Song title: Phantoms
Phantoms - Jun-Aug-1973 (Jamie)
Jamie rides in high boots, breaks his drink and wades in the river
Holds his gun above the water and crosses to the shore
Now the Christian army awaits you, and Jessie is still waiting to date you
Those Phantoms fly in strict formation over the hills of St. Croix
Now the rebel life is lonely, oh but them mountains are soft with freedom
To be free is to be lonely, ohh lonely lonely lonely lonely
Jamie rides down a broken highway, the heat of the sun tends to bring him down
He's filled full of crazy visions of negroes and white women in evening gowns
And he hears Jessie calling to him in the hills
Oh she calls to him from the clouds
And the men are working in the fields
Oh listen to 'em work
Oh bustin' rocks
Oh bustin' those rocks
Ohhhhh Jamie rides in high boots, breaks his rank and wades in the river
Holds his gun above the water and crosses to the shore
Now the Christian army awaits you, and Jessie is still waiting to date you
Those Phantoms fly in strict formation over the hills of St. Croix
Ohhhhhhhhhh alright alright alright
Ohhhhhhhhhh
Those Phantoms still fly in strict formation of the hills of St. Croix
Those fighters fly in strict formation of the hills of St. Croix
But he hears Jessie calling him home
Hears Jessie calling him home
And he hears those prisoners workin' in the fields
The chain gang bustin' rocks
Jessie is calling them home
Those Phantoms still fly in strict formation over the hills of St. Croix Notes:
This is an early version of Zero and the blind Terry. Often referred as "Over the hills of St George". But in a couple of occasions, St. George became St. Croix, so this song is also often misreferred as Over the hills of st. Croix.
This is a studio version recorded between June and August 1973
Phantoms - Version 2 (Billy and Lou)
Well Billy and Lou in high boots
Went hiking days in the river
Hold your gun above the water
Calls softly to the shore
Now the fisher's on his way too
In darkness to wake the day shift
Those pythons fly in strict formation
Over the hills of St. Croix
Now they don't hide their hardware (Now they know why they're all there)
But those South men don't come with fear
So those freedom cruisers all slip away (So those freedom fighters are all right)
Over the hills as they go down to the river
Well Billy and Lou sat on a stony highway
In the heat of the sun just to come down (Needing for something to come on down)
And his dreams are full of crazy visions
Of those white ladies in their evening gowns
They like wandering the hills (They're like water in the hills)
Ah, he looks up at them above the walls until he sees trouble
Oh they're like water in his hand (They felt like water in his hands)
And he hears them "Hey Billy"
He hears them calling "Going back to land"
And they cry "Hey Billy, ho ho, ho ho ho"
Ah that's what they call
Ho ho, ho ho ho
Ah he hears them call Over the hills of St. Croix
Along the blue horizon
They skipped and ran away to the river
Those python troopers guard'em
Let him wake up on the shore
Now today I have been praying
For darkness to wake the day shift (For this crazy nation)
Those pythons fly in strict formation
Over the hills of St. Croix
Those phantoms fly in strict formation
Over the hills of St. Croix
Those phantom jets fly in strict formation
Over the hills of St. Croix Notes:
This is an early version of Zero and the blind Terry. Often referred as "Over the hills of St George". But in a couple of occasions, St. George became St. Croix, so this song is also often misreferred as Over the hills of st. Croix.
Phantoms - Version 3 (Billy)
Well Billy he blew his hard books
Great swimming days in the river
??? above the water
Calls softly to the shore
Now the ??? break through
In the darkness to wake the day too
Those pythons fly in slick formation
Over the hills of St Croix
Now they don't hide their hardware
But those South men don't come with fear
So those freedom cruisers all slip away
Over the hills as they go down river
While a Middletown guy sat on a stony highway
Needing for something to come on down
And his dreams so fill of crazy visions
Of those white ladies in their evening gowns
They like wanderin' the hills
Ah he looks up at 'em above the walls
Until he sees trouble
Dripped a little light water in her hand
And he hear's them "Hey Billy"
He hears them calling "Going back to the land"
And he cries "Hey Billy, ho ho, ho ho"
Ah thats what they call
Ho ho, ho ho
Are you gonna swim across
Over the hills of St Croix
Along the blue horizon
They skipped and ran away to the river
Those python troopers saw them
Laid awake up on the shore
Now the ???
Them pythons still wait to race you
Those pythons fly in strict formation
Over the hills of St Croix
Those phantoms fly in strict formation
Over the hills of St Croix
Those phantom jets fly in strict formation
Over the hills of St Croix Notes:
This is an early version of Zero and the blind Terry. Often referred as "Over the hills of St George". But in a couple of occasions, St. George became St. Croix, so this song is also often misreferred as Over the hills of st. Croix.
Phantoms - 12-Jun-1973 (St. George)
Jamie rides in high boots
Braves the bank and wades in the river
Holds his gun above the water
And crosses to the shore
Now, the Christian Army awaits you
And Jessie's still waiting to date you
Those phantoms fly in strict formation
Over the hills of St. George
Now the rebel life is lonely
Oh but the mountains are soft with freedom
To be free is to be lonely
Oh, lonely, lonely, lonely, lonely
Jamie rides down a broken highway
The heat of the sun tends to bring him down
His field's full of crazy visions
Of Needles and white women in evening gowns
And he hears Jessie calling to him in the hills
Oh, she calls to him from the clouds
And the men are working in the fields
Oh, listen to 'em work
Ah, busting rocks
Ah, busting those rocks
Jamie rides in high boots
Braves the bank and wades in the river
Holds his gun above the water
And crosses to the shore
Now, the Christian Army awaits you
and Jessie's still waiting to date you
Those phantoms fly in strict formation
over the hills of St. George
Those phantoms still fly in strict formation
Over the hills of St. George
Those fighters fly in strict formation
Over the hills of St. George
But he hears Jessie calling him home
He hears Jessie calling him home
And he hears the prisoners working in the field
Sees the chain gang busting rocks
And Jessie's calling him home
Those phantoms still fly in strict formation
Over the hills of St. George Notes:
This is an early version of Zero and the blind Terry. Often referred as "Over the hills of St George". This is the version played 12-Jun-1973, NY. But in a couple of occasions, St. George became St. Croix, so this song is also often misreferred as Over the hills of st. Croix.
This song has never been published on any official release.
Very few performances of this songs are known (to me, at least!):
- 13/06/1973 Broom County Memorial Arena, Binghampton,NY ,USA during the Greetings Tour
Data from the www.brucespringsteen.it database
Unique known live performance: 13/06/1973 Broom County Memorial Arena, Binghampton,NY ,USA
Song 'history':
Played live 1 time(s) during the so-called 'Greetings Tour'
.
Keep in mind that only a small amount of the setlists of these years has surfaced, so it may have been played a lot more.
Apart from the above live performances, the song was recorded during the Greetings / Wild sessions in 1972-73
Data from the www.brucespringsteen.it database