Live 24 Apr 1970 version
Ever since I was a young man
I've known the devil too well
I can still hear my mama screaming
"Boy you gonna burn some day in hell"
Huh! Hey!
Drag me to church on Sunday
Get down, get down, get down on your knees and pray
When he comes he won't forget to call your name
Well I can't say that I'm a believer
I can't say that I ain't
Oh but reading words off a piece of paper
It sure ain't gonna make me no kind of saint
They drag us to church on Friday
And we confess our sins
For a special low price of three Hail Marys your soul was clean again
Yeah!
(Ahh ahh, ahh ahh ahh)
(Ahh ahh, ahh ahh ahh)
(Ahh ahh, ahh ahh ahh)
(Ahh ahh, ahh ahh ahh, whoa!)
(Ahh ahh, ahh ahh ahh)
You must believe what we say to believe (ahh ahh)
For without belief you are dying (ahh ahh ahh)
They told me you must believe what we tell you to believe (ahh ahh)
And yours is not to question why (ahh ahh ahh)
For the sisters never lie (ahh ahh)
Yours not to know why (ahh ahh ahh)
Might as well not even try (ahh ahh, ahh yeah yeah yeah)
Hail, hail resurrection day (hail, hail resurrection)
You're all invited to come and dance on my grave (hail, hail resurrection)
Oh we're gonna have a lot of fun (hail, hail resurrection)
I say my prayers to the earth and the sun (hail, hail resurrection)
I say my prayers to the earth and the sun (hail, hail resurrection)
I say my prayers to the earth and the sun (hail, hail resurrection)
I say my prayers to the earth and the, huh! Come on! (hail, hail resurrection)
(Hail, hail resurrection)
(Hail, hail resurrection, hey yeah yeah)
(Hail, hail resurrection, ah nana nana)
(Hail, hail resurrection, tell your boy)
(Hail, hail resurrection) oh won't you come on now
(Hail, hail resurrection) yeah hallelujah come on whoa
(Hail, hail resurrection) whoa whoa whoa
(Hail, hail resurrection) can't you hear 'em coming now
(Hail, hail resurrection) oh I said can't you hear' em coming on
(Hail, hail resurrection) I said hail
(Hail, hail resurrection) I said hell yeah
(Hail, hail resurrection) oh I said I don't know whoa yeah
(Hail, hail resurrection) oh you know we're gonna come on now
(Hail, hail resurrection) hey!
Hail, hail resurrection (ah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah)
Hail, hail resurrection (whoa, whoa whoa whoa whoa)
Hail, hail resurrection
Hail, hail resurrection
Hail, hail resurrection
Hail, hail resurrection
Hail, hail resurrection
Hail, hail resurrection
Hail, hail resurrection
Hail, hail resurrection
Hail, hail resurrection
Hail, hail resurrection (na na na na na)
Hail, hail resurrection
(Hail, hail resurrection)
(Hail, hail resurrection)
(Hail, hail resurrection)
(Hail, hail resurrection)
(Hail, hail resurrection) (tell everybody)
(Hail, hail resurrection) (na na na na na na)
(Hail, hail resurrection) (na na na na na na)
I said hail, hail (hail, hail resurrection)
Hmm hmm (hail, hail resurrection)
Ah hmm hmm hmm (hail, hail resurrection)
Ah hmm hmm hmm (hail, hail resurrection)
I said hail yeah yeah resurrection (hail, hail resurrection)
I said hail yeah yeah resurrection (hail, hail resurrection)
I know that it's hail yeah yeah resurrection (hail, hail resurrection)
(Hail, hail resurrection)
(Hail, hail resurrection)
(Hail, hail resurrection)
(Hail, hail resurrection)
(Hail, hail resurrection)
(Hail, hail resurrection)
(Hail, hail resurrection)
(Hail, hail resurrection)
I'm gonna hail hail hail (hail, hail the erection)
I'm gonna hail hail hail (hail, hail resurrection)
(Hail, hail the erection)
(Hail, hail resurrection)
I'm gonna hail hail hail (hail, hail resurrection)
(Hail, hail resurrection)
Hail, hail resurrection
Hail, hail resurrection
Hmm hmm (hail, hail resurrection)
Oh we're gonna come on to you one more time (hail, hail resurrection)
Gotta make sure everybody got it (hail, hail resurrection)
Oh I wanna hear you sing (hail, hail resurrection)
Wanna ??? hear you sing (hail, hail resurrection)
Oh I wanna hear you hail yeah resurrection (hail, hail resurrection)
I said hail yeah yeah resurrection (hail, hail resurrection)
I said hail yeah yeah resurrection (hail, hail resurrection)
Come and get on up, I said hail yeah yeah resurrection (hail, hail resurrection)
Go! Whoa!
Hail, hail resurrection (yeahhh)
Hail, hail resurrection
Hail, hail resurrection
Hail, hail resurrection
Hail, hail resurrection
Hail, hail resurrection
(Hail, hail resurrection)
(Hail, hail resurrection)
Hail, hail resurrection
Hail, hail resurrection
Hail, hail resurrection
Hail, hail resurrection
Hail, hail resurrection
Hail, hail resurrection
Hail, hail resurrection
Hail, hail resurrection
Hail, hail resurrection
The above lyrics are for the live 24 Apr 1970 performance of RESURRECTION at Monmouth College in West Long Branch, NJ, with Steel Mill.
This was a single show, with Steel Mill the sole act on the bill. According to Brucebase, this was a replacement concert for a cancellation of the musical "Hair".
A soundboard recording of very good to excellent quality is in circulation. The tape is very deceptive in that drummer Vini Lopez's voice microphone is abnormally dominant in the mix, so much so that it sounds like a co-lead singer (i.e., Robbin Thompson) is interacting with Springsteen throughout the show. However under an extremely close comparison it can be determined that the "co-lead" vocalist is actually drummer and background vocalist Lopez, with his microphone turned way up in the audio mix. Robbin Thompson's voice is definitely not present.
Some of the above info about the live performance is taken from Brucebase.
Any additions, comments, or corrections to this page are welcome. You can contact me via the below form or by email: .
List of available versions of RESURRECTION on this website:
RESURRECTION [Live 20 Sep 1969 version]
