Elliott Murphy - Diamonds By The Yard

First performance: 26/05/1997

Coverinfo

Bruce performed the song only once:
 
 
1997-05-26 Palais Des Congrès De Paris, Paris, France 
  
Last show of the Ghost of Tom Joad tour. "Diamonds By The Yard" and "Blowin' Down This Road" are performed with Elliott Murphy guesting. Only known Springsteen performance of "Diamonds By The Yard" and first ever performance in France of "Blowin' Down This Road".
 
 
  
 

Songinfo

Diamonds by the yard is a song written and recorded by Elliott Murphy and taken from the album "Night Lights". The album was reviewed by Dave Marsh in Rolling Stone. Where he wrote :
 
"In 1973 and 1974 it seemed to many of us in New York that it was a tossup whether Bruce Springsteen, the native poet of the mean streets, or Elliott Murphy, the slumming suburbanite with the ironic eye would became a national hero."

The album featured guest appearances by fellow Long Island native Billy Joel (piano on "Deco Dance") and former Velvet Underground member Doug Yule. 
 
 
 

Other cover versions

Bruce on the artist

Bruce had 17 performances together with Elliott Murphy: 
 
  
 
1992-06-30 - PALAIS OMNISPORTS DE PARIS-BERCY, PARIS, FRANCE
1994-10-21 - THE PLAYPEN, SAYREVILLE, NJ 
1996-04-25 - BRIXTON ACADEMY, LONDON, ENGLAND
1997-05-26 - PALAIS DES CONGRÉS DE PARIS, PARIS, FRANCE
1999-05-27 - FLANDERS EXPO, GHENT, BELGIUM
1999-06-02 - PALAIS OMNISPORTS DE PARIS-BERCY, PARIS, FRANCE
2002-10-14 - PALAIS OMNISPORTS DE PARIS-BERCY, PARIS, FRANCE
2002-10-18 - PALAMALAGUTI, BOLOGNA, ITALY
2003-05-19 - ESTADIO DE LA COMUNIDAD, MADRID, SPAIN
2005-06-20 - PALAIS OMNISPORTS DE PARIS-BERCY, PARIS, FRANCE
2006-05-10 - PALAIS OMNISPORTS DE PARIS-BERCY, PARIS, FRANCE
2007-12-17 - PALAIS OMNISPORTS DE PARIS-BERCY, PARIS, FRANCE
2008-06-27 - PARC DES PRINCES, PARIS, FRANCE
2012-06-11 - STADIO NEREO ROCCO, TRIESTE, ITALY
2013-05-03 - FRIENDS ARENA, SOLNA, SWEDEN
2013-06-29 - STADE DE FRANCE, SAINT-DENIS, FRANCE
2016-07-11 - ACCORHOTELS ARENA, PARIS, FRANCE
 
Bruce also contributed to the studio recording of Everything I do (Leads me back to you), providing duet vocals. Eliot Murphy recorded his album at IPC Studios in Belgium. Springsteen overdubbed his parts around mid-1995 at Thrill Hill West, his home studio in Los Angeles, CA. 

Elliott Murphy talking about the songs on Selling The Gold:

"Everything I Do (Leads Me Back To You) is a complicated love song of sorts after finally realizing that to love another I must learn to love myself first. I wrote the song after listening to Lucinda Williams and admiring her sense of phrasing so much. Bruce Springsteen and I had done Rock Ballad together at one of his shows in Paris in 1992 and after 20 years of friendship it was the first time we sang together so I asked him to sing with me on this one because I thought our voices would blend well. He decided to sing that second verse without any prompting from me. I guess the "blow my tires out...rolling on my rims" imagery was irresistible. " 
 
 

Lyrics

As I lay down with my lady
The sounds of the night keep me warm
We're living a city life - We're living maybe
And tonight there's no reason to be strong

Romantic poets guard the darkness
And I say "My my all at such an early age"
An old man sheds a tear
He opens a little golden locket
He thought his little girl was lost in an Indian raid

Somewhere in these night lights lies the answer
And you can get diamonds by the yard
A tiffany dream of a porcelain dancer
An old man playing blues guitar

Midnight I surrender
I live beneath your ancient spell
You've been my lover since I can't remember
You save my life with the stories you tell

Somewhere in these night lights lies the answer
And you can get diamonds by the yard
A tiffany dream and a porcelain dancer
An old man playing blues guitar

Midnight I surrender
I live beneath your ancient spell
You've been my lover since I can't remember
You save my life with the stories you tell