Seaside Bar

This high-paced rocker was recorded in late 1979 at The Power Station in New York City as part of “The River” sessions.  Although still unreleased, Springsteen played the song for the first time on June 27th, 1982, at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ (guest appearance with Cats on a Smooth Surface).  The song was eventually released on “The Essential Bruce Springsteen” (2003) as part of the bonus disk.  But, it wasn’t until August 11th, 2003, that Bruce would play the song live with the E Street Band; this concert took place at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, PA.  Bruce played the song live many times throughout the “Jersey Shore Bar Tour” of 1982-1983 and at a bunch of different benefit shows.

Here are the song’s lyrics:

(B. Springsteen) 

At sixteen she quit high school to make a fortune in the Promised Land
She got a job behind the counter in an all night hamburger stand
She wrote faithfully home to mama, “now mama don’t you worry none”
From small things, mama, big things one day come

It was late one Friday, he pulled in out of the dark
He was tall and handsome, first she took his order then she took his heart
They bought a house on the hillside, where little feet soon would run
From small things, mama, big things one day come

Oh but love is fleeting, it’s sad but true
When your heart is beating, you don’t wanna hear the news
She packed her bags and with a Wyomie County real estate man
She ran down to Tampa in an “El Dorado Grande”
She wrote back, “dear mama, life is just heaven in the sun
From small things, mama, big things one day come”

Well she shot him dead on a sunny Florida road
And when they caught her all she said was she couldn’t stand the way he drove
Back home dear Johnny prays for his baby’s parole
He waits on the hillside where the Wyomie waters roll
At his feet and almost grown now, a blue-eyed daughter and a handsome son
Well from small things, mama, big things one day come
Yeah from small things, mama, big things one day come

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