ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT)

Live 03 Mar 1974 (late show) version



[Spoken intro:] (coughs) Oh, hey! Rosie, come on out tonight, will you?

Oh, 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, well, 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 samurai tongue
Baby, you're the one!

D-d-d-d-d-d-d-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, waiting 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, you know we ain't gonna come
I ain't here on business, babe, I'm only here for fun
Yeah

Ah, Rosalita, jump a little lighter
Senorita, come sit by my fire
I just want to be your lover, ain't no liar
Rosie, you're my stone desire, oh, yeah

Oh!
Jack the Rabbit and Weak Knees Willie, don't you know they're gonna be there
Sloppy Sue and Big Bones Billy, 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 all right
So, Rosie, come out tonight, baby, come out tonight
Windows are for cheaters, chimneys for the poor
Oh, closets are for hangers, winners use the doors
Use it!

Ah, 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 st—brrr!

[Spoken:] Ernest Carter on the drums. Garry Tallent on the bass guitar. On the piano, Mr. Daniel Federici. On the organ, Mr. Dave Sancious. And on the tenor saxophone, Mr. Clarence Clemons. I'll bring it in for the countdown. All right, ten, nine, [crowd:] eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one!

Hey!

Oh!

Now, I know your mama, she don't like me 'cause I play in a rock and roll band
Oh, and I know your daddy don't dig me, but he never did understand
Oh, papa lowered the boom, put you in your room
Coming to lend a hand
Riding to liberate you, oh, con—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, mama's mad
Papa says he knows (that I don't have any money)
So your papa says he (knows that I don't have any money)
Oh, your papa says he knows (that I don't have any money)

This is his last chance to get his daughter in a fine romance
The record company, Rosie, just gave me a big advance!
My tires were slashed, I almost crashed, 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, 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 café, they play guitars all night and all day
You can hear 'em in the back room strummin'
Hold tight, baby, don't you know I'm coming
Everybody sing
Ohhhh!

Rosalita, jump a little lighter
Senorita, come sit by my fire
Just want to be your lover, ain't no liar
Rosalita, you're my stone desire
All right

Oh, baby!

All right!

(Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh!)

[Spoken outro:] Thank you very much! Thank you very much indeed!


Info

The above lyrics are for the live 03 Mar 1974 late show performance of ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, during what is considered The Wild, The Innocent, & The E Street Shuffle Tour. The song was played in a full-band arrangement, with band introductions in the midsection, and featuring early lyrics ("samurai tongue") that can be found on Springsteen's 1972 handwritten lyrics for ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT).

The 03 Mar 1974 Late Show

Bruce Springsteen and the band played two shows at Georgetown University on 03 Mar 1974: an early show at 7:30 p.m. and a late show at 10:30 p.m. Bruce Springsteen was the headliner and Orleans were the opening act. The shows were held at the university's 750-seat Gaston Hall. There is no known audio recording from the early show, but Springsteen's late show (minus the last song) was simulcast on the University's popular radio station WGTB-FM. The broadcast now circulates on several bootlegs in excellent soundboard quality.

Promotional ad for the 03 Mar 1974 shows at Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Promotional ad for the 03 Mar 1974 shows at Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Ticket stub for the 03 Mar 1974 late show at Georgetown University, Washington, DC
Ticket stub for the 03 Mar 1974 late show at Georgetown University, Washington, DC
(Taken from Brucebase)

  1. WILD BILLY'S CIRCUS STORY
  2. NEW YORK CITY SERENADE
  3. SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT
  4. THE E STREET SHUFFLE
  5. WALKING THE DOG
  6. 4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY)
  7. IT'S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY
  8. KITTY'S BACK
  9. FOR YOU
  10. ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT)
  11. LET THE FOUR WINDS BLOW

The 03 Mar 1973 late show broadcast from Georgetown University was commercially released in Europe. Since 2005 some enterprising record labels in Europe (mostly in the UK) have been releasing Bruce Springsteen radio and TV broadcasts (and some soundboard recordings) from the seventies, eighties, and nineties. Though these releases are not authorized by Bruce Springsteen or his record company, they are lawful due to a legal loophole in Europe.

Springsteen -- Saint In The City - The Complete WGTB Radio Boradcast 1974
Springsteen -- Saint In The City - The Complete WGTB Radio Boradcast 1974

2xCD - Rox Vox (RV2CD1023) - UK, 2015

This release contains the 03 Mar 1974 late show broadcast from Georgetown University.
Bruce Springsteen -- Live 1974 - Washington DC
Bruce Springsteen -- Live 1974 - Washington DC

2xCD - Live Wire (LW2028) - UK, 2016

This release contains the 03 Mar 1974 late show broadcast from Georgetown University.
Bruce Springsteen -- Washington 1974
Bruce Springsteen -- Washington 1974

Digital album - Lilith Records (no catalog number) - UK, 2016

This is a download-only digital album. It contains the 03 Mar 1974 late show broadcast from Georgetown University.
Bruce Springsteen -- The Great American Road Trip
Bruce Springsteen -- The Great American Road Trip

10xCD - Evolution Music (EMG01) - UK, 2020

This release contains the 31 Jul 1973 broadcast from My Father's Place, the 03 Mar 1974 late show broadcast from Georgetown University, the 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM radio broadcast, the 05 Feb 1975 broadcast from The Main Point, the 30 Sep 1978 broadcast from Fox Theatre, plus some various TV performances from 1992-1995.
Bruce Springsteen -- Thunder Road - Live
Bruce Springsteen -- Thunder Road - Live

20xCD - KP Music (SPRING01) - Europe, 2020

This release contains the 31 Jul 1973 broadcast from My Father's Place, the 03 Mar 1974 late show broadcast from Georgetown University, the 09 Mar 1974 KLOL-FM radio broadcast, the 05 Feb 1975 broadcast from The Main Point, the 15 Aug 1975 early show broadcast from Bottom Line, the 17 Oct 1975 early show broadcast from The Roxy Theatre, the 09 Aug 1978 broadcast from The Agora, the 30 Sep 1978 broadcast from Fox Theatre, the 05 Jun 1992 broadcast from Hollywood, the 20 Aug 1994 show with Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers at Marz American Style, plus some various TV performances from 1992-1995.

Credits / References

Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.

Some of the above info about Springsteen's shows at Georgetown University is taken from Brucebase.

Available Versions

List of available versions of ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) on this website:

ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Album version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 14 Feb 1973 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 06 Jun 1973 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 06 Jan 1974 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 03 Mar 1974 (late show) version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 09 Apr 1974 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 05 Feb 1975 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 02 Oct 1975 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 18 Nov 1975 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 04 Apr 1976 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 22 Aug 1976 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 30 Oct 1976 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 03 Nov 1976 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 04 Nov 1976 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 13 Feb 1977 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 06 Mar 1977 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 19 Mar 1977 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 25 Mar 1977 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 03 Jun 1978 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 07 Jul 1978 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 08 Jul 1978 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 09 Aug 1978 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 21 Aug 1978 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 08 Dec 1978 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 21 Sep 1979 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 22 Sep 1979 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 05 Oct 1979 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 01 Nov 1980 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 09 Nov 1980 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 31 Dec 1980 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 20 Aug 1981 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 21 Jun 1984 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 12 Jul 1984 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 10 May 1988 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 10 Aug 1992 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 24 Nov 1996 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 25 Nov 1996 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 26 Nov 1996 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 12 Aug 1999 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 18 Dec 2000 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 03 Sep 2001 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 08 Dec 2001 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 29 Apr 2003 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 06 Aug 2003 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 09 Aug 2003 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 25 Sep 2003 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 03 Oct 2003 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 05 Apr 2007 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 22 Apr 2008 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 07 May 2008 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 21 Aug 2008 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 18 May 2009 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 28 Jun 2009 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 25 Aug 2009 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 20 Oct 2009 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 07 Nov 2009 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 13 Nov 2009 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 25 Feb 2012 version]
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Live 01 Mar 2014 version]

Page last updated: 15 Jan 2012