Joe Ely - Fingernails

First performance: 19/05/1993

Coverinfo

Bruce performed the song 2 times: Always together with Joe Ely
 
 
1996-03-17 Mean Fiddler (The), Dublin, Ireland
First performances in Europe of "All Just To Get To You" and "Oh, Boy!", as well as "Long Tall Sally". "Fingernails" is played in a medley with snippets of "That Black Snake Moan", "Matchbox", and "Buddy Brown's Blues".
  
 
 
Bruce guests with Joe Ely. First ever Springsteen performances of "Blowin' Down This Road", "Fingernails" (which includes a snippet of "Buddy Brown's Blues"), and "Settle For Love".  
   

Songinfo

Fingernails is taken from the album 'Honky Tonk Masquerade', the second album by Joe Ely, released in 1978. 
 
 
 

Other cover versions

Bruce on the artist

Joe Ely (born February 9, 1947, Amarillo, TX) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist whose music touches on honky-tonk, Texas Country, Tex-Mex and rock and roll. He has had a genre-crossing career, performing with Bruce Springsteen, Uncle Tupelo, Los Super Seven, The Clancy Brothers and James McMurtry in addition to his early work with The Clash and more recent acoustic tours with Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, and Guy Clark.
 
In 1995, Bruce contributed to Joe Ely's album Letter to Laredo, providing back-up vocals. He sang on two songs, "All Just to Get to You" and "I'm a Thousand Miles from Home." Springsteen travelled to Austin around spring 1995 and joined Ely in studio to record his parts.
       
       
       
       
      Bruce had 16 live performances with Joe Ely: 
       
      2014-05-06 Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston, TX
      2012-03-15 Moody Theater, Austin, TX
      2012-03-14 Austin Music Hall, Austin, TX
      2008-04-14 Toyota Center, Houston, TX
       
      2003-03-02 Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX
      "Gonna bring out my good friend Joe Ely down and play with us, come on up....out of a great city of songwriters, the talent that´s come out of Texas, Joe´s one of my very favorites, man.."

      2001-10-19 Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ
      2001-10-18 Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ
      2000-04-17 Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX
      1996-09-29 Severance Hall, Cleveland, OH
      1996-03-17 Mean Fiddler (The), Dublin, Ireland
      1996-01-25 Austin Music Hall, Austin, TX
      1995-09-14 Viper Room (The), West Hollywood, CA
      1993-06-26 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
      1993-06-24 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ

      1993-05-20 RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
      Joe Ely was also on stage with Bruce on May 20, 1993. singing together in Dublin, Ireland, when they got on stage with Jerry Lee Lewis and Shane MacGowan and sang 'Great Balls of Fire.' During an extended encore, Ely appeared to perform his 1988 tune "Settle for Love" with Springsteen, and then returned to the stage a bit later with Lewis for "Great Balls of Fire" and "Whole Lotta’ Shakin’ Goin’ On."

      1993-05-19 National Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
        

      Lyrics

      I keep my fingernails long
      So they click when I play the piano
      I keep my fingernails long
      So they click when I play the piano
      I'm gonna keep 'em that way
      Till the swallows get back from Louisiana
      I keep my fingernails long
      So they click when I play the piano
      I keep my fingernails long
      So they click when I play the piano
      I'm gonna keep 'em that way
      Till the swallows get back from Alabama
      Oh, when I used to chew 'em off
      Nervous over you
      I missed that clickin', tickin' sound
      Honey, what I'm gonna do
      Keep my fingernails long
      So they click when I play the piano
      I keep my fingernails long
      So they click when I play the piano
      I'm gonna keep 'em that way
      Till the swallows get back from Amarillo
      Oh, when I used to chew 'em off
      Nervous over you
      I missed that clickin', tickin' sound
      Honey, what I'm gonna do
      I keep my fingernails long
      So they click when I play the piano
      I keep my fingernails long
      So they click when I play the piano
      I'm gonna keep 'em that way
      Till the swallows get back