We took a look at Bruce Springsteen’s abandoned “Stockton Boys” home demos a year or so ago; today we’ll listen to their sister song.
Truthfully, “Stockton Girls” really shouldn’t qualify as a separate song–it’s more of a “Stockton Boys” variation than anything else. The melody is identical, as is the theme. If it weren’t for the fact that Bruce rewrote the entire set of lyrics, we’d consider it an experiment in gender-fluid songwriting.
But Bruce did rewrite the lyrics, and it’s instructive to take a close listen and appreciate how Bruce approaches his craft.
The exact chronology of the Stockton siblings is unclear–we don’t know whether the girls came first, last, or somewhere in between the four “Stockton Boys” demos. All five of the demos (four boys, one girl) feature partially or heavily bluffed lyrics, so there’s little we can glean by comparing the lyrical completeness.
The most we can infer is that Bruce was clearly reaching for a song about working men and women looking for release on a Friday night, rather than setting up a romance. If anything, the Stockton songs feel like a precursor to “Out in the Street” (which was also recorded around this time).
The song construction of “Stockton Boys” and “Stockton Girls” is similar: it’s Friday night (5:30 for the boys, 8pm for the girls), it’s payday, and the boys and girls are ready to let off some steam.
But while the boys aren’t particularly interested in romance (they’re too busy acting tough, making noise), the girls are looking for some dance partners:
Soon as Friday night comes around, 8 o’clock they roll into town
Looking for a few good thrills with a paycheck to kill
Her hands hurt ???
Baby wants to go out, baby wants to dance
Baby wants to find a little romance
To take her away
Oh Stockton girls, they got no diamonds or pearls
Running down from the factories
Oh Stockton girls, diamonds and pearls
I love those Stockton girls
Stockton is clearly a blue-collar town. The girls work in the factories, the boys in the mills. Neither have anything to show for it besides the paychecks burning a hole in their pockets.
Even the second verses are parallel, with the Stockton Boys leaving their wives and kids at home while the Girls ditch their kids and fathers for the night:
Susie worked down at the ???
She got a kid and an old man
That she takes care of ???
They come down when the day is done
And baby wants to rock, baby wants to roll
Baby wants to find, but it’s too cold
Stockton girls, ain’t got no diamonds or pearls
They come running down from the mill
Oh Stockton girls
Stockton girls, they got no diamonds or pearls
They come running down from the factory
I love those Stockton girls
Bruce never finished either song (that we know of), although he would develop a similar theme in “Out on the Street” and repurpose a couple of “Stockton Boys” lyrics for “Working on the Highway.”
In the end, both “Stockton Boys” and “Stockton Girls” are curiosities, signposts on the road to The River.
Stockton Girls
Recorded: Autumn 1979 (home demo only)
Never released
Never performed
Looking for your favorite Bruce song? Check our full index. New entries every week!
