4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY)

a.k.a. SANDY

Album's version

Sandy the fireworks are hailin' over Little Eden tonight
Forcin' a light into all those stony faces left stranded on this warm Jul
Down in town the circuit's full with switchblade lovers so fast, so shiny, so sharp
As the wizards play down on Pinball Way on the boardwalk way past dark
And the boys from the casino dance with their shirts open like Latin lovers on the shore
Chasin' all them silly New York virgins by the score

Sandy the aurora is risin' behind us
This pier lights our carnival life forever
Oh love me tonight for I may never see you again
Hey Sandy girl
Now now baby

Now the greasers, ahh they tramp the streets or get busted for sleeping on the beach all night
Them boys in their high heels, ah Sandy their skins are so white
And me I just got tired of hangin' in them dusty arcades, bangin' them pleasure machines
Chasin' the factory girls underneath the boardwalk where they all promise to unsnap their jeans
And you know that tilt-a-whirl down on the south beach drag
I got on her last night and my shirt got caught
And they kept me spinnin' baby, they didn't think I'd ever get off

Oh Sandy, the aurora is risin' behind us
This pier lights our carnival life on the water
Runnin', laughin' 'neath the boardwalk with the boss's daughter
I remember Sandy girl
Now now now now now baby

Sandy, that waitress I was seeing lost her desire for me
I spoke with her last night, she said she won't set herself on fire for me anymore
She worked that joint under the boardwalk, she was always the girl you saw boppin' down on the beach with the radio
The kids say last night she was dressed like a star in one of them cheap little seaside bars, and I saw her parked with Loverboy out on the Kokomo
Did you hear the cops finally busted Madame Marie for tellin' fortunes better than they do
For me this boardwalk life is through baby
You ought to quit this scene too

Sandy, the aurora is rising behind us
This pier lights our carnival life forever
Oh love me tonight and I promise I'll love you forever
Oh me and Sandy girl
Now now now now now baby
Yeah promise Sandy girl
Shala la la la baby

This version is the one on the official The Wild, The Innocent, And The E Street Shuffle album. It was never used in live performances. Check also Live 1975-85 version, early version, "Songs" version, 18 Jul 1973 version, 31 Jul 1973 version, and the instrumental version.

Also published on many singles in 1974, 1987, and 1994 with THE E STREET SHUFFLE, BRILLIANT DISGUISE, SECRET GARDEN, PINK CADILLAC, and others...

Available on:

1. The Wild, The Innocent, And The E Street Shuffle (track 2)
2. The Essential Bruce Springsteen (disc 1- track 4)
3. Live 1975-85 (disc 1- track 4)
4. Tribute 1997: One Step Up / Two Steps Back: The Songs Of Bruce Springsteen (disc 1- track 13), performed by Ben E. King

Liner notes from the One Step Up / Two Steps Back: The Songs Of Bruce Springsteen tribute booklet:

As I Drove away from the session for "Sandy" it occurred to me that I haven't had to tackle a son as challenging as this since "Spanish Harlem," because of all those words and the movement. I found "Sandy" to be "pleasantly busy." The verses seemed a bit crammed on the first few go-rounds, and the challenge was to see why it wasn't working initially. I knew it could work because Bruce made it work. That was one of the fun things about it.

-Ben E. King

Ben E. King was a dream to work with. A man with his talent has no business exuding as much humility as he does. He is class personified.

As producers and arrangers, we had to work close to the wire to meet our deadline, and we were fortunate to grab seventeen of the New York/New Jersey area's finest musicians on short notice. The session was recorded with everyone playing together "live" in the studio, making excellent use of Jolly Roger recording's awesome vintage microphone collection. Less than a handful of overdubs were employed. When Ben E. arrived, the ensemble erupted in a standing ovation. Wish you coulda been there.

We hope that we captured the evocative ambiance inherent in Bruce's "4th Of Jul, Asbury Park (Sandy)." One thing is certain, Ben E. King brought it home and made it his own.

-Dennis Diken & Dave Amels, producers