More songs by Bruce Springsteen
Description
Nebraska '82: Expanded Edition
Harmonica, Acoustic Guitar, Associated Performer, Vocal: Bruce Springsteen
12- String Guitar: Larry Campbell
Lyricist, Composer: B. Springsteen
Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer: Rob Lebret
Recording Engineer: Monty Carlo
Mastering Engineer: Brian Lee
Mastering Engineer: Bob Jackson
Lyrics and translation
Original
My name is Joe Roberts.
I work for the state. I'm a sergeant out of
Perranville, barracks number eight.
I always done an honest job, as honest as I could. I got a brother named Frankie.
Frankie ain't no good.
Now ever since we was young kids, it's been the same come down.
I get a call on the short wave, Frankie's in trouble downtown.
If it was any other man,
I'd put him straight away.
When it's your brother, sometimes you look the other way.
Yeah, me and Frankie laughin' and drinkin'.
Nothing feels better than blood on blood.
Taking turns dancing with Maria as the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood.
" I catch him when he's strayin' like any brother would.
Man turns his back on his family, he just ain't no good.
Frankie went in the Army back in 1965.
I got a farm deferment, settled down, took Maria for my wife.
Them wheat prices, they kept on dropping till it was like we were getting robbed.
Frankie came home in '68 and me, I took this job.
Yeah, we're laughing and drinking. Nothing feels better than blood on blood.
Taking turns dancing with Maria as the band played "Night of the Johnstown
Flood.
" I catch him when he's straying, teach him how to walk that line.
Man turns his back on his family, he ain't no friend of mine.
Well the night was like any other.
I got a call about quarter to nine.
There was trouble in a roadhouse out on the Michigan line.
With a kid lying on the floor looking bad, bleeding hard from his head.
Was a girl crying at a table.
It was Frankie, see.
Well, I went out and I jumped in my car.
Then I hit the lights.
Well, I must have done 110 through Michigan county that night.
It was out at the crossroads down around Willow Bank.
Seen a Buick with Ohio plates, behind the wheel was Frank.
Well, I chased him through them county roads till a sign said Canadian border five miles from here.
Pulled over the side of the highway and watched his tail lights disappear.
Yeah, me and Frankie laughing and drinking.
Nothing feels better than blood on blood.
Taking turns dancing with Maria as the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood.
" I catch him when he's straying like any brother would.
Man turns his back on his family, he just ain't no good.