COMING HOME^©

Live 17 Mar 1972 version

Whoah, living ain't easy on this side of the highway
Tryin' to get a holdout line
The thing you want is to have your fun
First they show you the gun and then they show you the line
Ah, but things are gonna change
Things are changin' every day

I'm just a lone boy travelin'
A'travelin' on that road
I'm just a lone boy travelin' mama
I ain't got no damn place to go
Mama, I'm coming home

Well, I don't wanna go back to Kansas
I don't wanna go there no more
I don't think I could stand it
First they show you their guns and then they show you the door
But things are gonna change
Things are changin' every day

I'm just a lone boy travellin'
Travellin' on that road
I'm just a lone boy travellin'
Lord, I gotta carry such a heavy load
Mama, I'm coming home
Ah, can't ya hear your daddy knockin'

Yeah, living ain't easy on this side of the highway
Tryin' to get to her alright
The thing that you want is to have your fun
First they show you the gun and then they show you the line
Yeah, but things are gonna change
Oh, things are changin' every day

I don't wanna go back to Kansas
I don't wanna go there no more
I don't think I could stand it
It's a long time tryin' to find a home
Mama, I'm coming home

Yeah, papa's comin' home
Yeah, papa's comin' home to mama
Oh won't you get me home

Page last updated: 05 Jul 2007

The above lyrics correspond to a reasonable quality soundboard recording of COMING HOME. Date and location are unknown, but it is assumed that it comes from the 17 Mar 1972 show at Richmond Arena, Richmond, VA (the same concert from which the only known live recording of CHEROKEE QUEEN comes from).

The audio dynamics and ambient venue audio dynamics are a perfect match to CHEROKEE QUEEN and the rest of the circulating pro-recorded audio from that 17 Mar 1972 show. The existing audio of that gig has edits between some songs, so there is no reason why this track doesn't slot in somewhere in the night's setlist.

The ambient venue audio dynamics are definitely not that of a club - but, rather, of a medium to large auditorium - which the 5,000-seat Richmond Arena was. The Bruce Springsteen Band did not play many such venues. The band heard on this audio of COMING HOME is:

• Springsteen - vocals, lead guitar
• Van Zandt - slide/lead guitar
• Sancious - organ
• Tallent - bass
• Lopez - drums

This is a brilliant rendition of COMING HOME, far better than the other (earlier) live version in existence. Vini Lopez is absolutely on fire on the drums on this track, as is the Springsteen-Van Zandt guitar interplay. The fact that this version is better than the other one supports the assumption that it was recorded later in time (3 months). Lyrics are a little different from the live 11 Dec 1971 version.

Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake from BTX and Greasy Lake) and Audio2575 for the lyrics help.