Mary Queen of Arkansas
| "Mary Queen of Arkansas" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Bruce Springsteen | |
| from the album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. | |
| Released | January 5, 1973 |
| Recorded | August–September 1972 |
| Studio | 914 Sound Studios, Blauvelt, New York |
| Genre | Rock |
| Length | 5:20 |
| Label | Columbia |
| Songwriter(s) | Bruce Springsteen |
| Producer(s) |
|
| Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. track listing | |
9 tracks Side one
Side two | |
"Mary Queen of Arkansas" is a song by
CBS Records, who signed him to his first record contract on May 2, 1972, although Hammond was less impressed with this song than with "It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City" or with "Growin' Up".[1][2] The day after signing the contract, Springsteen recorded "Mary Queen of Arkansas" as part of a 12-song demo for Hammond.[1][2] The demo version of the song was released on Tracks in 1998.[3]
Themes
The song is one of the slower tracks on Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., played on acoustic guitar, and the lyrics of the song may be about a drag queen. Bruce confirmed this at a concert in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania at the Soldiers and Sailors Hall on 5-22-14 while speaking to the audience.The Wild, the Innocent & the E-Street Shuffle) as in "Well I'm just a lonely acrobat, the live wire is my trade" and "The big top is for dreamers, we can take the circus all the way to the border." It comes across as a love song dedicated to "Mary."
Personnel
According to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon:[6]
- Bruce Springsteen – vocals, guitar, harmonica
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-275-98938-5.
- ^ a b "The Demo Sessions". Retrieved 2009-07-30.
- allmusic. Retrieved 2009-08-02.
- ^ ISBN 1-903047-97-8.
- ISBN 0-7119-5304-X.
- ISBN 978-1-78472-649-2.
