Bo Diddley - Mona

First performance: 03/11/1976


Coverinfo

Bruce played the song 103 times:
 
The song was most frequently used as a built up for 'She's The One 'during the 1977 and 1978 tours. 1 time during the river tour and Magic tour and 3 times during the wrecking ball tour. Musically, 'she’s the one ' has a staccato beat and a rhythm reminiscent of that of Bo Diddley songs. As if to emphasize the Diddley-like riff, Springsteen has led into 'She's the One' with a Diddley song - either " hey Bo Diddley", "Mona" or “ who do you love ? 'She’s the one' is definitely a hidden tribute song to Bo Diddley.
 
The song was performed together with Southside Johnny at the outdoor Stone Pony Summer Stage in Asbury Park. First, Bruce joined Garry Tallent for one song: 'Dirty Rotten Shame', when Tallent did his opening set for Southside Johnny & the Asbury Jukes. Later on, he returned for a seven-song guest set with the Southside and the Jukes.
 
 
 
© All credits to the original photographer.
 
2013-07-11 Ippodromo Delle Capannelle, Rome, Italy
2012-09-02 Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia
2012-08-24 Rogers Centre, Toronto
2008-08-21 Sommet Center, Nashville
1981-09-10 Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont
1979-01-01 Richfield Coliseum, Richfield
1978-12-31 Richfield Coliseum, Richfield
1978-12-30 Cobo Arena, Detroit
1978-12-27 Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh
1978-12-20 Seattle Center Arena, Seattle
1978-12-19 Paramount Theatre, Portland
1978-12-16 Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco
1978-12-15 Winterland Ballroom, San Francisco
1978-12-13 Tucson Community Center Arena, Tucson
1978-12-09 Dallas Convention Center Arena, Dallas
1978-12-08 Summit (The), Houston
1978-12-07 Special Events Center, Austin
1978-12-05 LSU Assembly Center, Baton Rouge, LA
1978-12-03 SIU Arena, Carbondale, IL
1978-12-01 Lloyd Noble Center, Norman, OK
1978-11-28 Dane County Memorial Coliseum, Madison, WI
1978-11-27 Mecca Arena, Milwaukee
1978-11-25 Kiel Opera House, St. Louis
1978-11-21 McGaw Hall, Evanston, IL
1978-11-20 Assembly Hall, Champaign, IL
1978-11-18 Millett Hall, Oxford, OH
1978-11-17 Munn Ice Arena, East Lansing, MI
1978-11-16 Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto
1978-11-14 Utica Memorial Auditorium, Utica, NY
1978-11-12 RPI Field House, Troy, NY
1978-11-10 Reilly Center, St. Bonaventure, NY
1978-11-08 Montreal Forum, Montreal
1978-11-07 Barton Hall, Ithaca, NY
1978-11-02 Capital Centre, Largo
1978-10-17 Troubadour (The), West Hollywood
1978-09-16 Palladium, New York City
1978-09-03 Saginaw Civic Center, Saginaw, MI
1978-09-01 Masonic Temple Theatre, Detroit
1978-08-28 Stanley Theatre, Pittsburgh
1978-08-22 Madison Square Garden, New York City
1978-08-19 Spectrum, Philadelphia
1978-08-10 Rochester Community War Memorial, Rochester
1978-08-05 Louisville Gardens, Louisville, KY
1978-07-21 Nashville Municipal Auditorium, Nashville
1978-07-18 Jackson Municipal Auditorium, Jackson, MS
1978-07-16 Municipal Auditorium, New Orleans
1978-07-14 San Antonio Municipal Auditorium, San Antonio, TX
1978-07-08 Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Phoenix
1978-07-07 Roxy Theatre (The), West Hollywood
1978-07-05 Forum (The), Inglewood, CA
1978-06-30 Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, CA
1978-06-26 Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver, BC
1978-06-25 Paramount Northwest Theatre, Seattle
1978-06-24 Paramount Theatre, Portland
1978-06-20 Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
1978-06-16 Memorial Hall, Kansas City
1978-06-14 Civic Auditorium Music Hall, Omaha, NE
1978-06-13 Hancher Auditorium, Iowa City, IA
1978-06-10 Metropolitan Sports Center, Bloomington, MN
1978-06-09 Mecca Arena, Milwaukee
1978-06-08 Dane County Memorial Coliseum, Madison, WI
1978-06-03 Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
1978-06-02 Halsey Field House, Annapolis, MD
1978-05-31 Music Hall, Boston
1978-05-30 Music Hall, Boston
1978-05-29 Music Hall, Boston
1978-05-27 Spectrum, Philadelphia
1978-05-26 Spectrum, Philadelphia
1978-05-24 Palace Theatre, Albany
1978-05-23 Shea's Buffalo Theatre, Buffalo
1977-09-13 Stone Pony (The), Asbury Park
1977-03-25 Music Hall, Boston
1977-03-24 Music Hall, Boston
1977-03-23 Music Hall, Boston
1977-03-22 Music Hall, Boston
1977-03-20 Alumni Hall, Providence, RI
1977-03-19 Central Maine Youth Center, Lewiston, ME
1977-03-18 New Haven Veterans Memorial Coliseum, New Haven, CT
1977-03-15 Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena, Binghamton, NY
1977-03-14 Mid-Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, NY
1977-03-13 Towson Center, Towson, MD
1977-03-11 Gymnasium, Latrobe, PA
1977-03-10 Sports Arena, Toledo, OH
1977-03-06 Jai Alai Fronton, Miami
1977-03-05 Jai Alai Fronton, Orlando
1977-03-04 Civic Auditorium, Jacksonville
1977-03-02 Civic Center Auditorium, Atlanta
1977-02-28 Fox Theatre, St. Louis
1977-02-27 Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati
1977-02-26 Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis
1977-02-23 Auditorium Theatre, Chicago
1977-02-22 Milwaukee Auditorium, Milwaukee
1977-02-19 St. Paul Civic Center Theatre, St. Paul
1977-02-17 Richfield Coliseum, Richfield
1977-02-15 Masonic Temple Theatre, Detroit
1977-02-13 Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto
1977-02-10 Utica Memorial Auditorium, Utica, NY
1977-02-09 Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo
1977-02-08 Auditorium Theatre, Rochester
1977-02-07 Palace Theatre, Albany
1976-11-04 Palladium, New York City
1976-11-03 Palladium, New York City
 
  • Snippet 
2009-11-20 1st Mariner Arena, Baltimore, MD

During "She's The One", Bruce sings a line from "Mona" before the outro.
 

Songinfo

"Mona (I Need You Baby)" is a song written by Bo Diddley and was the B-side to his 1957 single "Hey! Bo Diddley". According to Diddley's obituary in The New York Times, "Mona" was a song of praise he wrote for a 45-year-old exotic dancer who worked at the Flame Show Bar in Detroit. The song also became the template for Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away". 
 
 
 

Bruce on the artist

1987-01-21 - WALDORF-ASTORIA HOTEL, NEW YORK CITY

Bo Diddley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and received Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Rhythm and Blues Foundation and a Grammy Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.Bruce had one performance with Bo Diddley during the second annual Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame ceremony. Bruce gives a stirring induction speech for Roy Orbison and then duets with him on "Oh, Pretty Woman" during the jam. Other inductees include Bo Diddley, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Bill Haley, and Smokey Robinson. Performers during the jam, along with Bruce and Orbison, include Bo Diddley, B.B. King, Chuck Berry, Keith Richards, and more.
 
 
 

Lyrics

Hey, Mona, hey hey hey hey, Mona,
I'm gonna tell you what I'm gonna do,
I'm gonna build my house next door to you,
Can I make love to you once in a while?
Maybe we could do a little kissing and tellin' lies.
When I come out on the front, girl,
You'll listen to my heart goin' bumpity bump.
I need you baby and it ain't no lie,
When I'm through lovin' I'll surely die.