Coverinfo
Bruce performed the song 2 times:
During the High Hopes Tour. The song was the show opener and was played in a solo acoustic guitar and harmonica arrangement.
Mahalia Barnes and Jimmy Barnes open the show once again, and Steve again joins Jimmy Barnes for "Ride the Night Away".
Springsteen's first appearance in New Zealand in over a decade. Mahalia Barnes and Jimmy Barnes open for Bruce and the band. Steven Van Zandt joins Jimmy Barnes for the Steve-written "
Ride the Night Away". Bruce opens with his first ever cover of Lorde's "Royals" in a solo acoustic guitar and harmonica arrangement.
Songinfo
"
Royals" is a song by New Zealand singer Lorde, from her debut extended play, The Love Club EP (2012). It was later included on her debut studio album, Pure Heroine (2013). The music she listened to while writing the song also influenced her. "When I wrote 'Royals', I was listening to a lot of rap, but also a lot of Lana Del Rey tracks.
Bruce on the artist
Lorde’s respons to Bruce singing her song:
"It's so exciting, it's a great honor, Springsteen is a fantastic songwriter, I was a little touched, it's really cool, it's crazy when someone like him is playing your song". Lorde returned the favor during her "Melodrama world tour" on 04.06.2018 in Prudential Center, Newark NJ by singing Bruce’s "
I’m on fire". The song was mixed with her own "400 lux".
Lyrics
I've never seen a diamond in the flesh
I cut my teeth on wedding rings in the movies
And I'm not proud of my address
In a torn-up town, no postcode envy
But every song's like gold teeth, grey goose, tripping in the bathroom
Blood stains, ball gowns, trashing the hotel room
We don't care, we're driving Cadillacs in our dreams
But everybody's like Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your timepiece
Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash
We don't care, we aren't caught up in your love affair
And we'll never be royals (royals)
It don't run in our blood
That kind of luxe just ain't for us
We crave a different kind of buzz
Let me be your ruler (ruler)
You can call me queen Bee
And baby I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule
Let me live that fantasy
My friends and I we've cracked the code
We count our dollars on the train to the party
And everyone who knows us knows that we're fine with this
We didn't come from money
But every song's like gold teeth, grey goose, tripping in the bathroom
Blood stains, ball gowns, trashing the hotel room
We don't care, we're driving Cadillacs in our dreams
But everybody's like Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your timepiece
Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash
We don't care, we aren't caught up in your love affair
And we'll never be royals (royals)
It don't run in our blood
That kind of luxe just ain't for us
We crave a different kind of buzz
Let me be your ruler (ruler)
You can call me queen Bee
And baby I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule
Let me live that fantasy
(Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh)
We're bigger than we ever dreamed
And I'm in love with being queen
(Oh oh, oh oh, oh oh)
Life is great without a care
We aren't caught up in your love affair
And we'll never be royals (royals)
It don't run in our blood
That kind of luxe just ain't for us
We crave a different kind of buzz
Let me be your ruler (ruler)
You can call me queen Bee
And baby I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule
Let me live that fantasy