Bruce Springsteen lyrics -- Bruce Springsteen shows -- Bruce Springsteen records

Song title: Jackson cage


Jackson cage

Driving home she grabs something to eat
Turns a corner and drives down her street
Into a row of houses she just melts away
Like the scenery in another man’s play[1]
Into a house where the blinds are closed
To keep from seeing things she don’t wanna know
She pulls the blinds and looks out on the street
The cool of the night takes the edge off the heat

In the Jackson Cage
Down in Jackson Cage
You can try with all your might
But you’re reminded every night
That you been judged and handed life
Down in Jackson Cage

Every day ends in wasted motion
Just crossed swords on the killing floor
To settle back is to settle without knowing
The hard edge that you’re settling for
Because there’s always just one more day
And it’s always gonna be that way
Little girl you’ve been down here so long
I can tell by the way that you move you belong to

The Jackson Cage
Down in Jackson Cage
And it don’t matter just what you say
Are you tough enough to play the game they play
Or will you just do your time and fade away
Down into the Jackson Cage

Baby there’s nights when I dream of a better world
But I wake up so downhearted girl
I see you feeling so tired and confused
I wonder what it’s worth to me or you
Just waiting to see some sun
Never knowing if that day will ever come
Left alone standing out on the street
Till you become the hand that turns the key down in[1]
Jackson Cage
Down in Jackson Cage
Well darlin’ can you understand
The way that they will turn a man
Into a stranger to waste away[1]
Down in the Jackson Cage

Notes: [1] Many of these lyrics can be found in Whitetown ('79) and Where the bands are


Jackson cage - Early take

Down in the Jackson Cage
Down in the Jackson Cage
Down in the Jackson Cage
Down in the Jackson Cage

You take the chances that you gotta take
You drive hard and you stay awake
Keep what you get...take what you can get and keep what you hold
And you used to be important... ??? You sit crying, ready on stage
You learn to cool your temper and collect your wage
To use it well down in Jackson cage
Men down in Jackson Cage
Down in Jackson Cage

Notes: Early acoustic take practiced in 1979


Statistics from the KILLING FLOOR (www.brucespringsteen.it) database


Published on the following official releases:

First known live performance: 03/10/1980 Chrysler Arena, Ann Arbor,MI ,USA
Last known live performance: 28/07/2016 Frogner Park, Oslo ,Norway

Song 'history':


Published on the double album THE RIVER, in 1980
44 perfomances were given during the River tour
In the Reunion tour, the song was only practiced (25/10/1999 Oakland Arena, Oakland,CA ,USA, during the soundcheck.) but never played in the regular set.
Scarcely used during the Rising tour, with less than a dozen inclusions
In the Devils and Dust tour, the song was only practiced (10/05/2005 Xcel Energy center, Saint Paul,MN ,USA, during the soundcheck.) but never played in the regular set.
Not much used during the Magic tour, deserving only less than a dozen renderings
Not much used during the Working on a Dream tour, deserving only 5 renderings
Not much used during the Wrecking Ball tour, deserving only less than a dozen renderings
Bruce gave this song only two shots through the High Hopes tour (12/02/2014 Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide ,Australia and 26/04/2014 Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood, Atlanta,GA ,USA)
Published in live version in the DVD: 'Tempe 80' of 'THE TIES THAT BIND'
A frequent number (45 apparitions) of renderings during the 2016 The River tour

The song was also played in informal happenings or off-tour appearances
Data from the www.brucespringsteen.it database