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

Song title: Darkness on the edge of town


Darkness on the edge of town - Album version

They’re still racing out at the Trestles
But that blood it never burned in her veins
Now I hear she’s got a house up in Fairview
And a style she’s trying to maintain
Well if she wants to see me
You can tell her that I’m easily found
Tell her there’s a spot out `neath Abram’s Bridge
And tell her there’s a darkness on the edge of town

Everybody’s got a secret Sonny
Something that they just can’t face
Some folks spend their whole lives trying to keep it
They carry it with them every step that they take
Till some day they just cut it loose
Cut it loose or let it drag `em down
Where no one asks any questions
Or looks too long in your face[1]
In the darkness on the edge of town

Some folks are born into a good life
Other folks get it anyway anyhow
I lost my money and I lost my wife
Them things don’t seem to matter much to me now
Tonight I’ll be on that hill `cause I can’t stop
I’ll be on that hill with everything I got
Lives on the line where dreams are found and lost
I’ll be there on time and I’ll pay the cost
For wanting things that can only be found
In the darkness on the edge of town

Notes: [1] Sometimes, in Live shows: "And you can drive all night long, without even meet.....".

Darkness on the edge of town - Outtake

They're still racing out at the Trestles
But that blood it never burned in her veins
And I hear she's got a house up in Fairview
And a style she's trying to maintain
Well if she wants to see me
Tell her that I'm easily found
Tell her there's a spot out 'neath Abram's Bridge
And tell her there's a darkness on the edge of town
There's a darkness on the edge of town

Well now some folks are born into a good life
And other folks get it anyway anyhow
I lost my money and I lost my wife
They don't seem to matter much to me now
???
???
??? take 'em all down
In the darkness on the edge of town
In the darkness on the edge of town

???
???
???
???
Tonight I'll be on that hill 'cause I can't stop
I'll be on that hill with everything I got
Lives on the line where dreams are found and lost
I'll be there on time and I'll pay the cost
For wanting things that can only be found
In the darkness on the edge of town
In the darkness on the edge of town

Notes: These lyrics refer to the outtake verison

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: 21/02/2017 AMI Stadium, Christchurch ,New Zealand

Song 'history':


Published on DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN, in 1978.
Perfomed in a large number of shows (92) of the Darkness tour
Bruce 'forgot' it only 5 nights in the River tour
Played during the Born in the U.S.A. tour (38 times)
The song (in live version) was then included in the 'LIVE 1975-85' box set
Scarcely used during the Tunnel of Love tour, with 4 inclusions
Played, in acoustic version, at the Christic Shows in LA, 16/17-Nov-1990.
Largely (83 times) played during the Human Touch tour
Included in the (UN)PLUGGED official release, in mid 1993
A real milestone of each setlist of the Ghost of Tom Joad tour
A frequent number (64 apparitions) of renderings during the Reunion tour
The last NY show(s) of the Reunion Tour were released in both CD and DVD (more songs) 'LIVE IN NYC', which included also this song
29 perfomances were given during the Rising tour
The Barcelona show of the Rising tour was broadcast and released on DVD 'LIVE IN BARCELONA', which included also this song
Played during the 'Double Take' shows in 2002
The song was then included in the ESSENTIAL compilation, released in 2003.
Played during the Vote For Change tour, in October 2004.
The Devils and Dust tour counted 15 apparitions of this song
Played during the rehearsals for the Magic tour, in Sep 2007.
Played during the Magic tour (22 times)
Not much used during the Working on a Dream tour, deserving only less than a dozen renderings
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'
16 perfomances were given during the Wrecking Ball tour
Not much used during the High Hopes tour, deserving only less than a dozen renderings
Scarcely used during the 2016 The River tour, with less than a dozen inclusions
Performed 3 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