ROSE^©

Live 17 Dec 2000 version

Sha na na na na na
Sha na na na na na
Rose was a waitress for twenty years or more
Packing in the pocket change, she was heaven sent
She taught me how to balance trays when I didn't know what to do
And I learned to turn enough tables to make my rent
She said "keep your eye on the work clock
Keep a quarter in the jukebox
There's some top shelf whiskey behind the coffee machine
Don't talk to the boss, he's got a taste for trucker
And a temper that's cross
He's a working definition of what it is to be mean"

I'm goin' out on the streets of the city boy
Spend my money tonight
I'm going out on the streets of the city
Rose you're pushing fifty, but you sure look alright now
Sha na na na na na
Sha na na na na na

Now there's this Spanish guy who speaks no English
And he does the dishes by hand
And you know his case it never slides
I said " Rose he must be one of god's own children"
She just laughs at me and says "yeah, god's got him doing the dishes
All night out the back"
Oh but he keeps smiling and those dinner plates keep pilin'
Up so high, seems he can't make a dent
Me I'm just bitchin' by the service station
Cause I'm tired of waitin' on all these jokers
For a lousy ten per cent

I'm goin' out on the streets of the city boy
Spend my money tonight
I'm going out on the streets of the city
Rose you're pushing fifty, but you sure look alright now
Sha na na na na na
Sha na na na na na

Oh I traveled once with this rock and roll band
And my baby was a hero to every small town local man
And I watched that golden summer of Chelsea 88
Pass through the rear view mirror of his rented car
Oh but don't you learn real young and fast
That the good times they aren't meant to last
Sweet love, ain't it the first to disappear
Rose sometimes you know I get so frightened
That I'm gonna be spending the rest of my life
Working on the graveyard shift here

I'm goin' out on the streets of the city boy
Spend my money tonight
I'm going out on the streets of the city
Rose you're pushing fifty, but you sure look alright now
Sha na na na na na
Sha na na na na na
Sha na na na na na
Sha na na na na na

Page last updated: 12 Mar 2008

Written by Patti Scialfa, ROSE is from her 2004 album 23rd Street Lullaby. Check out Patti Scialfa's album's version for more details.

The two nights of the 2000 Asbury Park holiday shows were billed as "Bruce Springsteen with The Max Weinberg 7 with Friends". The Max Weinberg 7 and the Redheaded Women (Patti Scialfa, Soozie Tyrell, and Lisa Lowell) served as the house band, with Bruce bringing others in and out the stage. Both nights, Patti Scialfa got a two-songs set in the spotlight: ROSE and AS LONG AS I (CAN BE WITH YOU). She was backed by Bruce on the first songs, and Bruce and Bobby Bandiera on the second.

• 17 Dec 2000 at the Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ (the above lyrics are for this night's performance)
• 18 Dec 2000 at the Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ

Note that these two live performances of ROSE took place almost four years prior to the song's official release.