Joe Grushecky - Talking To The King

First performance: 17/10/1995

Coverinfo

Bruce performed the song 28 times:
 
Always together with Joe Grushecky:
 
In October 1995, Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers kicked off the release of their American Babylon album with a six-stop tour dubbed the "October Assault." Introduced as "honorary Houserocker of the week" on the first night, Bruce Springsteen joined the band for the majority of the set on all six dates, playing guitar and sharing vocals with Grushecky. At each show, Springsteen came out for American Babylon's 'What did you do in the war' and remained on stage for the remainder of the set. The fourth date of the mini-tour (20 Oct 1995 in Pittsburgh, PA) was broadcast on radio. Eight songs from the fourth date and two songs from the fifth date (21 Oct 1995 in Pittsburgh, PA) were officially released. 
 
 
 
 
Bruce played the song with Joe Grushecky & The Houserockersduring the twentieth anniversary edition of the Light Of Day Benefit. As usual, he briefly joins Jesse Malin and Willie Nile during their performances before playing a full set with Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers.
 
© photo Jayne Doniger
 
2015-07-18 Wonder Bar, Asbury Park, NJ
2015-01-17 Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ
2014-05-23 Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum, Pittsburgh, PA
2014-05-22 Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum, Pittsburgh, PA
2014-01-18 Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ
2012-01-14 Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ
2011-11-04 Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum, Pittsburgh, PA
2011-11-03 Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum, Pittsburgh, PA
2011-01-15 Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ
2010-11-05 Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum, Pittsburgh, PA
2010-11-04 Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum, Pittsburgh, PA
2010-01-16 Paramount Theatre, Asbury Park, NJ
2006-12-02 Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
2004-12-02 Heinz Hall For The Performing Arts, Pittsburgh, PA
2004-11-06 Stone Pony (The), Asbury Park, NJ
2004-07-17 Stone Pony (The), Asbury Park, NJ
2003-11-01 Stone Pony (The), Asbury Park, NJ
2001-11-03 Tradewinds, Sea Bright, NJ
2000-11-03 Stone Pony (The), Asbury Park, NJ
1999-07-09 Hooligans, Long Branch, NJ
1998-03-02 Nick's Fat City, Pittsburgh, PA
1995-10-24 Park West, Chicago, IL
1995-10-21 Nick's Fat City, Pittsburgh, PA
1995-10-20 Nick's Fat City, Pittsburgh, PA
1995-10-19 Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA
1995-10-18 Tramps, New York City, NY

1995-10-17 Stone Pony (The), Asbury Park, NJ
Performed 6 times during the 6-date-long October Assault Tour with Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers 
     

    Songinfo

    'Talking to the king' is a song written by Joe Grushecky and released on Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers' 1992 album End Of The Century.
     
     
     

    Other cover versions

    Bruce on the artist

    Bruce co-wrote some songs with Joe Grushecky
     
    He also contributed to other albums with vocals, guitar, harmonica or mandolin
     
    Bruce contributed on three albums of Joe Grushecky

    1995 : AMERICAN BABYLON 
     
     
     
     
     
    2006 : A GOOD LIFE 
     
    Is a studio album by Joe Grushecky released on 15 Aug 2006 on Schoolhouse Records. It features Bruce Springsteen on four tracks. He shares vocals and plays guitar with Grushecky on Code of Silence, Is she the one and A Good life, and only plays guitar on Searching for my soul. The primary recording sessions for the album took place at studios in West Virginia. However Springsteen, with Toby Scott engineering, worked only from his New Jersey home studio and overdubbed onto Gruschecky's already completed basic tracks.
     
     
     
    2009 : EAST CARSON STREET

    is a studio album by Joe Grushecky released in 2009. Bruce Springsteen participated in the recording of three of the album's tracks; he plays guitar on East Carson Street, sings duet vocals and plays lead guitar on Another thin line, and plays lead guitar on Broken wheel.
     
     

    Lyrics

    I woke up from a dream, took a walk down the stairs
    That's when I saw him standing there
    I swore I heard you down here singing
    The next thing you know I was talking to the king

    And I was talking to the king in the promised land
    He said he just flew in for a one night stand
    All dressed in leather, guitar in his hand
    I was talking to the king in the promised land

    There's so many questions that I'd like to ask
    He said go ahead and started to laugh
    I lost a few pounds and quit dyeing my hair
    I'm keeping clean, there ain't no pills up there
    But one thing I miss is a place to sing in
    I grabbed my guitar and started jamming with the king

    And I was jamming with the king in the promised land
    He said he just flew in for a one night stand
    All dressed in leather, guitar in his hand
    I was talking to the king in the promised land
    Whoa!

    Talking to the king
    Talking to the king

    You better be careful or you'll lose everything
    It ain't no fun being a king
    You make me mad when you start to complain
    You should be glad nobody who knows your name
    You got two lovely kids and a wife at home
    And I died alone on my throne
    Sometimes I think I sold my soul
    To become the king of rock and roll

    And I was talking to the king in the promised land
    He just flew in for a one night stand
    All dressed in leather, guitar in his hand
    I was talking to the king in the promised land

    Talking to the king
    Talking to the king in the promised land
    Talking to the king
    Talking to the king in the promised land
    Whoa!
    Talking to the king
    Talking to the king
    Talking to the king
    Talking to the king
    Whoa! Whoa!