ROLL OF THE DICE

Album version



Woah woah waa
Ooh hoo (yeah yeah)
Ooh hoo

Well I've been a losing gambler, yeah just throwing snake eyes
Oh love ain't got me downhearted, I know up around the corner lies
My fool's paradise in just another roll of the dice (oh yeah)

All my elevens and sevens been coming up sixes and nines (hmm yeah)
But since I fell for you baby I'm coming on changing times (oh yeah)
They're just waiting over the rise in just another roll of the dice

I've stumbled and I know I made my mistakes
Oh but tonight I'm gonna be playing for all of the stakes

Well it's never too late so come on girl, the tables are waiting (oh yeah)
Oh you and me and lady luck well tonight we'll be celebrating
Drinking champagne on ice in just another roll of the dice (ooh hoo hoo)
Whoa whoa whoa yeah

(oh, oh yeah)
Alright (alright)

High-rollers lay down your bets and I'll raise 'em
Well I know the odds ain't in my favor (oh no)

Maybe I'm just a clown throwing down looking to come up busted (oh no)
I'm a thief in the house of love and I can't be trusted
Well I'll be making my heist in just another roll of the dice
Just another roll of the dice

Move on up, move on up (move on up)
Roll me baby in this fool's heaven (oh yeah)
There's another roll of the dice
Ooh hoo
Come on seven (come on seven)
Come on seven (oh come on)
Roll me baby in this fool's heaven (oh yeah)
Just another roll, just, just
Just another roll of the dice (oh)
Move on up (move on up)
Get on up (get on up)
Roll me baby (baby)
Roll now (come on)
In just another roll of the dice (whoa, whoa)
In just another roll of the dice (whoaaa)
Roll me baby (ooh hoo)
Get on up (get on up)
Get on up (get on up)
In just (yeah)
In just (yeah)
In just (just)
In just (just)
In just (just)
In just (just)
One more roll (oh yeah)
One more roll, one more roll
Just another time (whoa)
One more roll...
[Fades out]


PAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Info

ROLL OF THE DICE is a song written by Bruce Springsteen and Roy Bittan and released on Springsteen's 1992 album Human Touch. The above lyrics are for Bruce Springsteen's album version of ROLL OF THE DICE as released in 1992.


The album version of ROLL OF THE DICE was included on the Japanese Singles Collection -Greatest Hits- compilation album.

Writing and Recording

Bruce Springsteen co-wrote at least three songs with Roy Bittan during the sessions for what became the Human Touch album (September 1989 to March 1991). These are ROLL OF THE DICE, REAL WORLD, and TROUBLE IN PARADISE. Bittan wrote the music and Springsteen added the lyrics for these songs. In an August 1992 interview with Rolling Stone's James Henke, Springsteen said: "I remembered that Roy had some tracks that he'd play to me on occasion. So I called him and said, 'Come on over, maybe I'll try to write to some of your tracks.' So he had the music to 'Roll of the Dice,' and I came up with the idea for that, and I went home and wrote the song. It was really about what I was trying to do: I was trying to get up the nerve to take a chance". ROLL OF THE DICE was their first collaboration and Springsteen's first with a band member. "And then Roy and I started working together pretty steadily," he added.

ROLL OF THE DICE was recorded in December 1989 at Soundworks West in Los Angeles, CA. Along with the rest of the album, it was produced by Bruce Springsteen, Chuck Plotkin, Jon Landau, and Roy Bittan. The lineup on this track includes Bruce Springsteen on guitar and vocals, Roy Bittan on keyboards, Randy Jackson on bass, Jeff Porcaro on drums, Tim Pierce on rhythm guitar, and Bobby King on backing vocals. According to comments made by King, he was called into the studio in January 1990 to overdub background vocals onto an already completed core recording.

The album version is the only studio recording of ROLL OF THE DICE that has surfaced among collectors. However, according to Brucebase, a significantly different mix than the album version, or possibly a different recording altogether, exists and is in very limited circulation. It includes an additional 20 seconds of duet singing between Springsteen and King not found on the album version.

Human Touch

SECTION NOT YET COMPLETED

Bruce Springsteen -- Human Touch
Bruce Springsteen -- Human Touch

Human Touch features 14 tracks and clocks at 58:49.

Single Release

ROLL OF THE DICE was released as a single in Japan only.

Bruce Springsteen -- Roll Of The Dice
Bruce Springsteen -- Roll Of The Dice

CD EP - Sony (SRCS 6599) - Japan, 1992

01- ROLL OF THE DICE
02- LEAP OF FAITH [Live 06 Aug 1992 version]
03- 30 DAYS OUT

Japanese Singles Collection -Greatest Hits-

Japanese Singles Collection -Greatest Hits- is a Bruce Springsteen compilation album released by Sony Music Japan in 2023. The compilation, which was exclusively released in Japan, consists of previously released 35 audio tracks and 62 video tracks. The collection is part of a 26-title reissue campaign to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Bruce Springsteen's debut album. The series, issued in three waves (25 Oct 2023, 22 Nov 2023, and 20 Dec 2023), includes 25 albums originally released between 1973 and 2014 plus a new compilation album that includes all of Springsteen's singles released in Japan from 1975 to 1999. All audio CD's were manufactured using Sony Japan's Blu-spec CD2 format.

Bruce Springsteen -- Japanese Singles Collection -Greatest Hits-
Bruce Springsteen -- Japanese Singles Collection -Greatest Hits-

Disc 1: (audio CD)

  1. BORN TO RUN
  2. TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT
  3. PROVE IT ALL NIGHT
  4. BADLANDS
  5. HUNGRY HEART
  6. I WANNA MARRY YOU
  7. SANTA CLAUSE IS COMIN' TO TOWN [Live 12 Dec 1975 version]
  8. ATLANTIC CITY
  9. DANCING IN THE DARK
  10. COVER ME
  11. BORN IN THE U.S.A.
  12. I'M ON FIRE
  13. GLORY DAYS
  14. I'M GOIN' DOWN
  15. MY HOMETOWN
  16. WAR [Live 30 Sep 1985 version]
  17. FIRE [Live 16 Dec 1978 version]

Disc 2: (audio CD)

  1. BRILLIANT DISGUISE
  2. TUNNEL OF LOVE
  3. ONE STEP UP
  4. TOUGHER THAN THE REST
  5. SPARE PARTS
  6. HUMAN TOUCH
  7. BETTER DAYS
  8. 57 CHANNELS (AND NOTHIN' ON)
  9. ROLL OF THE DICE
  10. STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA
  11. SECRET GARDEN
  12. THE GHOST OF TOM JOAD
  13. DEAD MAN WALKIN'
  14. BLOOD BROTHERS [Alternate studio version]
  15. I WANNA BE WITH YOU
  16. CHIMES OF FREEDOM [Live 03 Jul 1988 version]
  17. AMERICAN BEAUTY
  18. I'LL STAND BY YOU

Disc 3: (DVD)

  1. ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 08 Jul 1978 version]
  2. BORN TO RUN [Live 19 Aug 1985 version]
  3. TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT [Live 05 Nov 1980 version]
  4. THUNDER ROAD [Live 05 Nov 1980 version]
  5. PROVE IT ALL NIGHT [Live 08 Jul 1978 version]
  6. BADLANDS [Live 05 Nov 1980 version]
  7. HUNGRY HEART [Live 09 Jul 1995 version]
  8. I WANNY MARRY YOU [Live 05 Nov 1980 version]
  9. THE RIVER [Live 21 Sep 1979 version]
  10. ATLANTIC CITY
  11. HIGHWAY PATROLMAN
  12. DANCING IN THE DARK
  13. COVER ME [Live 30 Jun 2013 version]
  14. BORN IN THE U.S.A.
  15. I'M ON FIRE
  16. GLORY DAYS
  17. I'M GOIN' DOWN [Live 30 Jun 2013 version]
  18. MY HOMETOWN [Live 30 Sep 1985 version]
  19. WAR [Live 30 Sep 1985 version]
  20. FIRE [Live 13 Oct 1986 version]
  21. BRILLIANT DISGUISE
  22. TUNNEL OF LOVE
  23. ONE STEP UP
  24. TOUGHER THAN THE REST [Live 27 Apr 1988 version]
  25. SPARE PARTS [Live 10 Jul 1988 version]
  26. VIGILANTE MAN [Live Feb 1988 version]
  27. HUMAN TOUCH
  28. BETTER DAYS
  29. 57 CHANNELS (AND NOTHIN' ON)
  30. ROLL OF THE DICE [Live 22 Sep 1992 version]
  31. LEAP OF FAITH [Live 06 Aug 1992 version]
  32. IF I SHOULD FALL BEHIND [25 Sep 1999 sound-check version]

Disc 4: (DVD)

  1. STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA [1993 music video version]
  2. MURDER INCORPORATED
  3. SECRET GARDEN
  4. THE GHOST OF TOM JOAD [Live 27 Nov 1995 (NBC Studios) version]
  5. DEAD MAN WALKIN'
  6. LONESOME DAY
  7. WAITIN' ON A SUNNY DAY [Live 16 Oct 2002 version]
  8. DEVILS & DUST
  9. RADIO NOWHERE
  10. LONG WALK HOME
  11. WORKING ON A DREAM
  12. THE LAST CARNIVAL
  13. A NIGHT WITH THE JERSEY DEVIL
  14. SAVE MY LOVE
  15. WE TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN
  16. ROCKY GROUND
  17. HIGH HOPES
  18. JUST LIKE FIRE WOULD
  19. HELLO SUNSHINE
  20. TUCSON TRAIN
  21. WESTERN STARS
  22. I'LL STAND BY YOU
  23. LETTER TO YOU
  24. GHOSTS
  25. THE POWER OF PRAYER
  26. I'LL SEE YOU IN MY DREAMS
  27. DO I LOVE YOU (INDEED I DO)
  28. NIGHTSHIFT
  29. DON'T PLAY THAT SONG
  30. TURN BACK THE HANDS OF TIME

Other Official Releases

SECTION NOT YET COMPLETED

The album version of ROLL OF THE DICE can also be found on three Bruce Springsteen promo-only samplers.

Bruce Springsteen -- Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen -- Bruce Springsteen

CD - Sony (XDDP 93084) - Japan, 1992

Japan-only promotional CD sampler compiling 16 tracks from Springsteen's studio albums up to 1992.

Bruce Springsteen -- A Whole Bunch Of Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen -- A Whole Bunch Of Bruce Springsteen

MC - Sony (XCTS 92005) - Japan, 1992

Japan-only promotional cassette tape sampler compiling 12 tracks from Springsteen's studio albums up to 1992.

Bruce Springsteen -- Bruce Springsteen (1984 - 1993)
Bruce Springsteen -- Bruce Springsteen (1984 - 1993)

CD-R - Sony (no catalog number) - Japan, 2005

Japan-only promotional "Digest" CD-R advance sampler tying in with the release of the second batch of the Japanese 2005 "mini-LP"-style Springsteen CD album reissues. This disc comes in a plain slimline jewel case with no artwork.

Other versions of ROLL OF THE DICE were also officially released.

Bruce Springsteen -- Meadowlands July 25, 1992
The live 25 Jul 1992 version of ROLL OF THE DICE was released on the Meadowlands July 25, 1992 official live download in 2019.
Bruce Springsteen -- In Concert / MTV Plugged
The live 22 Sep 1992 version of ROLL OF THE DICE was released on the In Concert / MTV Plugged home video (LaserDisc issue) in 1993.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- Boston 13/12/92
The live 13 Dec 1992 version of ROLL OF THE DICE was released on the Boston 13/12/92 official live download in 2021.
Bruce Springsteen -- Brendan Byrne Arena, New Jersey June 24, 1993
The live 24 Jun 1993 version of ROLL OF THE DICE was released on the Brendan Byrne Arena, New Jersey June 24, 1993 official live download in 2018.

Live History

SECTION NOT YET COMPLETED

Covers

At least one artist has recorded and released Bruce Springsteen's ROLL OF THE DICE.

The Boss Brothers -- Live
The Boss Brothers -- Live

Digital album - 729285 Records DK (no catalog number) - The Netherlands, 2023

This is a download-only digital live Bruce Springsteen tribute album.

Available Versions

List of available versions of ROLL OF THE DICE on this website:

ROLL OF THE DICE [Album version]
ROLL OF THE DICE [Live 15 Apr 1993 version]

Page last updated: 03 May 2018