16.12.80 Boston, Mass., intro to ‘Independence Day’:
”I remember when I was.....back in high school....I used to sit in the
back of the class....I never did, I never did very good....for some reason,
it seemed like....the way they were.... they were either teaching things or
they were.....for some reason they were trying to....trying to bang....all sorts
of stuff to your head.....instead of finding some way.....some way to make you
understand this, some way to get through.....the way to feel it in your heart
(cheers).....and it got....it got to where I....started ....instead of trying....trying
to teach it..... trying to help you find a place.....they were trying to ...
they were teaching you in the way that meant to keep you in your place (cheers)
.... later....when I got older, I started..... I started to be interested in
reading something, reading books.....and trying to, trying to learn some of
that stuff that they were trying ....to teach me when I was in high school.....
that I sorta......I started to think how sad it was, there was always....there
was always great great books, there was always great writers that wrote.....they
wrote with so much passion, so much fire and ....somehow they would be able
to turn that stuff......somehow make it so warm, you know.....I remember at
the time the only place I could see, find it.....was on the radio....it was
really, it was really something because.....it was great, it was like.....it
seemed like it was such a secret at the time......because, because there’d
be all this stuff coming down to your house.....and I remember that my old man
and my mom used to .... (?) .... my father used to say ‘What’s all
that noise ?’....’what is that ? what kind of a.....sound is that
?’, you know (chuckles).....it was like infiltrating.....infiltrating
the whole United States....from overseas (chuckles).....stuff that only you
could hear..... and.....it was like....it’d be about this message.....it
really felt....felt like this lifeline.... that was going down to all them places
that were.....where people....like in my town, people didn’t know what
to do .....(?).....it seemed like everybody was sitting around watching their
lives pass ‘em by.....you know.....and the most important thing.....sometimes
the most important thing was when somebody.....would try to.....would try to
get through to ‘em ....it would just sound like a bunch of noise, just
like the stuff that my old man thought music on the radio sounded like.....I
remember I used to feel bad because I couldn’t .....I used to go to bed
some nights and I’d wish that I could make ‘em hear it....you know,
wished that I could say ‘Hey Pop, come here.....listen to this Drifters
record .... listen....’Saturday Night at the Movies’ or something....but.....he
let most of that stuff pass him by.....that was a lucky time.....you know.....to
be 15 or 16.....it’s harder now, you know.....who’s there....who’s
going to high school out there ? (cheers)..... you guys got it tough now so
this is for you......”
16.12.80 Boston, Mass., intro to ‘The Price You Pay’:
”I remember.....when my mother got out of high school, she took this job.....as
a secretary....(?) the day right after, she went downtown.....where she got
this job..... and she worked there every single day of her life.....and.....it
became ....it became like such a part of her life that when.....she was able
to quit, she just didn’t want to, you know (chuckles)....I don’t
know.....when I was a kid, it seemed like....she used to have to
work.....work too hard for what good times that there was.....and.....she seemed
to understand all about me ....(?)....”
16.12.80 Boston, Mass., middle of ‘Growin’Up’:
”There we were.....it was Christmas Eve (cheers).....my car broke down.....I
was standing on this backroad.....I was broke and I couldn’t buy nobody
no presents....me and the guys all made a deal like they don’t get no
presents, I don’t get ‘em no presents.....some Christmas, right
?.....I was walking down this backroad and all of a sudden....from way up .....over
the woods, I heard.....who’s there (cheers).....then I heard.....(Clarence
says ”Ho, ho, ho)(cheers)....I went off to the woods.....and there was....there
was....with one.....with one (?) broken on the sleigh....sitting there by the
side of the road......there was.....Santa Claus ! (cheers).....(Clarence :´´ho,
ho, ho”) .....What happened to your sleigh, man ? (Clarence : ”Sleigh
broke down”).....so how you gonna get everyplace ?.....so I got down on
my hands and knees and helped him fix up his sleigh.....(?) all the reindeers.....and
he said ‘Thanks’ and he took off.....he took off to the sky.....and
as he was flying away, I could hear him say.....’Which way to the New
Jersey Turnpike ?’ (cheers).....so....I gave him the directions.....and
it got real dark, I was standing there in the middle of the woods....I was thinking
that I had no money and I had no presents....was gonna get nothing....all of
a sudden I looked up the highway....and it looked like , just as he rode away,
it looked like stuff just slipped out of that bag.....and fell down by the highway-side.....and
I ran up to the road.....and about a twenty feet away....sitting there in the
dark, I saw....(cheers).....and I put it on ....and man, when we touched.....”
16.12.80 Boston, Mass., intro to ‘Drive All Night’:
”It was like....about....during the time we were making the last record.....a
friend of mine got married.....out west and uh.....we all (?) went to the service
and played at the reception and stuff (chuckles)....(?)....but we went to this....we
went to temple and we went in....and the rabbi got up and he was giving a sermon....and
it was....the main thing he said was that....as long as you’re by yourself....long
as you’re alone....that all the things that you dream and all the things
that you hope for....they remain fantasies ....it’s not until you....come
in to touch with somebody.....with a girl or with a ... whatever, anybody (?)
whoever....that you begin to make....you begin to make those dreams real, it’s
the first step to making the dreams real....it’s like....it’s like
sitting in a room, I remember I was.... I was 15, 16, I´d sit up in my
room all the time....practise the guitar and never came out....and it’s
like.....a song ain’t no good till somebody hears it, that’s....that’s
what it´s about (cheers)....that’s when, that’s when it becomes
real....before that it’s just.....just an idea, it’s just a dream.....and
if you’re.....if you don’t make that connection, you end up just
like a ghost....you know....just like a ghost walking around.....”
16.12.80 Boston, MA, middle of ‘Santa Claus Is Coming to Town’:
”Ok, Santa....What kinda gifts I’m gonna get this year ?....the
same old cheap stuff ? (Clarence says ”No”)....”
16.12.80 Boston, MA, intro to ‘Sandy’
´´This is for Nana.....Nana Randolph.....out there.....´´
16.12.80 Boston, MA, intro to ‘I Wanna Marry You’
´´Lenore.....this is for you and your mama, enjoy....´´
Compiled by : Johanna Pirttijärvi