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

Song title: My hometown


My hometown - BITUSA release

I was eight years old and running with a dime in my hand
Into the bus stop to pick up a paper for my old man
I’d sit on his lap in that big old Buick and steer as we drove through town
He’d tousle my hair and say son take a good look around
This is your hometown, this is your hometown
This is your hometown, this is your hometown

In `65 tension was running high at my high school
There was a lot of fights between the black and white
There was nothing you could do
Two cars at a light on a Saturday night in the back seat there was a gun
Words were passed in a shotgun blast
Troubled times had come to my hometown
My hometown, my hometown, my hometown

Now Main Street’s whitewashed windows and vacant stores
Seems like there ain’t nobody wants to come down here no more
They’re closing down the textile mill across the railroad tracks
Foreman says these jobs are going boys and they ain’t coming back to
Your hometown, your hometown, your hometown, your hometown

Last night me and Kate we laid in bed talking about getting out
Packing up our bags maybe heading south
I’m thirty-five we got a boy of our own now
Last night I sat him up behind the wheel and said son take a good look around
This is your hometown

Notes: Have a look to 1979's Chevrolet deluxe

My hometown - Rockabilly take 1

I was eight years old and running with a dime in my hand
Into the bus stop to pick up a paper for my old man
I'd sit on his lap in that big old Buick and I'd steer as we drove through town
He'd tousle my hair and say son take a good look around

This is your hometown, this is your hometown
The world you may travel around, but this is your hometown

In `65 tension was running high at my high school
There was a lot of fights between the black and white
There was nothing you could do
Two cars at the light on a Saturday night in the back seat there was a gun
Words were passed in a shotgun blast
Troubled times had come to my hometown

To my hometown, to my hometown, to my hometown

Now Main Street's whitewashed windows and vacant stores
Seems like there ain't nobody wants to come down here no more
They're closing down the textile mill across the little Texas tracks
Foreman says these jobs are going boys and they ain't coming back to

To your hometown, to your hometown, to your hometown, to your hometown

Now there's a hill outside of town where me and my wife
Watch the stars rising brightly in the black endless sky
I'm thirty-five we got a boy of our own
Last night I drove through town
Sat him up behind the wheel and said son take a good look around

This is your hometown, this is your hometown
The world you may travel around but this is your hometown
This is your hometown, this is your hometown
The world you may travel around but this is your hometown
This is your hometown, this is your hometown
The world you may travel around but this is your hometown

Notes: These are the lyrics of one of the many rockabilly takes of this song Bruce recorded

My hometown - Rockabilly take 2

I was eight years old and running with a dime in my hand
Into the bus stop to pick up a paper for my old man
He'd sit me on his lap in that big old Buick and I'd steer as we drove through town
He'd tousle my hair and say son take a good look around

This is your hometown, this is your hometown
The world you may travel around, but this is your hometown

In `65 tension was running high at my high school
There was a lot of fights between the black and white
There was nothing you could do
Two cars at the light on a Saturday night in the back seat there was a gun
Words were passed in a shotgun blast
Troubled times had come to my hometown

To my hometown, to my hometown, to my hometown

Now Main Street's whitewashed windows and vacant stores
Seems like there ain't nobody wants to come down here no more
They're closing down the textile mill across the little Texas tracks
Foreman says these jobs are going boys and they ain't coming back to

To your hometown, to your hometown, to your hometown, to your hometown

Last night in bed me and Jane were talking about getting out
Maybe packing up our stuff here, maybe heading south
Thirty-five we got a boy of our own, last night we drove through town
I sat him up behind the wheel and said "son take a good look around"

This is your hometown, this is your hometown
The world you may travel around but this is your hometown
This is your hometown, this is your hometown
The world you may travel around but this is your hometown
This is your hometown, this is your hometown
The world you may travel around but this is your hometown

Notes: These are the lyrics of one of the many rockabilly takes of this song Bruce recorded

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

Published on the following official releases:

First known live performance: 08/06/1984 Stone Pony, Asbury Park,NJ ,USA
Last known live performance: 15/12/2018 Walter Kerr Theatre, New York,NY ,USA

Song 'history':


Published on BORN IN THE USA, in 1984
Widely used in the Born in the U.S.A. tour, as it was performed 134 times
The song (in live version) was then included in the 'LIVE 1975-85' box set
Played during the '1987 bar tour', which is the name under which I group the 1987 shows Bruce played with various small bands, or guesting, in small NJ clubs.
Performed 20 times during the 1988 Amnesty International tour
Played, in acoustic version, at the Christic Shows in LA, 16/17-Nov-1990.
Often played during the Human Touch tour (54 times)
The song was then included in the GREATEST HITS compilation, released in 1995.
One only rendering for this song in the Ghost of Tom Joad tour (08/11/1996 St. Rose of Lima School, Freehold,NJ ,USA)
The Reunion tour counted 18 apparitions of this song
Played during the Rising tour (12 times)
Played during the 'Double Take' shows in 2002
Played during the Vote For Change tour, in October 2004.
Played during the rehearsals for the Devils and dust Tour, in Mar/Apr 2005.
During the Devils and Dust tour, the song was played less than a dozen times
Played during the rehearsals for the Magic tour, in Sep 2007.
Played only a couple of times in the whole Magic tour (05/10/2007 Wachovia Center, Philadelphia,PA ,USA and 17/03/2008 Bradley Center, Milwaukee,WI ,USA)
Just 4 shots during the Working on a Dream tour
Scarcely used during the Wrecking Ball tour, with less than a dozen inclusions
Two only renderings for this song in the High Hopes tour (15/02/2014 AAMI Park, Melbourne ,Australia and 01/03/2014 Mt. Smart Stadium, Auckland ,New Zealand)
Not much used during the 2016 The River tour, deserving only 4 renderings
Published in live soundtrack of 'Springsteen on Broadway' show
Performed 2 times during the 2017 Summer tour
A stable inclusion in each Springsteen on Broadway tour show

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