Live 10 Mar 1974 (late show) version
[Spoken:] Stand up.
Hey, baby
Well she's vicious as a razor resting on your main line
She's brutal as an ace laid on the table at just the right time
She's like a devil woman but she's locked in overdrive
Her eyes are cold stone but she's backed by a power-glide
She's sweet, she's educated, she knows about history, geometry
She's so fine
Well now the boys down there say she swings the silver rod
Some kids call her Angel, all the boys call her God, down on Lover's Lane
Well now the kids down in Houston say she's cold but dynamite
Ah they know that lady wears them blue jeans oh so tight
She gets in my car and the highway bursts to life
And way down on E Street that only happens once or twice
She's sophisticated, she's a... she's a lady, you know what I mean?
She's so fine
Oh she says, "I ain't got the love, I ain't got the time
Ain't gonna give you no kiss, ain't gonna hand you
All I want's a ride, Sweet William, all I want's a ride
Clarence Clemons!
[Saxophone solo]
[Instrumental]
And it's... ooh baby, oh baby, won't you come
Don't you wanna go for a ride
Oh get in my car and burn it up
Now switch on the radio and turn it up
And we're gonna be burning down a straight road
I want some love and I got a truck load
Well she's vicious as a razor resting on your main line
Brutal as an ace laid on the table at just the right time
Like a devil woman locked in overdrive
Her eyes are cold stone but her body's backed by power-glide
She's so educated and she got a nice mama, she got a nice pop
She's so fine
Oh and the boys say she swings a silver rod
The kids call her Angel, some kids call her God, down on Lover's Lane
Be my baby
Oh won't you be my lover
Oh won't you be my lover
Oh won't you be my lover
Oh won't you be my lover
Oh won't you be my lover
[Spoken:] And so she gets in my car and I take her home. She lives on 1610 E Street. Steps out of the car and says, "see you". Goes up the driveway, in the house, and she's gone. But, but that can't be the end of this story, right? The door... of course, you know, it... I'm sitting in the car that night by myself, and the door opens a little bit and, and, and in my... 1, 2... And uh, a leg comes out of the suitcase, she's all packed, and she gonna come with me!
Come on baby
Come on baby
Come on baby
Come on baby
Whoa!
Come on baby
I said hey, a-hey baby
[Spoken outro:] Thanks so much.
The above lyrics are for the live 10 Mar 1974 (late show) performance of ANGEL'S BLUES at Liberty Hall in Houston, TX, during what is considered The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle Tour. This is the only confirmed live performance of ANGEL'S BLUES, although other performances most likely have taken place around that time.
Bruce Springsteen was booked for four nights from 07 to 10 Mar 1974 at the 300-seat capacity Liberty Hall in Houston, TX, during what is considered The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle Tour. He and his band were the headliners, and singer-songwriter Jimmy Spheeris was the opening act. As advertising for the Liberty Hall residency states, one show (8:00 PM) was scheduled on the first and fourth night and two shows (08:00 PM and 11:00 PM) on the second and third night. However due to strong demand a second (late) show was added on the fourth night at the very last moment.
According to Brucebase, the first night's show was broadcast by radio station KPFT-FM as part of its "Every Thursday Night" broadcast segment from Liberty Hall. Current evidence suggests that the third night's late show and the fourth night's late show were not simulcast live at the time. Instead, they were first broadcast in bits and pieces (rather than in one complete program segment) in November 1974 to promote Springsteen's tour's return to Texas.
There is no circulating audio from the first night's broadcast, making this the only verified Springsteen radio broadcast that has yet to surface. Almost complete (or possibly complete) recordings from the remaining two broadcasts are in circulation among collectors. No soundboard or audience tapes have are known to exist from the remaining shows.
Thanks Audio2575 (from Rare Springsteen) for the lyrics corrections.
List of available versions of ANGEL'S BLUES on this website:
ANGEL'S BLUES [Early draft]