AMERICAN LAND

Live 18 Nov 2006 version

One, two, one two three

Whoa!

What is this land America, so many travel there
I'm going now while I'm still young, my darling meet me there
Wish me luck my lovely, I'll send for you when I can
And we'll make our home in the American land

Over there the women wear silk and satin to their knees
Children dear, the sweets, I hear, are growing on the trees
Gold comes rushing out the rivers straight into your hands
If you make your home in the American land

There's diamonds in the sidewalk, there's gutters lined in song
Dear, I hear that beer flows through the faucets all night long
There's treasure for the taking, for any hard working man
Who'll make his home in the American land
Whoa!

I docked at Ellis Island in the city of light and spire
Wandered to the valley of red-hot steel and fire
Made the steel that built the cities with the sweat of our two hands
We made our home in the American land

There's diamonds in the sidewalk, there's gutters lined in song
Dear, I hear that beer flows through the faucets all night long
There's treasure for the taking, for any hard working man
Who will make his home in the American land

The McNicholas, the Posalskis, the Smiths, Zerillis too
The Blacks, the Irish, Italians, the Germans and the Jews
Come across the water a thousand miles from home
With nothing in their bellies but the fire down below

They died building the railroads, worked to bones and skin
Died in the fields and factories, names scattered in the wind
Died to get here a hundred years ago, they're dying now
The hands that built the country we're always trying to keep down

There's diamonds in the sidewalk, there's gutters lined in song
Dear, I hear that beer flows through the faucets all night long
There's treasure for the taking, for any hard working man
Who'll make his home in the American land
Who'll make his home in the American land
Who'll make his home in the American land
Come on!

Whoa!

(Hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo-hoo-hoo hoo-hoo)
(Hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo-hoo-hoo hoo-hoo)
(Hoo, hoo, hoo, hoo-hoo-hoooo hoooo)

Page last updated: 24 Jan 2012

Info

The above lyrics are for the live 18 Nov 2006 performance of AMERICAN LAND at Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland, during The Seeger Sessions Tour. This performance of the song was included on the Live In Dublin CD and DVD releases in 2007.

Ticket stub for the 18 Nov 2006 show at Point Theatre, Dublin, Ireland
[Taken from Brucebase]

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Live In Dublin Audio and Video Releases

At the end of the Seeger Sessions Tour, the three-night stand at Point Theater in Dublin, Ireland, (17-18-19 Nov 2006) was filmed with nine High Definition (HD) cameras. A selection of 23-songs from these three nights was officially released on 05 Jun 2007 on the Live In Dublin album and DVD, credited to Bruce Springsteen With The Sessions Band. Note the dropping of "Seeger" from the band's name for this release, probably due to the fact that many of the songs on this release are Springsteen originals from his earlier records, or covers that are not related to Pete Seeger.

Live In Dublin is available in 4 formats:

A 2-CD set
A standard DVD
A 2-CD/1-DVD combo set
A Blu-ray disc

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The album charted in several countries, but only made it to #1 in Ireland.

Country	Chart	Peak position
Australia		40
Canada		31
Denmark		5
Ireland		1
Italy		4
New Zealand		14
Spain		3
Sweden		2
The Netherlands		4
UK		21
USA	Billboard 200	23

The video was edited by Emmy- and Grammy-winner Thom Zimny, with audio mixed by Bob Clearmountain (including 5.1 surround) and mastered by Bob Ludwig.

Live In Dublin disc 1 track list (2-CD set format):

ATLANTIC CITY [Dublin, 17 Nov 2006]
OLD DAN TUCKER [Dublin, 19 Nov 2006]
EYES ON THE PRIZE [Dublin, 18 Nov 2006]
JESSE JAMES [Dublin, 18 Nov 2006]
FURTHER ON (UP THE ROAD) [Dublin, 17 Nov 2006]
O MARY DON'T YOU WEEP [Dublin, 17 Nov 2006]
ERIE CANAL [Dublin, 19 Nov 2006]
IF I SHOULD FALL BEHIND [Dublin, 19 Nov 2006]
MY OKLAHOMA HOME [Dublin, 18 Nov 2006]
HIGHWAY PATROLMAN [Dublin, 18 Nov 2006]
MRS MCGRATH [Dublin, 17 Nov 2006]
HOW CAN A POOR MAN STAND SUCH TIMES AND LIVE [Dublin, 18 Nov 2006]
JACOB'S LADDER [Dublin, 18 Nov 2006]

Live In Dublin disc 2 track list (2-CD set format):

LONG TIME COMIN' [Dublin, 17 Nov 2006]
OPEN ALL NIGHT [Dublin, 18 Nov 2006]
PAY ME MY MONEY DOWN [Dublin, 17 Nov 2006]
GROWIN' UP [Dublin, 17 Nov 2006]
WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN [Dublin, 19 Nov 2006]
THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE [Dublin, 19 Nov 2006]
AMERICAN LAND [Dublin, 18 Nov 2006]
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT [bonus track - Dublin, 19 Nov 2006]
LOVE OF THE COMMON PEOPLE [bonus track - Barcelona, 24 Oct 2006]
WE SHALL OVERCOME [bonus track - Dublin, 19 Nov 2006]

Live In Dublin DVD and Blu-ray track list:

All 23 tracks on a single disc

Bruce Springsteen With The Sessions Band PBS Exclusive, a US-only promotional CD EP, was issued in Spring 2007 as a unique bonus item given exclusively to donors supporting the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) programming with a minimum pledge of $90. This EP contains five live tracks recorded during Springsteen's three-show stand at The Point in Dublin, Ireland, in November 2006, but left off the Live In Dublin album and home video releases. None of these five tracks is officially available elsewhere. Catalogue number is COL 88697 11292 2.

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[Click here to display/hide detailed track listing]

Available Versions

List of available versions of AMERICAN LAND on this website:

Credits

Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake).