosalita jump a little...
NEW YORK CITY SERENADE
Billy he's down by the
railroad tracks
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 baby don't walk at all
Fish lady, oh 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
Well mama take my arm and move with me down
Broadway"
I'm a young man, I talk it real loud
Yeah babe I walk it real proud for you
Ah so shake it away
So shake away your street life
Shake away your city life
Hook up to the train
And hook up to the night train
Hook it up
Hook up to the train
But I know that she won't take the train, no she won't
take the train
Oh she won't take the train, no she won't take the train
Oh she won't take the train, no she won't take the train
Oh 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, 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
He's singin', he's singin', he's singin'
All dressed up in satin, walkin' past the alley
He's singin', singin', singin', singin'
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