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Live 02 Oct 1975 version
[Spoken intro:] Hold on. This next song is very controversial, it's, um, 'cause some folks, nobody knows where this song actually happened, you see, and, uh, it was sort of a legend passed down from age to age, and, and some folks said that originally, this song happened in Italy. (Roy plays some Italian sounding music) Right, that's what my mother says, she's Italian, she told me this song happened in Italy. She says she was a... But some other folks said to the contrary this song happened in Paris. (Roy plays some French sounding music) Now some folks said, "No, man, that didn't happen in Paris! That happened in Jersey City, that's where that happened!" (Roy plays a bit more) (laughs) So you can see, it's very difficult to trace the origins of this traditional number. (laughs) But actually, it was...
In a little café
On the other side of the border
She was sitting there giving me food
To make my mouth water
Rosie!
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
Together we're going out tonight, we'll make that highway run
You don't have to call me lieutenant, Rosie, I don't want to be your son
The only lover I'm ever gonna need's your soft sweet little girl's tongue
You're the one!
Dynamite's in the belfry, baby, playing with the bats
Little Gun's downtown in front of Woolworth's, trying out his attitude on all the cats
Papa's on the corner, waiting for the bus
Mama's home in the window, waiting up there for us
She'll be there in that chair 'til they wrestle her upstairs, you know we ain't gonna come
I ain't here on business, I'm only here for fun
You're the one!
Rosalita, jump a little lighter
Senorita, come sit by my fire
Just want to be your love, ain't no lie
Rosie, you're my stone desire
Jack the Rabbit, Weak Knees Willie, you know they're gonna be there
Ah, Sloppy Sue and Big Bones Billy, be coming up for air
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, come out tonight
Windows are for cheaters, chimneys for the poor
Closets are for hangers, winners use the door
Use it, Rosie!
Rosalita, jump a little lighter
Senorita, come sit by my fire
I just want to be your love, ain't no lie
Rosie, you're my stone desire
[Spoken:] On the piano, Roy Bittan, play it! And done! On the bass guitar, Garry W. Tallent! Give it to me! On the guitar, from Asbury Park, New Jersey, via Las Vegas, via Miami, Miami Steve! On the drums, The Mighty Max! On the organ, Dan Federici! The one! The only! The Kahuna of Surf and Soul! On the saxophone, Clarence Clemons!
Hey, take it!
Bring it up!
I know your mama, she don't like me 'cause I play in a rock and roll band
I know your pop don't dig me, never did understand
Papa lowered the boom, locked you in your room
Coming to lend a hand
Riding to liberate you, confiscate you, want to be your man
Someday we'll look back on this and it will all seem funny, da, da, da
Now you're sad, mama's mad
(Your papa says he knows that I don't have any money)
(Papa says he knows that I don't have any money)
(Papa says he knows that I don't have any money)
This is his last chance to get his daughter in a fine romance
Record company, Rosie, gave me a big advance!
My tires were slashed, 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 coming 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
A little café, they play guitars all night and day
You can see 'em in the back room strumming
Hold tight, Rosie, don't you know I'm coming
Everybody sing
Ohhhh!
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
(Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!)
[Spoken outro:] The E Street Band! Clarence Clemons! Dan Federici! Garry Tallent, Roy Bittan, The Mighty Max, and Miami Steve! You've been fantastic. (chuckles) You've been the greatest, what can I say. (The bomb squad!) You been just the greatest. I want to thank you for going through all the bullshit. You've been fantastic. Thank you.
The above lyrics are for the live 02 Oct 1975 performance of ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) at Uptown Theatre in Milwaukee, WI, during the Born To Run Tour. played in a full-band arrangement, featuring band introductions, with an instrumental snippet of Isaac Hayes' THEME FROM SHAFT in the midsection, and also featuring a snippet of Jay And The Americans' COME A LITTLE BIT CLOSER as an intro.
This show is famous for its bomb scare. Just 45 minutes into the concert, a bomb threat was phoned in to the theatre, and the night's MC Bob Reitman (disc jockey for WQFM) was forced to take the stage and inform the crowd of the threat, asking them to return in three hours time. The police searched the theatre and found no bomb, so the band returned at midnight for another two hours on stage. The band spent its time during the delay in a nearby bar and it's evident as the show got back underway that Springsteen had a few drinks.
Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help. Some of the above info is taken from Brucebase.
List of available versions of ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) on this website:
ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT) [Album version]