“Held Up Without a Gun” came darn close to making the final pressing of The River.
How close? This close:
Only at the last minute did Bruce yank this punk rave-up from Disc 3. At a mere 77 seconds, he didn’t even need to replace it with anything.
Why did he pull it? That I can’t answer, although I suspect it has at least a little to do with the fact that it’s essentially the musical twin of “You Can Look (But You Better Not Touch).”
“Held Up Without a Gun” typically gets characterized as a song about the 1979 Oil Crisis, when gasoline prices spiked when it was even available at all.
But while this ferocious track (which ultimately saw release as the flipside to “Hungry Heart“) may have been inspired by the gas crisis, that’s not what it’s really about. Bruce uses current events as a jump-off point for the song, but it quickly–everything about this song is quick–establishes a more timeless theme.
I was out driving, just a-taking it slow
Looked at my tank, it was reading low
Pulled in an Exxon station out on Highway One
Held up without a gun
Some damn fool with a guitar walks in off the street
Ain’t got nowhere to go, ain’t got nothing to eat
Man with a cigar says “sign here, son”
Held up without a gun
Now it’s a sin and it oughta be a crime
You know it happens buddy all the time
Trying to make a living, trying to have a little fun
Held up without a gun
Don’t let that second verse fly past you–it’s the key to the song.
It’s also a ten-second synopsis of “The Promise.” A few years down the road from his lawsuit settlement with former manager Mike Appel, Bruce obviously still carried a little bit of baggage with him. The third verse ties a bow on it: can’t a guy just do his job and enjoy it without someone trying to swindle him?
“Held Up Without a Gun” had only a single live outing following its B-side release, on New Year’s Eve 1980, but that live performance (as brief as the studio track) got not one but two official releases: one on The Essential Bruce Springsteen in 2003, and one when Bruce’s official archive series released the entire show.
It would be more than 27 years before Bruce performed it again in concert, but when gas prices spiked in 2008 during the Magic Tour, he brought it back for three encore performances that summer.
“Held Up Without a Gun” made one more appearance, on the Wrecking Ball Tour in 2012. With only five performances ever, it remains on many fans’ chase lists and is likely to stay there. If you’re lucky enough to catch it, pay attention–because if you blink, you might miss it.
Bonus: Like much of Bruce’s River-era material “Held Up Without a Gun” started out as an acoustic home demo. In this recording (slower than but just as brief as the final electric version), we can hear Bruce working on his lyrics. Although there are some notable detail differences, the verses are remarkably close to their final form.
Held Up Without a Gun
Recorded: February 23 – April 1, 1980
Released: The River: Outtakes (2015)
First performed: December 31, 1980 (Uniondale, NY)
Last performed: October 25, 2012 (Hartford, CT)
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