
26.08.99 Boston, MA, middle of ´Tenth Avenue Freeze Out´
´´(sings ‘Take Me to the River’) That’s right....that’s
where I want to go....I want to go to the river of life....and the river of
love tonight....and I want you to go with me....and I´ve come here to
go with you....now, when I was a young man....I walked as a little child....you
know how when you´re a child, if you get caught in the woods as darkness
is falling....you become afraid to pass through the trees onto the other side
even when you know that´s where your home might be....but when we grow,
we´re supposed to put away our childish fears but that doesn´t always
happen....and so, as a young man, I found myself standing before those dark
trees as dusk was falling, frightened to pass through onto the other side....even
I knew, even though I knew that that was where the river of life was flowing....and
the river of love and of companionship....and of a meaningful life.....and of
cold beer at a reasonable price (?) ....so I stood paralyzed in my tracks.....when
through the trees I saw a small light and there was a gypsy woman....sitting
outside a red Mercedes Benz, in front of a crystal ball....and I stepped up
to her and I explained to her my fears and she said ´Well, that´s....you´re
afraid to go through the woods because you´re walking alone ....and you´re
walking alone because you won´t give it up !....you´ve got to give
it up sometime !....you´ve got to surrender sometimes !´....and
she said ´Son, what you need is you need a band....to find your way through
the darkness´....she said ´You need some intelligence in your life,
you need
Professor Roy Bittan on the piano....you need some soul and some friendship,
Little Steven Van Zandt....you need some foundation in your life, Mr.Garry W.Tallent
on the bass....you need some mightiness and some strength and some rhythm, Mighty
Max on the drums....you need some heart and some spirit in your life, Nils Lofgren
on the guitar....you need mystery and puzzle, Phantom Dan Federici on the organ´
....and slowly with her words ringing in my ear, I made my way through the forest....and
as I did, I looked up and I saw the bluebird of love flying from branch to branch
amongst the trees and I wished that that bluebird of love would come down and
visit me....and as I held that thought in my mind, he nestled on my shoulder....and
he whispered to me a very important secret ....´Brunettes are fine, blondes
are fun and when it comes to getting a dirty job done, it takes a (crowd :‘Red
Headed Woman’) man, you´ve got to have a (crowd :‘Red Headed
Woman’) oh, I´ve got to find myself a (crowd :‘Red Headed
Woman’) yeah, man, I´m looking for a (crowd : ‘Red Headed
Woman’) oh, I´ve got to find a (crowd :‘Red Headed Woman’)
oh, man, I´m searching for a (crowd :‘Red Headed Woman’) oh,
man, you´ve got to have a (crowd :‘Red Headed Woman’) yeah,
I´m looking for a (crowd :‘Red Headed Woman’) you need a little
love and sweet harmony and Miss Patti Scialfa on the vocals and guitar....testify....(sings
a bit of ´My Girl´)....but there was still something missing....I
was (?) on through the trees now and I could see that all along the riverbanks
there were people waiting for me.....and I looked around and they raised their
hands....but there was still something very important missing ....something
essential....something fundamental and necessary....(?)....do I have to say
his name ?....say who ?....say who ?....say who ?....say who ?....say who ?....say
who ?....say who ?....say who ?....say who ?....say who ?....say who ? ...say
who ?....”
26.08.99 Boston, MA, intro to ´The Ghost of Tom Joad´
´´Gonna do this for our friends from the Greater Boston Foodbank
that are here with us tonight ....there are great many of our citizens who the
economy is never gonna reached (?) and the, uh...Greater Boston Foodbank is
always there to serve those citizens when, when they need some help, they deserve
your support, they´ll be out there in the lobby on your way out, please
check ´em out (?)...support the Greater Boston Foodbank, this is for them....”
26.08.99 Boston, MA, middle of ´Light of Day´
´´Then I went to Boston !....but everywhere I´ve gone I´ve
seen people lost in confusion.... I´ve seen people lost in the wilderness....I´ve
seen people lost in bitterness....I´ve seen people downsized, fractionalised....analyzed,
stigmatised.....Stravinskyed, (?), Koczinskyed, Lewinskyed....and I want to
tell you right now that there´s a new day dawning....we´re here
tonight on a search-and-mission, we´re coming to get you, we´re
on a search-and-mission, if your heart´s getting empty, we´re gonna
fill it up, if your soul´s got bad credit, it´s good here, spirit
bankrupt, we´re gonna lift that debt up off you, I´m here tonight
to resuscitate, to re-educate, to regenerate, to reconfiscate, to resexualate,
to reindoctrinate, to reliberate....to recombobolate with the power and the
promise, with the power, the promise, the power, the promise, the majesty, with
the mystery, with the ministry of rock and roll !....(?) I know what you´re
saying, you´re worried about the Y2-K problem, you got Millenium fever,
stocks up, bombs down, mortality is rearing its ugly head, well, unlike my competitors,
I cannot, I cannot, I shall not, I will not promise you life everlasting....but
I can promise you life right now !....(?) all you´ve got to do is raise
your hand and say ´I´....”
26.08.99 Boston, MA, intro to ´Ramrod´
(after a version of ´If I Should Fall Behind´ that ends up being
a hilarious mess starting with Bruce´s guitar going quiet before Patti´s
part) ´´What the fuck was that ? ....come on, boys, follow me now....”
Compiled by : Johanna Pirttijärvi