4th of July, Asbury Park

by Bruce Springsteen

Sandy, the fireworks are hailing
Over Little Eden tonight
Forcing a light into all those stoned-out faces
Left stranded on this Fourth of July
Down in town the circuit's full with switchblade lovers
So fast, so shiny, and sharp
As the wizards play down on Pinball Way
On the boardwalk way past dark
And the boys from the casino dance with their shirts open
Like Latin lovers along the shore
Chasing all them silly New York girls by the score

Sandy, the aurora is rising behind us
The pier lights our carnival life forever
Love me tonight, for I may never see you again
Hey Sandy girl

Now the greasers, they tramp the streets
Or get busted for trying to sleep on the beach all night
Them boys in their spiked high-heels
Ah Sandy, their skins are so white
And me, I just got tired of hanging in them dusty arcades
Banging them pleasure machines
Chasing the factory girls underneath the boardwalk
Where they all promise to unsnap their jeans
And you know that tilt-a-whirl down on the south beach drag
I got on it last night, and my shirt got caught
And that Joey kept me spinning
I didn't think I'd ever get off

Sandy, the aurora is rising behind us
The pier lights our carnival life on the water
Running down the beach at night with my boss's daughter
Well he ain't my boss no more, Sandy

Sandy, the angels have lost their desire for us
I spoke to them just last night
And they said they won't set themselves on fire for us anymore
Every summer when the weather gets hot they ride that road
Down from heaven on their Harleys they come and they go
And you can see them dressed like stars in all the cheap little seashore bars
Parked with their babies out on the Kokomo
The cops finally busted Madame Marie
For telling fortunes better than they do
This boardwalk life for me is through
You know you ought to quit this scene too

Sandy, the aurora's rising behind us
The pier lights our carnival life forever
Love me tonight, and I promise I'll love you forever