Live 18 Jun 1988 version
[Spoken intro:] Bonsoir. Racism is a poison at the heart of American society. And I'm proud to be here tonight.
On a rattlesnake speedway in the Utah desert
I pick up my money, head back into town
Driving 'cross the Waynesboro county line
I got the radio on but I'm just killing time
Working all day in my daddy's garage
Driving all night chasing some mirage
Well pretty soon little girl I'm gonna take charge
Well the dogs on Main Street howl 'cause they understand
If I could take one moment into my hands
Mister I ain't a boy, no I'm a man
And I believe in a promised land
Well I've done my best to live the right way
I get up every morning, go to work each day
But your eyes go blind and your blood runs cold
Sometimes I feel so weak I just wanna explode
Explode and tear this whole town apart
Take a knife and cut this pain from my heart
Try to find somebody looking for something to start
Well the dogs on Main Street howl 'cause they understand
If I could take one moment into my hands
Mister I ain't a boy, no I'm a man
And I believe in a promised land
There's a dark cloud rising 'cross the desert floor
I packed my bags and I'm heading straight into the storm
Gonna be a twister to blow everything down
That ain't got the guts to stand its ground
Blow away the dreams that tear you apart
Blow away the dreams that break your heart
Blow away the lies that leave you nothing but lost and brokenhearted
Well the dogs on Main Street howl 'cause they understand
If I could take one moment into my hands
Mister I ain't a boy, no I'm a man
And I believe in a promised land
And I believe in a promised land
And I believe in a promised land
Sha la-la, na-na na-na
Na-na na-na, na-na-na-na-na
Sha la-la, la-la la-la
La-la la-la, la-la-la-la-la
Merci.
The above lyrics are for the live 18 Jun 1988 performance of THE PROMISED LAND at Chateau De Vincennes in Paris, France, during a guest appearance at the S.O.S. Racism Concert. The concert was broadcast on TV in France. The song featured Bruce Springsteen on vocals, acoustic guitar, and harmonica, accompanied by Clarence Clemons on backing vocals, percussion, and saxophones.
List of available versions of THE PROMISED LAND on this website:
THE PROMISED LAND [Album version]