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

Song title: The ties that bind


The ties that bind - "The river" take

You been hurt and you’re all cried out you say
You walk down the street pushin’ people outta your way
You packed your bags and all alone you wanna ride,
You don’t want nothin’, don’t need no one by your side
You’re walkin’ tough baby, but you’re walkin’ blind

Chorus:
The ties that bind
Now you can’t break the ties that bind

Cheap romance, it’s all just a crutch
You don’t want nothin’ that anybody can touch
You’re so afraid of being somebody’s fool
Not walkin’ tough baby, not walkin’ cool
You walk cool, but darlin’,
can you walk the line
And face the ties that bind
The ties that bind
Now you can’t break the ties that bind

I would rather feel the hurt inside,
yes I would darlin’,
Than know the emptiness your heart must hide,
Yes I would darlin’, yes I would darlin’,
Yes I would baby

You sit and wonder just who’s gonna stop the rain
Who’ll ease the sadness, who’s gonna quiet the pain
It’s a long dark highway and a thin white line
Connecting baby, your heart to mine
We’re runnin’ now but darlin’ we will stand in time
To face the ties that bind
The ties that bind
Now you can’t break the ties that bind
You can’t forsake the ties that bind

Notes: Played since 1978.

The ties that bind - Early 1978 take

Tonight I’ll pack my bags
Late tonight I’ll ride
There will be nothing
No-one at my side
There’s just a cold dark highway
And a thin white line
Will lead my to the ties that bind

The ties that bind
The ties that bind
No man can break the ties that bind

But in that lonely hour
Right before the sun
Baby, gotta believe
You’re the only one
Because this strength in my heart
Is all I got to remind me
No man can forsake the ties that bind

The ties that bind
The ties that bind
No man can break the ties that bind

Tonight I’ll pack my bags
Late tonight I’ll ride
There will be no-one
No-one at my side
There’s just a cold dark highway
And a thin white line
Will lead somewhere to the ties that bind

Notes: Very early take (1978 live?) Pretty different from the released one.

The ties that bind - 15-Dec-1978

You been hurt and you're all cried out you say
You walk down the street pushin' people outta your way
You packed your bags alone tonight to ride
You don't need nothin', don't need no one by your side
You're walkin' tough, baby but you're walkin' blind
To the ties that bind
The ties that bind
No man can break your ties that bind

A cheap romance, you say its just just just a crush
You don't want nothin' that anybody can touch
You're so afraid of being somebody's fool
Not walkin' tough, baby not walkin' cool
You walk cool, but baby can you walk the line
And face the ties that bind
The ties that bind
No man can break the ties that bind

Wow wow waaah
I'd rather feel the hurt inside, yes I would darlin' to know
Know the empty heart that you hide,
Yes I would darlin', yes I would darlin',
Yes I would honey

Yes the ties that bind
No man can break the ties that bind
You can't forsake the ties that bind
You just can't shake the ties that bind
Allright

The ties that bind - Early studio outtake 1

Just another lonely ???
???
??? alone you ride
You don't want nothin', don't need no one by your side
You're walkin' tough baby, but you're walkin' blind

To the ties that bind
The ties that bind
No man can break the ties that bind

Outside, inside, anyway your heart goes
There's one thing little girl that I wanna know
Everybody gonna know who stopped the rain
Who will end the sadness, who will end the pain
Just why, why you walk the line
And face the ties that bind

The ties that bind
Now you can't break the ties that bind
Whao whoa the ties that bind

Whoa I would rather ???, yes I would baby
Oh ???
Oh ???
Oh I know it baby

Oh the ties that bind
The ties that bind
No man can break the ties that bind
You can't forsake the ties that bind
No man can shake the ties that bind

Notes: October 1978 studio take

The ties that bind - Early studio outtake 2

You been hurt, your all cried out you say
Your just pushing everybody out of your way
You pack your bags and all alone you ride
You don't want nothin', don't need no one by your side
You're walkin' tough baby, but you're walkin' blind

To the ties that bind
No man can break the ties that bind
No man can forsake the ties that bind

Outside, inside, anyway you wanna go
There's one thing little darling that I know
People wondering just who's gonna stop the rain
Who ends the sadness, who's gonna quiet the pain
You walk the walk, but will you stand and walk the line
And face the ties that bind

The ties that bind
No man can break the ties that bind

???
???
???
I wanna ??? you baby

Oh the ties that bind
The ties that bind
No man can break the ties that bind
No man can forsake the ties that bind
You just can't shake the ties that bind

Notes: October 1978 studio take

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

Published on the following official releases:

First known live performance: 01/11/1978 Princeton University, Princeton,NJ ,USA
Last known live performance: 14/02/2017 Brisbane Entertainment Centre, Brisbane ,Australia

Song 'history':


The Darkness tour counted 25 apparitions of this song
Published on the double album THE RIVER, in 1980
Often played during the River tour (77 times)
A frequent number (49 apparitions) of renderings during the Reunion tour
30 perfomances were given during the Rising tour
Played during the Vote For Change tour, in October 2004.
Just less than a dozen shots during the Devils and Dust tour
Played during the rehearsals for the Magic tour, in Sep 2007.
Bruce inserted it 15 times in the setlists of the Magic tour
Just less than a dozen shots during the Working on a Dream tour
Published in live version in the 3rd DVD: House Cut 'Houston '78 of 'The Promise'
The Wrecking Ball tour counted 25 apparitions of this song
It only saw the light 4 times in the whole High Hopes tour
This song was due to be included, in 1980, in the THE RIVER single album projects, and has been later released on the THE TIES THAT BIND Anniversary Box
Perfomed in a large number of shows (62) of the 2016 The River tour
Performed 6 times during the 2017 Summer tour
Data from the www.brucespringsteen.it database