Springsteen & I Page #3

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And then I realized

that during the guitar solo

that there is no guitar

solo in All Shook Up

and didn't quite know

what to do at that moment

and I turned around

and looked at Max

and I backed up, thinking that I'm

going to have to change the song.

And out of no disrespect to Bruce

or the band, but I backed up

and looked at Max and right at

the end of the guitar solo,

I went into Blue Suede Shoes and

the band was right there with me.

Well, it's one for the mony

Two for the show

Three to get ready Now

go guys go But don't you

And I remember in the corner of

my eye, I see Bruce coming up

and I remember, as I'm

singing, saying to myself,

"Uh-oh, I think you're done, Nick,"

because just by looking at Bruce

and I said, "Okay, Bruce, take

it home." And he grabs the mic.

Take it home, Bruce!

Elvis has left the building!

Elvis has left the building!

Thank you, King.

And then I remember

jumping off the stage and...

He got totally mobbed by the crowd

because they were all so excited.

Everybody wanted to hug him and,

you know, like high five him

and I'm just waiting, because I

just can't wait to like hug him

and kiss him and say, "Oh, my

God, we've realized your dream."

And it was like a scene from...

Wasn't it like a scene from Rocky and

Adrian were yelling for each other

just to try to catch up to

each other so we can embrace?

And once we did,

it was like the most...

I don't know. The tears fill your

eyes, because you're so happy.

And as we turn around, we look up and

Bruce was holding that last note.

He pointed to us

and he kept saying,

"The Philly Elvis.

The Philly Elvis."

The Philly Elvis!

The Philly Elvis!

Then the last thing he said, which I'll

never forget. He looks and says...

I have no idea where the

(BLEEP) he came from.

Thank you, King.

He means inspiration.

He means joy.

And he means salt of the earth.

I know it's three words,

of the three words

but I don't want to alter

salt of the earth.

He's just the best.

He's the best.

Happy, handsome and hot.

Supernatural,

divine, inspiration.

My soul brother.

A local legend.

In three words, I would

say, in him we trust.

Am I looking okay? Okay.

Passion, passion, passion.

It was March 29th, 1976,

right smack in the

middle of the '70s.

And it seemed like

all our parents were gone.

Just working,

busy, drunk

at the country club.

So somehow it was okay

for a group of girls

to go to see a rock 'n' roll

concert on a Monday night

in March of our 9th grade year.

I don't remember what happened

when we got to the concert.

I don't know what happened

to the other girls,

but I know that

as soon as I got there,

as soon as the lights went out,

I made my way

to the front of the stage,

back when you could do that.

And was front and center up against

the stage right in front of Bruce.

Even after all these years and

all the shows that I've seen,

the concert still

defies description.

And I think that only the people

who saw him in the early days

in the small venues,

before the mega crowds...

And when you could get so close

that you were sharing the sweat

and spit of whatever band

member you were closest to,

can really know the ferocity and

intimacy of those concerts.

The screen door sls

Mary's dress sways

Like a vision she dancs

across the porch

As the radio plas

Roy Orbison singg

for the lonely

Hey that's me

and I want you oy

Don't turn me home again

I just can't face

myself alone again

Don't you run back inside

You know just

what I'm here for

You're scared and you're thinking

that maybe we aint that young anymore

Well, show a little fah

There's magic in the nigt

Aln't a beauty but what...

Oh, yeah,

that's all right with me

Good times as long

as I study your pains

Makes crosses from your

lovers Throw roses in the rain

Waste your summer

praying in vain

For a savior to

rise from these streets

Well, I'm no hero

that's understood

Well, all the redemption I can offer,

girl, is beneath this dirty hood

With a chance to

make it good somehow

Hey, what else can we do now?

Except roll down your window

And let the wind

blow back your hair

Well, the night's busted open

These two lanes wil

take us anywhere

We got one last chane

to make it real

To trade in them ws

on some wheels

Climb in back, heaven's

waiting down on the tracks

Well, oh,

come and take my hand

We're riding out tonight

to chase the promised land

Oh, oh, thunder road

Oh, thunder road

Oh, thunder road

Lying out there

like a killer in the sun

Hey, I know it's late but

we can make it if we run

Oh, thunder road, sit tight

Take hold, thunder roa

After graduation, I

couldn't really get a job

and so I started

working at Jamba Juice

making oatmeal

in the early morning.

I'd have to get up

at three o'clock.

I didn't have a car,

so I rode my bike to work

and that was when

Working on a Dreacame out.

I would listen to that on my

way to work and feel like,

"Oh, I'm such

a hard-working person."

(CHUCKLES)

"I'm the backbone of

America." That's what...

Well, sometimes I feel like that

when I listen to Bruce like,

you know, like I'm really

important, the work I do, the...

The more physically

demanding my job is,

the more important I am,

when I listen to Bruce.

I don't know if that makes any

sense, but that's how I feel.

Madison Square Garden,

2000, the Reunion Tour.

I'd worked in

a factory for 20 years

and I'd saved up

enough money eventually

to afford to go on a Bruce

trip as we call it,

four days in New York, two

concerts at Madison Square Garden.

So me and my lovely wife Kath

stayed in the Hotel Pennsylvania,

across the road from

Madison Square Garden.

We went down to the bar

to pick up our tickets

on the night of the

concert, the first concert,

and excitedly opened the

envelope, looked at the tickets,

looked at the map seating plan

and we were right at the

back, right at the top.

So a bit disappointed,

but we were in New York,

America for the first time.

So looked at the positives,

we went across the road,

up the escalators right to

the top, right to the back,

and as we got to the top level,

this rather bear-like character

in baggy shorts and a beard,

as he walked past me,

muttered the immortal words,

"You want to be upgraded?"

Sorry? Didn't know what he meant?

Didn't quite hear him.

"Let me see your tickets," he said,

so I showed him our tickets.

He looked at them and said,

"I think we can do better than that.

Give me your wrist."

I put my wrist out and he

slapped an orange wristband

on my wrist and Kath's and

I said, "What's that for?"

He said, "Don't remove that from your wrist.

Don't leave the building."

"If you leave the building,

you won't be allowed back in."

And like he'd

said it 1,000 times.

He put our tickets

in his pockets

and then he peeled off a couple

of tickets, gave them to us

and said something like,

"I work for Bruce. I don't

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