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

Song title: Racing in the street


Racing in the street - Album version

I got a sixty-nine Chevy with a 396
Fuelie heads and a Hurst on the floor
She’s waiting tonight down in the parking lot
Outside the Seven-Eleven store
Me and my partner Sonny built her straight out of scratch
And he rides with me from town to town
We only run for the money got no strings attached
We shut `em up and then we shut `em down

Tonight tonight the strip’s just right
I wanna blow `em off in my first heat
Summer’s here and the time is right
We’re goin’ racin’ in the street

We take all the action we can meet
And we cover all the northeast state
When the strip shuts down we run `em in the street
From the fire roads to the interstate
Some guys they just give up living
And start dying little by little piece by piece
Some guys come home from work and wash up
Then go racin’ in the street

Tonight tonight the strip’s just right
I wanna blow `em all out of their seats
Calling out around the world
We’re going racin’ in the street

I met her on the strip three years ago
In a Camaro with this dude from L.A.
I blew that Camaro off my back and drove that little girl away
But now there’s wrinkles around my baby’s eyes
And she cries herself to sleep at night
When I come home the house is dark
She sighs “Baby did you make it all right”
She sits on the porch of her daddy’s house
But all her pretty dreams are torn
She stares off alone into the night
With the eyes of one who hates for just being born

For all the shut-down strangers and hot rod angels
Rumbling through this promised land
Tonight my baby and me we’re gonna ride to the sea
And wash these sins off our hands

Tonight tonight the highway’s bright
Out of our way mister you best keep
`Cause summer’s here and the time is right
We’re goin’ racin’ in the street

Racing in the street - 32 Ford outtake 1

I got a 32 Ford, she's a 318
Fuelie heads and a Hurst on the floor
She'll be sitting tonight down in the parking lot
Down at the Seven-Eleven store
Me and my partner Sonny built her straight out of scratch
And he rides with me from town to town
We only run for the money ain't no strings attached
We shut `em up and we shut `em down
Tonight tonight the strip's just right
I wanna blow `em all out of their seats
So come on out around the world
We're goin' racin' in the street

Well we take all the action we can meet
And we cover all the northeast states
When the strip shuts down we run `em in the street
From the back roads to the turnpike gates
Now some guys they do it for the money
Other guys do it cause they don't know what else they can do
And me I sit with nothing left at home
I got tired of waking up in a world that somebody else owns
And so tonight tonight the strip's just right
I wanna blow `em off in my first heat
Summer's here and the time is right
For goin' racin' in the street

Well I met her on the strip three years ago
She was in a Camaro with this dude from L.A.
And I blew that Camaro off my back
And I stole that little girl away
But now there wrinkles round my baby's eyes
And she cries herself to sleep at night
When I come home the house is dark
She whispers "hey baby did you make it all right?"

Tonight tonight the strips just right
I wanna blow'em all out of their seats
And so come out now everyone
And we'll go racing in the street
Yes come on out now little one and we'll go dying in the street
Yes come on out now everyone and we'll go dying in the street
Look at me it's true
Baby what else can we do
Racing in the street
Racing in the street

Racing in the street - 32 Ford outtake 2

Got a 32 Ford, she's a 318
Fuelie heads and a Hurst on the floor
She's waiting tonight down in the parking lot
Outside the Seven-Eleven store
Me and my partner Sonny built her straight out of scratch
And he rides with me from town to town
We only run for the money got no strings attached
We shut 'em up and we shut 'em down
Tonight tonight the strip's just right
I wanna blow 'em all out of their seats
Come on out around the world
We're goin' racin' in the street

We take all the action we can meet
And we cover all the northeast states
When the strip shuts down we run 'em in the street
From the back roads to the turnpike gates
Some guys they do it for the money
Other guys do it cause they don't know what else they can do
Well and they just hang around in an empty home
Waking up in a world that somebody else owns
Tonight tonight the strip's just right
I wanna blow 'em off in my first heat
Well summer's here and the time is right
For racin' in the street

I met her on the strip three years ago
In a Camaro with this dude from L.A.
I blew that Camaro off my back and I stole that little girl away
But now there's wrinkles around my baby's eyes
And she cries herself to sleep at night
The truth it hurts, we turn out the lights
Just to make it all right
She sits on the porch of her daddy's house
But honey your pretty dress is torn
She stares off alone into the night
With the eyes of one who hates for just being born

For all the blown-off strangers and hot rod angels
Stumbling through this promised land
Tonight my baby and me we're gonna ride to the sea
And wash these sins off our hands
Tonight tonight the strips just right
I wanna blow them off in my first heat
Well come on out the time is right
We're goin' racin' in the street

Racing in the street - 69 Chevy outtake 1

I got a sixty-nine Chevy with a 396
Fuelie heads and a Hurst on the floor
She's waiting tonight down in the parking lot
Outside the Seven-Eleven store
Me and my partner Sonny built her straight out of scratch
And he rides with me from town to town
We only run for the money got no strings attached
We shut 'em up and then we shut 'em down
Tonight tonight the strip's just right
I wanna blow 'em off in my first heat
Summer's here and the time is right
For racin' in the street

We take all the action we can meet
And we cover all the northeast state
When the strip shuts down we run 'em in the street
From the fire roads to the interstate
Some guys they do it for the money
Because they dont know what else they can do
They get tired of living with nothing left at home
Waking up in a world that somebody else owns

Tonight tonight the strip's just right
I wanna fools and the wild one's me
We're calling out around the world
We're going racin' in the street

I met her on the strip three years ago
In a Camaro with this dude from L.A.
I blew that Camaro off my back and drove that little girl away
But now there's wrinkles 'round my baby's eyes
And she cries herself to sleep at night
When I come home the house is dark
She sighs "Baby did you make it all right"
She sits on the porch of her daddy's house
But all her pretty dreams are torn
She stares off alone into the night
With the eyes of one who hates for just being born
For all the shut-down strangers and hot rod angels
Rumbling through this promised land
Tonight my baby and me we're gonna ride to the sea
And wash these sins off our hands
Tonight tonight the highway's bright
Out of our way mister you best keep
'Cause summer's here and the time is right
For racin' in the street

Racing in the street - " '78 " from 'The Promise'

Got a 32 Ford, she's a 318
Fuelie heads and a Hurst on the floor
She's waiting tonight down in the parking lot
Outside the Seven-Eleven store
Me and my partner Sonny built her straight out of scratch
And he rides with me from town to town
We only run for the money got no strings attached
We shut 'em up and we shut 'em down
Tonight tonight the strip's just right
I wanna blow 'em all out of their seats
Come on out around the world
We're goin' racin' in the street

We take all the action we can meet
And we cover all the northeast states
When the strip shuts down we run 'em in the street
From the back roads to the turnpike gates
Some guys they do it for the money
Other guys do it cause they don't know what else they can do
Well and they just hang around in an empty home
Waking up in a world that somebody else owns
Tonight tonight the strip's just right
I wanna blow 'em off in my first heat
Well summer's here and the time is right
For racin' in the street

I met her on the strip three years ago
In a Camaro with this dude from L.A.
I blew that Camaro off my back and I stole that little girl away
But now there's wrinkles around my baby's eyes
And she cries herself to sleep at night
When I come home the house is dark
She whispers "hey baby did you make it all right?"
Just to make it all right
She sits on the porch of her daddy's house
But honey your pretty dress is torn
She stares off alone into the night
With the eyes of one who hates for just being born

For all the blown-off strangers and hot rod angels
Stumbling through this promised land
Tonight my baby and me we're gonna ride to the sea
And wash these sins off our hands
Tonight tonight the strips just right
I wanna blow them off in my first heat
Well come on out the time is right
We're goin' racin' in the street

Notes: These are the lyrics of the version used for the 'The Promised' release. It seems that Racing in the street - 32 Ford outtake 1 version was used as base, with just a minor variation from Racing in the street - 32 Ford outtake 1

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

Published on the following official releases:

First known live performance: 19/05/1978 Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park,NJ ,USA
Last known live performance: 30/01/2017 Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide ,Australia

Song 'history':


Published on DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN, in 1978.
Widely used in the Darkness tour, as it was performed 94 times
Often played during the River tour (80 times)
A discrete number of performances (75) was given during the Born in the U.S.A. tour
The song (in live version) was then included in the 'LIVE 1975-85' box set
One only performance during the Human Touch tour (07/08/1992 Meadowlands Arena, E.Rutherford,NJ ,USA)
It only saw the light less than a dozen times in the whole Ghost of Tom Joad tour
Bruce inserted it 15 times in the setlists of the Reunion tour
Scarcely used during the Rising tour, with less than a dozen inclusions
Played during the Vote For Change tour, in October 2004.
Played during the rehearsals for the Devils and dust Tour, in Mar/Apr 2005.
A discrete number of performances (28) was given during the Devils and Dust tour
Just less than a dozen shots during the Magic tour
Scarcely used during the Working on a Dream tour, with less than a dozen inclusions
Another version of the song also appears on the 'The Promise' Album, released in November 2010, in the Thrill Hill Vault 1976-1978 DVD volume
Published in live version in the 3rd DVD: House Cut 'Houston '78 of 'The Promise'
Bruce inserted it 17 times in the setlists of the Wrecking Ball tour
Just 3 shots during the High Hopes tour
It only saw the light less than a dozen times in the whole 2016 The River tour
Performed 1 times during the 2017 Summer tour

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