HOMESTEAD

I was born in the corn fields of Kentucky
I moved north in '73
The war was still going strong so I found a job
Rolling steel in a foundry in Homestead

I worked beside a guy named Grzbowski
Who taught me how to keep safe
He said "there's many a man who lost the fingers from their hands"
You could wind up crippled or dead in Homestead

And the steel glowed in the white hot chambers
The furnace spit fire and smoke
And the sunlight came through the cracks in the roof
The dust was so thick you could choke

I heard all the old stories about the twelve hour shifts in the mill
And the union brothers the Pinkertons tried hard to kill
Heard about Frick and Carnegie the day the river ran red
How the union caved in, in Homestead

It was more than a job it was my family
I got married, settled down, bought a home
And in the bars down the street, in the late summer heat
You never had to feel alone

I got work tearin' those old mills down
Until there's nothing left but the sweat and blood in the ground
At night we tuck our little babies in bed
We still pray to the red, white and blue in Homestead
I'm still livin' in Homestead

Co-written by Joe Grushecky and Bruce Springsteen, originally by Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers, from their 1995 album American Babylon. Bruce Springsteen produced this album and participated in its recording. He played guitar, harmonica, and mandolin on this particular track. Also included on the The Bruce Springsteen Songbook tribute album. The song is about a little steel town in Pittsburg called Homestead (read the spoken introductions below).

Known to be played 16 times, on-tour and off-tour, always with Joe Grushecky:
- 17 Oct 1995 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ
- 18 Oct 1995 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ
- 19 Oct 1995 at The Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA
- 20 Oct 1995 at Nick's Fat City, Pittsburgh, PA
- 21 Oct 1995 at Nick's Fat City, Pittsburgh, PA
- 24 Oct 1995 at Park West, Chicago, IL
- 16 Sep 1996 at Benedum Center, Pittsburgh, PA, during the The Ghost Of Tom Joad tour
- 13 Dec 1997 at The Cheers, Long Branch, NJ
- 02 Mar 1998 at Nick's Fat City, Pittsburgh, PA
- 03 Nov 2000 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ, during the 1st annual Light Of Day Benefit
- 02 Nov 2002 at The Tradewinds, Sea Bright, NJ, during the 3rd annual Light Of Day Benefit
- 01 Nov 2003 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ, during the 4th annual Light Of Day Benefit
- 17 Jul 2004 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ
- 06 Nov 2004 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ, during the 5th annual Light Of Day Benefit
- 02 Dec 2004 at Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh, PA, during the Flood Aid '04 benefit concert
- 28 Jul 2005 at Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh, PA, during the Devils & Dust tour

Spoken intro on 16 Sep 1996 at Benedum Center, Pittsburgh, PA:

Thank you. Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to, I'd like to bring out a man... We share the same tailor (chuckles), a fellow Pittsburghian. That's right, that's right. A man, what can I say? I had to shave off the bottom part of my beard 'cause the man was copying me and goddammit, I can't stand it! (chuckles) Let's bring him on out, Mr. Joe Grushecky (Joe arrives onstage). Alright, for the first time in public, matter of fact, for the first time (chuckles), I hope you know this one, right?

Spoken intro on 02 Mar 1998 at Nick's Fat City, Pittsburgh, PA:

(Joe Grushecky: Hey uh, did we mention we have Bruce Springsteen with us tonight?) (cheers) Nice to be in Pittsburg! (Joe: He was just driving through and he decided to stop) I was uh, planning on coming out this way too (Joe: Send this out to my brother John).

Spoken intro on 03 Nov 2000 at The Stone Pony, Asbury Park, NJ:

(Joe: Hey, from Spain) Viva Espana (chuckles) (Joe: Well, we'll do one that Bruce and I wrote, this is a song about a little steel town back in Pittsburg called Homestead)