Song title: Arabian night
Arabian night - Hammond demo version
Shrieks of Sheikhs as they run across the movie screen
A thousand sand-dune soldiers led by an Arabian Queen
And the Harem girls move like fancy dancers
In my dirty dreams
And I wake up on the floor holding onto a bed lamp
And Mama comes in, she screams
"Hey you been out with that tramp again last night
You know that silver-sequined Arab black bitch
The one that Mama don't like?"
But Mama she sings me them moontime melodies
With this great Top 40 hook
She shrugs her shoulders, she don't care
Papa just stares and says "Mary, look the girl's alright
The girl's alright"
And theres a tenseness in the air. Dont you know, can't you feel
Because theres something hanging there, pull back the mist and reveal it
Even if you fear what you hear, don't conceal it
Cos if what Mama feels is too real, she just thinks you dont feel it
So come out from behind your bunkers
'Cos the lift-offs been a bust
Oh Papa's gone and Mama's dead
And buried in my rocket dust
You're alone now for the first time
But that's all right
Because all fear will completely disappear
Come the Arabian Night
Well the soundman smiles and turns the dials
To set the meter readin' rising
He pulls the singer's voice from out of his pocket
To see if the audience likes it
Oh and in the very first row sits sweet Jenny Rue
With a bell on her shoe and she wants him to make it
He flicks a switch but Jenny moves too fast
And the audience sways to the sound of her shotgun blast
The manager comes running out from behind stage and says
"Check the band's arms for bullet holes
Make'em roll up his sleeves"
The drummer shoots himself with cyanide
And then asks to be relieved
And me, I say, "Well, hey it's crazy in here
Which is the stage door out, I gotta get up tomorrow morning for work"
And the promoter says "Man, once you're in they all lead out
Whats the matter man, ain't you heard?
There's a war going on on the outside
And I'm paying you to sing like a bird
So get in and get tough or get up and get out
Because things are'nt too tight"
I told him "Don't worry, everything's gonna loosen up
Come the Arabian Night
Come the Arabian Night"
So I get back in my bed
But outside my window I hear another gang fight
It's Duke and the boys against the Devil's best man
And both sides have drawn their knives
But Duke he's a well-known knife-fighter
And with one quick jab he brings the Devil down
He smiles 'cos he knows there's a high bounty on Devil's
In any good God-fearin' town
Well they say Duke sold the Devil to some priest in Pennsylvania
To exhibit on his altar Christmas Night
But the Devil's eyes they're still red with fire
As long as Duke walks upright
And the devil swears there's going to be a showdown
Come sundown on the Arabian Night
Whoa on the Arabian, arabian night Notes:
Alternate lyrics were used in the first 1971 solo demo and in the Laurel Canyon demo.
Arabian night - 1971 solo demo version
Shrieks of Sheikhs as they run across the movie screen
A thousand sand-dune soldiers led by an Arabian Queen
And the Harem girls move like fancy dancers
In my dirty dreams
And I wake up on the floor holding onto a bed lamp
Mama she comes in and screams
"Huh you been out with that tramp again last night
That silver-sequined Ivory black bitch
The one that Mama don't like?"
You see but Mama she sings me moontime melodies
With this great Top 40 hook
But Mama don't care
Papa he just stares and says "Mary, look the girl's alright
The girl's alright"
And there's a tenseness in the air. Don't you know, can't you feel
There's something hanging there, pull back the mist and reveal it
Even if you fear what you hear, try to conceal it
And if what Mama feels is too real, she just claims she don't feel it
So come out from behind your bunkers
The lift-offs been a bust
Papa's gone and Mama's dead
And buried in my rocket dust
You're alone now for the first time
But that's all right
Because all fear will completely disappear
Come the Arabian Night
The soundman smiles and turns the dials
To set the meter readin' rising
He pulls the singer's voice from out of his pocket
To see how the audience likes it
Oh and in the very first row sits sweet Jenny Rue
With a bell on her shoe and she wants him to make it
He flicks a switch but Jenny moves too fast
And the audience sways to the sound of her shotgun blast
The manage runs out
"Check the band's arms for bullet holes
And make that man roll up his sleeves"
The drummer shoots himself with cyanide
And then asks to be relieved
And me, I say, "It's crazy in here
Where is the stage door, which way is out I gotta get up for work"
And the man says "Once, once you're in they all lead out
Whats the matter, ain't you heard?
There's a war going on outside
And I'm paying you to sing like a bird
So get in and get tough or get up and get out
Because things are'nt too tight"
I said "Don't worry, everything's gonna loosen up
Come the Arabian Night
Come the Arabian Night"
So I get back in bed
But outside my window I hear another gang fight
It's Duke and the boys against the Devil's best man
And both sides have drawn their knives
And with one quick jab Duke brings the Devil down
He smiles 'cos he knows there's a high price on Devil's
In any good God-fearin' town
Well Duke sold the Devil to some priest in Pennsylvania
To exhibit on his altar Christmas Night
But the Devil's eyes they're remain red like fire
As long as Duke walks upright
And the devil swears there's going to be a showdown
At sundown on the Arabian Night
Whoa on the Arabian, Arabian Night Notes:
This is the solo demo version recorded in 1971. Alternate lyrics were used in the Hammond demo and in the Laurel Canyon demo
Arabian night - Laurel Canyon demo version
Shrieks of Sheikhs as they come across the movie screen
A thousand sand-dune soldiers led by an Arabian Queen
And the Harem girls move like Clancy's dancers
Through my dirty dreams
I wake up on the floor clutching the bed lamp
Mama comes in, she screams
"Hey you been out with that tramp again last night
That silver-sequined Arab black bitch
You know the one Mama don't like?"
But Mama she sings me moontime melodies
With this great Top 40 hook
Mama just stares and Papa don't care but he says "Look Mama, the girl's alright
The girl's alright"
He turns and says "Tell me son whats the word"
Cause you know he can't hear
Papa the word's out on the curb
But don't go near it
It's criticised as too absurd
Even the animals fear it
Papa says "Fetch me my flashlight son"
And stumbles out the front door
So come out from behind your bunkers
'Cos the lift-offs been a bust
Papa's gone and Mama's dead
And buried in my rocket dust
Whoa you're alone now for the first time
Don't worry cause that's all right
Because all fear will completely disappear
Come the Arabian Night
Mmmmm
Now soundman smiles and turns the dials
To set the meter readin' rising
He pulls the singer's voice from out of his pocket
To see if the audience likes it
And in the very first row sits sweet Jenny Row
With a bell on her shoe and she wants him to make it
He flicks a switch but Jenny moves too fast
And the audience sways to the sound of her shotgun blast
The manager comes running out from behind stage and says
"Check the band's arms for bullet holes
Make that man roll up his sleeves"
The drummer shoots himself with cyanide
And then asks to be relieved
And me, I just say, "It's too crazy in here
Which is the stage door out, I gotta get up tomorrow morning for work"
The promoter says "Man, once you're in they all lead out
Whats the matter man, ain't you heard?
There's a war going on on the outside
And I'm paying you to sing like a bird
So get in and get tough or get up and get out
Because things are'nt too tight"
I told him "Don't worry man, everything's gonna loosen up
Come the Arabian Night
Oh yeah, come the Arabian Night"
Well I got back in bed
But outside my window I heard another gang fight
It's Duke and the boys against the Devil's best men
And both sides have drawn their knives
Now Duke he's a well-known knife-fighter
And with one quick jab he brings the Devil down
He smiles 'cos he knows there's a good bounty on Devil's
In any God-fearin' town
So Duke sold the Devil to some priest in Pennsylvania
To exhibit on his altar Christmas Night
But the Devil's eyes they're still burn red with fire
As long as Duke walks upright
And he swears there's going to be a showdown
Come sundown on the Arabian Night
Whoa on the Arabian, arabian night Notes:
Alternate lyrics were used in the Hammond demo and in the 1971 solo demo
This song has never been published on any official release.
Never played in regular set.
Data from the www.brucespringsteen.it database
Recorded for the historical 'Hammond demos' in May 1972 and also for the Laurel Canyon / London Publishing demos
Data from the www.brucespringsteen.it database