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Song title: 57 channels (and nothin' on)


57 channels (and nothin' on) - Album version

I bought a bourgeois house in the Hollywood hills
With a truckload of hundred thousand dollar bills
Man came by to hook up my cable TV
We settled in for the night my baby and me
We switched ‘round and ‘round ‘til half-past dawn
There was fifty-seven channels and nothin’ on

Well now home entertainment was my baby’s wish
So I hopped into town for a satellite dish
I tied it to the top of my Japanese car
I came home and I pointed it out into the stars
A message came back from the great beyond
There’s fifty-seven channels and nothin’ on

Well we might’a made some friends with some billionaires
We might’a got all nice and friendly if we’d made it upstairs
All I got was a note that said “Bye-bye John
Our love is fifty-seven channels and nothin’ on”

So I bought a .44 magnum it was solid steel cast
And in the blessed name of Elvis well I just let it blast
‘Til my TV lay in pieces there at my feet
And they busted me for disturbing the almighty peace
Judge said “What you got in your defense son?”
“Fifty-seven channels and nothin’ on”

I can see by your eyes friend you’re just about gone
Fifty-seven channels and nothin’ on…

Notes: This is the album version, with some minor but notable differences with the previously performed versions.

57 channels (and nothin' on) - 16-Nov-1990 version

I bought a Hollywood house in the bourgeois hills
For a dump truck of hundred thousand dollar bills
Man came by to hook up my cable TV
We settled in for the night my baby and me
We switched 'round and 'round until a-half-past dawn
But there were fifty-seven channels man and nothin' on

Yeah well now home entertainment was my baby's wish
So I hopped into town for a satellite dish
Came home, tied it to my japanese car
Put it, stuck it in the backyard, aimed it at the stars
A message came back from the great beyond
Son, there's fifty-seven channels and nothin' on
Well like a wheel of fortune we were spinnin' that[1] Wishing home night to the morning with our eyes gone fishing
Message up, we sat there on that couch 'till just about dawn
Fifty-seven channels and nothin' on

Mmm-hmm yeah!
Yuh! Mmm all right now!
Noow... Oh yeah

Well we might'a made some friends with some billionaires
We might'a got all hot and horny if we'd made it upstairs
All I got was a note that said "Good-bye John
Our love is fifty-seven channels and nothin' on"

Well I bought a .44 magnum, it was solid steel cast
In the blessed name of Elvis well I let it blast
'Til my TV was in pieces there at my feet
And they busted me for disturbin' the almighty peace
Judge said "What you got in your defense son?"
I shouted "Fifty-seven channels
There was fifty-seven channel
There's fifty-seven channels and nothin' on"

Whoa, I keep switchin'
My mind's twitchin'
My finger trigger's itchin'

I can see by your eyes friend you're just about gone
You're fifty-seven channels and nothin' on

Notes: Slightly different from both the album version and the next night performance.
[1]This verse was cut for the album version.

57 channels (and nothin' on) - 17-Nov-1990 version

I bought a Hollywood house in the bourgeois hills
With a dump truck of hundred thousand dollar bills
Man came by to hook up my cable TV
Settled in for the night my baby and me
We switched 'round and 'round until a-half-past dawn
But there were fifty-seven channels man and nothin' on

Well now home entertainment was my baby's wish
So I hopped into town for a satellite dish
Home, tied it to the roof of my japanese car
Came home and I pointed it up into the stars
Well a message came back from the great beyond
Said there was fifty-seven channels son and nothin' on

Whoa!

Hey well like a wheel of fortune we kept spinnin' that[1]
Wishing home night to the morning with our eyes gone fishing
We sat there on that couch 'till just about dawn
Fifty-seven channel and nothin' on

Whoa!
Whoa!
Whoa!
Yeah!
Whoa!

Well we might'a made some friends with some billionaires
We might'a got all hot and horny if we'd made it upstairs
All I got was a note that said "Good-bye John
Our love is fifty-seven channels and nothin' on"

So I went down to the porn shop next to the Pussycat Theater on Santa Monica
I bought a .44 magnum, it was solid steel cast
In the blessed name of Elvis well I let it blast
'Til my TV was in pieces there at my feet
And they busted me for disturbin' the almighty peace
Judge said "What you got in your defense son?"
I shouted "Fifty-seven channels
Judge, there's fifty-seven channel
There's fifty-seven channels and there's nothin' on" I keep switchin' Mmm, my mind is twitchin' My finger trigger's itchin' Mmm-hmm Friend, I can see by your eyes, well you're just about gone You're fifty-seven channels and nothin' on

Notes: Slightly different from both the album version and the previous night performance.
[1]This verse was cut for the album version.

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

Published on the following official releases:

First known live performance: 16/11/1990 Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles,CA ,USA
Last known live performance: 26/06/1993 Madison Square Garden, New York,NY ,USA

Song 'history':


Played, in acoustic version, at the Christic Shows in LA, 16/17-Nov-1990.
Published on HUMAN TOUCH, in 1992.
Performed every night of the Human Touch tour

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