Song title: Something in the night
Something in the night - Album version
I’m riding down Kingsley,
figuring I’ll get a drink
Turn the radio up loud,
so I don’t have to think,
I take her to the floor,
looking for a moment when the world
seems right,
And I tear into the guts,
of something in the night.
You’re born with nothing,
and better off that way,
Soon as you’ve got something the send
someone to try and take it away,
You can ride this road ‘till dawn,
without another human being in sight,
Just kids wasted on
something in the night.
Nothing is forgotten or forgiven,
when it’s your last time around,
I got stuff running around ‘round my head
That I just can’t live down
When we found the things we loved,
They were crushed and dying in the dirt.
We tried to pick up the pieces,
And get away without getting hurt,
But they caught us at the state line,
And burned our cars in one last fight,
And left us running burned and blind,
Chasing something in the night. Notes:
Played since 1976 with different, evolving lyrics. You can have a look to some significant step of evolution: 04-Nov-1976, 13-Feb-1977. Some alternative final verses are also available. Known outtakes are lirically identical to the album version.
Something in the night - 04-Nov-1976 version
Well I’m riding down Kingsley, figuring I’ll get a drink
I turn the radio way up loud, so I don’t have to think
Then I take her to the floor
Looking for a moment when the world seems right
And I tear into the guts of something in the night
I picked this chick up hitch-hiking
She hung her head out the window and she screamed
She said she was looking for someplace to go
To die or be redeemed
She said, well you can ride this road till dawn
Without another human being in sight
Everybody’s gone lookin’ for something in the night
She said she was born with nothing
Said she was better off that way
Soon as you got something
They send somebody to come along and try and take it away
She wants me to push this old car
Says together, me and her, we can make it clean
Make it fast make it out of sight
We can surrneder to the justice of something in the night
And I know that nothing is forgotten or forgiven
You only got one time around
And there’s stuff running round my head
I can’t live with or live down
And inside all the Big Boys and the Players
Sit around the table and mumble about some big wrong or right
While kids like us rumble, over something in the night
And then we found the things we loved
They were crushed and dying in the dirt
Me and her we tried to pick up, pick up some of the pieces
And get away fast, without getting hurt - should’ve known
Because they caught us at the State line
Burned our cars in one last fire fight
And then they sent us running blind into the swamps
Chasing something in the night Notes:
Played since 1976 with different, evolving lyrics. You can have a look to some significant step of evolution: 04-Nov-1976, 13-Feb-1977. Some alternative final verses are also available. Known outtakes are lirically identical to the album version.
Something in the night - 13-Feb-1977 version
Well I’m riding down Kingsley, figuring I’ll get a drink
I turn the radio way up loud, so I don’t have to think
Then I take her to the floor
Looking for a moment when the world seems right
And I tear into the guts of something in the night
Well God's angels could tear this town down
And blow it all into the sea
Well I don't give a damn, yeah that's all right with me
'Cause these streets are living souls there's nothing of human in sight
Just temptation until the dawn
Something in the night
Nothing is forgotten or forgiven,
When it’s your last time around,
I got stuff running around ‘round my head
That I just can’t live down
When we found the things we loved,
They were crushed and dying in the dirt
We thought we could pick up the pieces,
And get away without getting hurt,
But they caught us at the state line,
And burned our cars in one last fire fight,
And sent us running burned and blind,
Chasing something in the night. Notes:
Played since 1976 with different, evolving lyrics. You can have a look to some significant step of evolution: 04-Nov-1976, 13-Feb-1977. Some alternative final verses are also available. Known outtakes are lirically identical to the album version.
Something in the night - Alternate final verses
And now all them people out on the Island
They better lock up their doors and take their children by the hand
Because tonight the Devil will walk these streets like a king
Better bring along some switchblades in case that old fool wants to fight[1]
You can tell him I’ll be waiting in my room with all the light out
Crazy with that something in the night
Tonight me and that little girl we’re gonna love each other
Till we got nothing left to show
We’re gonna push my old car as hard and as fast as she will go
For all the ones caught laughing in the face of the Devil
Who went when the moment was right
Somewhere we’ll surrender to the beauty
Of something in the night Notes:
Played since 1976 with different, evolving lyrics. You can have a look to some significant step of evolution: 04-Nov-1976, 13-Feb-1977. Some alternative final verses are also available. Known outtakes are lirically identical to the album version.
[1] This verse can be found in Take'em as they come
Something in the night - Summer-fall 1976
Well I'm riding down Kingsley
Figuring I'll get a drink
I turn the radio way up loud
So I don't have to think
Then I ease down on the gas
Looking for a moment when the world seems right
And then I go tearing into the heart
Of something in the night
And I picked this chick up hitchhiking, she hung her head out the window and she screamed
Said she was looking for someplace to go, to die or be redeemed
You can ride this road to dawn, without another human being in sight
Cause baby everybody's gone looking for something in the night
Sometimes you gotta stop riding, sometimes I want to stop my fooling around
Somehow I got stuff running around my head, I can't live with or without
She wants me to push this Charger until the whole world disappears out of sight
And me and her can surrender to the justice of something in the night
Because nothing is ever forgotten, nothing is forgiven
You just walk out on the street, trying to take all the heat that they are given
And man it's just winners and losers, mumbling about some vague wrong or right
And kids like us, rumbling girl, over something in the night
Now all them people out on the island, they lock their doors and take their children by the hand
Put on your black dress baby, because tonight the devil will walk these streets like a man
And I'm gonna bring along my switchblade, in case that fool wants to fight
He can meet us running out on the highway, chasing something in the night
Whoaaaaaa something in the night
Whoaaaaaa there's something in the night Notes:
Played since 1976 with different, evolving lyrics. You can have a look to some significant step of evolution: 04-Nov-1976, 13-Feb-1977. Some alternative final verses are also available. Known outtakes are lirically identical to the album version.
Something in the night - 27-Oct-1976
Well I'm riding down Kingsley
Figuring I'll get a drink
Turn the radio way up loud
So I don't have to think
And I take her to the floor
Looking for a moment when the world seems right
And I go tearing into the guts
Of something in the night
I pick this chick up hitch-hiking
She just hung her head out the window and she screamed
Said she was looking for someplace to go
To die or be redeemed
So I said baby,
You can ride this road to dawn, without another human being in sight
Darling, everybody's gone looking, for something in the night
She said that she was born with nothing, said she would be better off that way
Soon as she got something, they sent somebody to come and try to take it away
She wants me to push my old car, just together me and her
We could make it clean, we could make it fast, we could make it out of sight
Together, we could surrender to the justice of something in the night
And I know that nothing is forgotten or forgiven, you only got one time around
Got stuff running around my head, I can't live with or without
Inside all the big boys and the players, they sit around the table and mumble
About something, something wrong and right
While outside kids like us, rumble over something in the night
Tonight me and that little girl, we're gonna love each other until we got nothing left to show
We gonna drive my old car as hard and fast as she will go
For all the ones caught laughin' in our face of the devil
For waitin' when the moment is right
Somewhere we'll surrender to the beauty of something in the night
Whoooaaa there's something in the night
Whoooaaa there's something in the night Notes:
Played since 1976 with different, evolving lyrics. You can have a look to some significant step of evolution: 04-Nov-1976, 13-Feb-1977. Some alternative final verses are also available. Known outtakes are lirically identical to the album version.
Published on the following official releases:
- DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN (Album,1978)
- BADLANDS / SOMETHING IN THE NIGHT (7 in.,1978)
- THE PROMISE (Album,2010)
- THE PROMISE-DVD2 (Album,2010)
First known live performance: 01/08/1976 Monmouth Arts Centre, Red Bank,NJ ,USA
Last known live performance: 30/01/2017 Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide ,Australia
Song 'history':
The Born to Run tour counted 33 apparitions of this song
Published on DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN, in 1978.
Played during the Darkness tour (12 times)
Just less than a dozen shots during the Reunion tour
It only saw the light less than a dozen times in the whole Rising tour
One only rendering for this song in the Devils and Dust tour (07/10/2005 Civic Center, Hartford,CT ,USA)
Played during the rehearsals for the Magic tour, in Sep 2007.
Just 4 shots during the Magic tour
It only saw the light less than a dozen times in the whole Working on a Dream tour
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
Played during the Wrecking Ball tour (16 times)
Scarcely used during the High Hopes tour, with 3 inclusions
Scarcely used during the 2016 The River tour, with 4 inclusions
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