Beatles ( The ) - Birthday

First performance: 23/09/1989


Coverinfo

Bruce covered the song 5 times and once as snippet:
 
  • Snippet 
2012-09-22 Metlife Stadium, East Rutherford
The final stadium show of 2012. Steve teases a brief snippet of "Birthday". At midnight the crowd sang "Happy Birthday To You" to Bruce and prior to "Twist And Shout" Bruce cut a cake (delivered by Bruce's mom Adele, his oldest sister Ginny, Patti Scialfa's mother - introducing whom Bruce sings a line from Allen Toussaint's "Mother-In-Law" - and brother, plus Maureen Van Zandt) for his 63rd birthday, and shared it with fans in the pit, who once again sang "Happy Birthday". 
 
 
 
2002-01-11 B.B. King Niteclub, Mashantucket, CT
60th birthday bash for Clarence Clemons. Clarence was playing the first of a two-night stand at the 275-capacity B.B. King Nite Club and was presented a cake by B.B. King. 
 
2000-10-14 Springsteen Residence, Colts Neck
Bruce's private birthday bash on his farm in Colts Neck. Springsteen and other friends jammed on oldies with house band The Gotham Playboys - many of whom will later become part of The Sessions Band.
 
1998-10-11 Springsteen Residence, Colts Neck
Belated outdoor birthday bash for Bruce at his farm property, originally planned for September 23 but had been delayed due to poor weather. As they had the previous year, NYC-based Cajun-roots band The Gotham Playboys (who would form the core of the Sessions Band when they first assembled in the fall of 1998) provide the entertainment. Bruce joins them for several songs (noted above). Party guests include Steven Van Zandt, Max Weinberg, Jon Bon Jovi and Sheryl Crow.
 
1997-09-23 Springsteen Residence, Colts Neck
Private "Fiesta" theme birthday party for Bruce thrown by Patti Scialfa and Bruce in a field on their farm, with the New York City roots/bluegrass outfit The Gotham Playboys providing the music. Bruce had heard about the band from Soozie Tyrell, who occasionally played live gigs with them. Bruce allegedly joined in on some songs during the party. A few weeks later, Springsteen would hire several members of the group (Jeremy Chatzky, Sam Bardfeld, Larry Eagle, Mark Clifford, and Charles Giordano) to back him during a November 2 recording session at Bruce's home studio undertaken for the purpose of contributing a song for a planned spring 1998 Pete Seeger charity album. This group would eventually become The Sessions Band.
 
1989-09-23 McLoone's Rum Runner, Sea Bright
Springsteen’s fortieth birthday and a quite significant bash in historic terms. Present and backing Bruce at the party was the entire E Street Band and Steven Van Zandt. On this night The E Street Band members were completely unaware that in less than four weeks (October 18, 1989) Bruce would phone them individually to inform them he was putting the E Street Band into semi-retirement, effective immediately. This would turn out to be the last Springsteen and the E Street Band performance together for over five years (until February 1995).
  

Songinfo

"Birthday" is a song written by Lennon–McCartney and performed by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album The Beatles (also known as "the White Album"). It is the opening track on the third side of the LP (or the second disc in CD versions of the record). The song is an example of the Beatles' return to more traditional rock and roll form, although their music had increased in complexity and it had developed more of its own characteristic style by this point. Surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr performed it for Starr's 70th birthday at Radio City Music Hall on 7 July 2010.
 
 
Cover of the song's sheet music 
 

Other cover versions

Bruce on the artist

 
"The Beatles were cool. They were classical, formal, and created the idea of an independent unit where everything could come out of your garage. The "Meet the Beatles" album cover, those four head shots. I remember, I seen 'em at J. J. Newberry's. It was the first thing I saw when you ran down to the five–and–ten cent store. There were no record stores. There weren't enough records, I don't think, in those days. There was a little set by the toys where they sold a few albums. And I remember running in and seeing that album cover with those four headshots. It was like the silent gods of Olympus. Your future was just sort of staring you in the face. I remember thinking, "That's too cool. I'm never gonna get there, man, never." And then in some fanzine I came across a picture of the Beatles in Hamburg. And they had on the leather jackets and the slick–backed pompadours, they had acned faces. I said, hey, "Wait a minute, those are the guys I grew up with, only they were Liverpool wharf rats." So minus their Nehru jackets and the haircuts – so these guys, they're kids. They're a lot cooler than me, but they're still kids. There must be a way to get there from here.  "
 
 

Lyrics

You say it's your birthday
It's my birthday too, yeah
They say it's your birthday
We're gonna have a good time
I'm glad it's your birthday
Happy birthday to you
Yes we're going to a party party
Yes we're going to a party party
Yes we're going to a party party
I would like you to dance, birthday
Take a cha-cha-cha-chance, birthday
I would like you to dance, birthday
Dance
I would like you to dance, birthday
Take a cha-cha-cha-chance, birthday
I would like you to dance, birthday
Dance
You say it's your birthday
Well it's my birthday too, yeah
You say it's your birthday
We're gonna have a good time
I'm glad it's your birthday
Happy birthday to you