Lyr Req: Racing in the Street (Bruce Springsteen)

Subject: Racing in the streets
From:
Date: 12 Nov 96 - 04:43 PM

Lyric request. Heard this by a woman vocalist several years ago. Starts out: "I got a '69 Chevy with a 396, Healy heads, and four on the floor."

Thanks.

Subject: RE: Racing in the streets
From:
Date: 26 Nov 96 - 12:26 PM

Yeah, this is easy, it's a Springsteen song from years ago, must have been early-mid 80s. I like the last verse; it reminds me of another good lyric of his, from The River, also (typically) about romance and disillusionment and hope: "...now I just act like I don't remember/Mary acts like she don't care/But I remember us driving in my brother's car, her body tan and wet down at the reservoir./At night on them banks I'd lie awake and hold her close just to feel each breath she'd take..."

ERIN

Lyrics as I remember them (some might be out of order):

I got a '69 Chevy with a 396[technical terms are iffy?] [?]eely heads, and a hearst on the floor She's waiting tonight out in the parking lot behind the 7-11 store

Me and my partner, Sonny[?], built her straight out of scratch and he rides with me from town to town. We only run for the money, got no strings attached. We set em up and then we shut 'em down.

Tonight, tonight, the strip's just right; I want to blow em all out of their seats Cause the summer's here, and the time is right for racing in the streets.

We take all the action we can meet, and we cover all the northeast state. When the strip shuts down we run 'em in the street, from the fire road to the interstate

Now some guys they just give up living, and start dying little by little, piece by piece. Some guys come home from work and wash up and go racing in the streets.

Tonight, tonight, the strip's just right, I wanna blow 'em off in my first heat 'Cause the summer's here and the time is right for racing in the streets.

I met her on the strip three years ago, in a Camaro with this dude from L.A. I blew that Camaro off my back and drove that little girl away. But now there's wrinkles around my baby's eyes and she cries herself to sleep at night And when I come home, the house is dark. She says baby, did you make it all right.

She sits on the porch of her daddy's house but all her pretty dreams are torn. She stares off alone into the night with the eyes of one who hates for just being born.

For all the shut down[?] strangers and hot-rod angels stumbling through this promised land Tonight my baby and me, we're gonna ride to the sea and wash these sins off our hands.

Tonight, tonight, the highway's bright; out of my way, mister, you'd best keep 'Cause the summer's here, and the time is right for racing in the streets.

Subject: Lyr Add: RACING IN THE STREET (Bruce Springsteen)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 08:42 PM

From an Italian Bruce Springsteen fan site:

RACING IN THE STREET - Album version

I got a sixty-nine Chevy with a 396
Fuelie heads and a Hurst on the floor
She's waiting tonight down in the parking lot
Outside the Seven-Eleven store
Me and my partner Sonny built her straight out of scratch
And he rides with me from town to town
We only run for the money got no strings attached
We shut 'em up and then we shut 'em down

Tonight tonight the strip's just right
I wanna blow 'em off in my first heat
Summer's here and the time is right
We're goin' racin' in the street

We take all the action we can meet
And we cover all the northeast state
When the strip shuts down we run 'em in the street
From the fire roads to the interstate
Some guys they just give up living
And start dying little by little piece by piece
Some guys come home from work and wash up
Then go racin' in the street

Tonight tonight the strip's just right
I wanna blow 'em all out of their seats
Calling out around the world
We're going racin' in the street

I met her on the strip three years ago
In a Camaro with this dude from L.A.
I blew that Camaro off my back and drove that little girl away
But now there's wrinkles around my baby's eyes
And she cries herself to sleep at night
When I come home the house is dark
She sighs "Baby did you make it all right"
She sits on the porch of her daddy's house
But all her pretty dreams are torn
She stares off alone into the night
With the eyes of one who hates for just being born

For all the shut-down strangers and hot rod angels
Rumbling through this promised land
Tonight my baby and me we're gonna ride to the sea
And wash these sins off our hands

Tonight tonight the highway's bright
Out of our way mister you best keep
'Cause summer's here and the time is right
We're goin' racin' in the street

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Racing in the Street (Bruce Springsteen)
From: Little Hawk
Date: 10 Dec 10 - 10:20 PM

Yeah, it's "fuelie" heads (meaning fuel injection, I presume) and a "Hearst" on the floor (a type of gearshift for muscle cars?).

Great song. It is the one Springsteen song that I regularly do as a cover tune when I'm performing.