FROM SMALL THINGS (BIG THINGS ONE DAY COME)^©

Studio version

One, tow, three, four
One, tow, three, four

At sixteen she quit high school to make a fortune in the Promised Land
She got a job behind the counter in an all night hamburger stand
She wrote faithfully home to mama, "now mama don't you worry none"
From small things, mama, big things one day come

It was late one Friday, he pulled in out of the dark
He was tall and handsome, first she took his order then she took his heart
They bought a house on the hillside, where little feet soon would run
From small things, mama, big things one day come

Oh but love is fleeting, it's sad but true
When your heart is beating, you don't wanna hear the news
She packed her bags and with a Wyomie County real estate man
She ran down to Tampa in an "El Dorado Grande"
She wrote back, "dear mama, life is just heaven in the sun
From small things, mama, big things one day come"

Well she shot him dead on a sunny Florida road
And when they caught her all she said was she couldn't stand the way he drove
Back home dear Johnny prays for his baby's parole
He waits on the hillside where the Wyomie waters roll
At his feet and almost grown now, a blue-eyed daughter and a handsome son
Well from small things, mama, big things one day come
Yeah from small things, mama, big things one day come

Page last updated: 17 Oct 2007

Music and lyrics by Bruce Springsteen, this The River outtake was recorded in late 1979 at the Power Station, New York City, NY, but was not released back then. It was given to Dave Edmunds who recorded it and released it on his 1982 album D.E. 7th (check out Dave Edmunds version for more details). Springsteen's recording was never officially released until its inclusion on The Essential Bruce Springsteen bonus disc in November 2003. The above lyrics are for that 1979 studio version.

That same recording had been circulating in its "unedited" form on bootlegs, most notably on The Definitive River Outtakes Collection Volume 2 (E Street Records). It is the only circulating studio recording of the song, and the official release has a slightly different mix from the unofficial one. This was take #22, after which the band launched directly into take #23. This can be heard on the unedited source, where in beginning the recorder say "Take 22", and when the song ends, he says "Take 23" preparing for the next one; the circulating recording stops there.

Bruce Springsteen's live debut of FROM SMALL THINGS was in June 1982, after Dave Edmunds had released his version on D.E. 7th in March that year. Springsteen played the song in small clubs in 1982 and 1983, 14 times as far as it's known:

1. 27 Jun 1982 at The Stone Pony, Asbury park, NJ, with Cats On A Smooth Surface.
2. 25 Jul 1982 at The Stone Pony, Asbury park, NJ, with Cats On A Smooth Surface.
3. 07 Aug 1982 at Big Man's West, Red Bank, NJ, with Beaver Brown.
4. 08 Aug 1982 at The Stone Pony, Asbury park, NJ, with Cats On A Smooth Surface.
5. 15 Aug 1982 at The Stone Pony, Asbury park, NJ, with Cats On A Smooth Surface.
6. 04 Sep 1982 at Big Man's West, Red Bank, NJ, with Beaver Brown.
7. 18 Sep 1982 at Big Man's West, Red Bank, NJ, with Dave Edmunds.
8. 19 Sep 1982 at The Stone Pony, Asbury park, NJ, with Cats On A Smooth Surface.
9. 21 Sep 1982 at Peppermint Lounge, New York City, NY, with Dave Edmunds.
10. 25 Sep 1982 at The Stone Pony, Asbury park, NJ, with Cats On A Smooth Surface.
11. 03 Oct 1982 at The Stone Pony, Asbury park, NJ, with Cats On A Smooth Surface.
12. 03 Dec 1982 at The Keystone, Palo Alto, CA, with Clarence Clemons and the band.
13. 24 Apr 1983 at The Stone Pony, Asbury park, NJ, with Cats On A Smooth Surface.
14. 28 Dec 1983 at Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ, with La Bamba.

Note that 8 of the above 14 performances took place at The Stone Pony, Asbury park, NJ, where Bruce Springsteen would come to hear Cats On A Smooth Surface about once a week (Sunday nights), and often get onstage and jam with them. Cats On A Smooth Surface is Bobby Bandiera's band, and was the club's house band for 15 years.

The song was rehearsed for the Tunnel Of Love Express Tour on 28 Jan 1988 at Expo Theater, Fort Monmouth, NJ. Confusion has surrounded the location of these rehearsals due to the fact that the military base actually encompasses parts of the towns of Eatontown and Oceanport, as well as the town of Fort Monmouth. The song was never played during the tour's regular shows.

The song would again be played in small clubs, 4 times as far as it's known:

1. 23 Jul 1989 at The Stone Pony, Asbury park, NJ, with Cats On A Smooth Surface.
2. 16 Aug 1989 at Cheers, Long Branch, NJ, with Bobby Bandiera.
3. 12 Jul 1991 at The Rumrunner, Seabright, NJ, with Bobby Bandiera.
4. 29 Jun 1993 at The Tradewinds, Seabright, NJ, with Clarence Clemons & The Red Bank Rockers.

FROM SMALL THINGS was on Springsteen's handwritten setlist for the 13 Apr 2002 benefit show for the Rumson Country Day School that was held at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ, but it was not performed during the show.

The song would reappear during The Rising Tour, played twice:

1. 11 Aug 2003 at the Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, PA, and that was the first ever on-tour performance of the song.
2. 28 Aug 2003 at the Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ, with Bobby Bandiera who joined the band onstage on this number. Check out the live 28 Aug 2003 version for more details.

Note that the song has been sound-checked earlier on the tour, on 05 Dec 2002 at the Air Canada Center, Toronto, Canada, but was not played during the regular show.

Following the tour, the song was performed on several occasions:

• 01 Nov 2003 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ, with Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers, during the fourth annual Light Of Day benefit show.
  
  
• 05 Dec 2003 at The Convention Center, Asbury Park, NJ, with Bobby Bandiera, during the first of the three 2003 Christmas Holiday shows. Check out the live 05 Dec 2003 version for more details.
  
  
• 25 Apr 2004 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ, during the third annual private fundraiser for the Rumson Country Day School.
  
  
• 06 Nov 2004 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ, with Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers, during the fifth annual Light of Day benefit show.
  
  
• 02 Dec 2004 at Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh, PA, with Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers, during the Flood Aid '04 benefit concert for Pennsylvanians who suffered damage from Hurricane Ivan in Sep 2004. Check out the live 02 Dec 2004 version for more details.
  
  
• 19 Dec 2004 at Harry's Roadhouse, Asbury Park, NJ, backed by Bobby Bandiera and his band, during both the early and late shows of the holiday jam held at the club.
  
  
• 02 May 2006 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ, backed by Bobby Bandiera and his band, during the fifth annual private fundraiser for the Rumson Country Day School.
  
  
• 17 Sep 2006 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ, backed by Bobby Bandiera and his band, during the first annual private fundraiser for the Ranny School of Tinton Falls, NJ.
  
  
• 29 Apr 2007 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ, backed by Bobby Bandiera and his band, during the second annual private fundraiser for the Ranny School of Tinton Falls, NJ.
  
  
• 13 Oct 2007 at the Max and Becky Weinberg residence, Rumson, NJ, during the "Kick Up Your Paws" SPCA fundraiser.

FROM SMALL THINGS (BIG THINGS ONE DAY COME) was covered by several artists over the years, including (most info taken from the Nebraska website):

Dave Edmunds / D.E. 7th LP - Columbia (PC 37930) - USA - 1982 CD - Arista (CK 37930) - USA - 1990 Dave Edmunds' version was released on several CD's, singles, and tribute albums. Check out Dave Edmunds' version for more details.

Stephen Ackles / Hey You! CD - Columbia (472 407 2) - Norway - 1992

Backseatboys / Wind Me Up CD - Kick Music (KICKCD 007) - Denmark - 1992

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band / The Rest Of The Dream LP - MCA (MCA-6407) - USA - 1990 CD - MCA (MCAD-6407) - USA - 1990

Jeff Stevens & The Bullets / Jeff Stevens & The Bullets CD - Atlantic (82079-2) - USA - 1990

Check out also the other available versions of this song:

• Studio version (more details)
• Live 28 Aug 2003 version
• Live 05 Dec 2003 version
• Live 02 Dec 2004 version
• Dave Edmunds' version

Liner notes by Bruce Springsteen from The Essential Bruce Springsteen booklet:

Cut at the power station in NY in '79. I busted out my Gretsch "country gentleman" guitar and the band drove the hell out of it in a take or two. I played this song for Dave Edmunds backstage in '80 and he made a great record of it.

Liner notes on The Definitive River Outtakes Collection Volume 2 booklet:

This great River outtake is obviously a favourite of Bruce's, as he has continued to perform it over the years. Amazingly, has never before appeared on a bootleg in its complete, full-band outtake form in high quality. The song probably dates from the middle-to-late period of the River sessions, and shares a spiritual connection to "Held Up without a Gun". Dave Edmunds, of course, later recorded the track, and once played part of the demo on BBC radio. The original E Street Band studio recording is used here.