That opening G#m chord is simple but so effective. That strum on that chord alone drew me into this song and still does. When I was 14, I bought this single and wore it out. Finding the single sleeve that went with it for this post brought back so many memories. At that time I knew Gary US Bonds vaguely for Quarter to Three. Now this one is the first song I think of when his name comes up. This guitar sound is perfect, and I love the bounce of the song.
Springsteen wrote the song, and it sounds like it could have fit on one of his own records. The recording sessions took place at the Power Station in New York. Members of the E Street Band played on the track. Bonds brought his voice, while Springsteen supplied the song and the energy behind it. Springsteen and Van Zandt ended up producing the album.
The song accomplished something that is not easy to do. It sounded modern for the early 1980s but still carried some early 60s rock and roll sound. Older listeners would like it, and so would the teens of the day. This teen certainly did. This song was one of my favorite early 80s hits. It has a timeless sound that is hard to pin down in a time period.
This was released as a single in 1981; it became Bonds’ biggest hit in nearly twenty years. It reached the Top 20 in the United States and helped introduce him to a new generation of listeners. More importantly, it proved that Bonds was far more than an oldies act. The success of the song led to more recordings and appearances for him. It was cool to see Bruce work with an older influence, and their sound went together well.
It peaked at #11 on the Billboard 100, #15 in Canada, #43 in the UK, and #11 in New Zealand.
Here she comes walkin’ down the street
You know she’s walkin’ just like
She’s walkin’ to come and see me
Oh she’s so young and she’s so fine
I know what’s on your mind
Know what you want to do
But if you mess with her
I’m gonna mess with you
You better watch your step
You better stay in line
This little girl is mine
Oh this little girl is mine
Oh this little girl
This little girl
This little girl is mine
Well if the world was mine to do with
What I want to do sir
Well I’d wrap it up in a bow
And give it all to her yeah
And all my love
All of the time
You know I’d hold her tight
I’d never let her go
And late at night
You know I’d love her so
Yeah I’d treat her right
So she’d never mind
This little girl is mine
Oh this little girl is mine
Oh this little girl
This little girl
This little girl is mine
Mine, mine, mine
Hey you better watch out
I’m telling you the score
Are you going to be sweeping your
Broken heart up off the floor
Oh and that ain’t all
I’m telling you my friend
I know what’s on your mind
I know what you want to do
But if you mess with her
I’m gonna mess with you
You like the way she moves
You like to watch her walk
You better listen up
‘Cause man this just ain’t talk
You better watch yourself
You better stay in line
Now mister I said
This little girl is mine
Oh this little girl is mine
This little girl
This little girl
This little girl is mine
Oh this little girl is mine
This little girl
This little girl is mine
Oh this little girl is mine
This little girl
This little girl is mine
Oh this little girl is mine
Yeah, yeah
This little girl
This little girl
Oh this little girl is mine
Yeah yeah yeah yeah
This little girl is mine
Oh this little girl is mine
Oh this little girl is mine
This little girl is mine
This little girl she’s mine all mine
Now this little girl is mine
Oh this little girl is mine
Oh I said this little girl
This little girl
This little girl is mine, mine, mine
This little girl is mine
Oh this little girl is mine
…
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Cool! 😎
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Love this song Max. Bought both of the albums they did together. You are right that it hit that sweet spot with a blend of old time rock and roll with a new rock twist. I have mentioned Gary U.S. Bonds a couple times and featured “Quarter to Three” in a 60s Sunday post in 2024. Such a great thing Bruce did for Gary as he has done for others to revive their music and or careers.
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Yes it was a great thing that Bruce did…Bonds showed he had a lot of life left. Kinda like Jack White working with Loretta Lynn…I love to see those stories of a popular artist working with one of his influences. I have instant respect for that….it being such a likable song helps.
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That might be a good topic for Turntable talk. Revival Relationships or something like that! Has to several of them out there and not just a one on one scenario either.
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You are right…that would be a cool topic to go over…there should be plenty enough of them.
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Bruce was instrumental in resurrecting Garry’s career, and it benefited both of them.
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Never heard of the Bonds man until his buddies gave him a boost. Gary even got some play on MuchMusic back around the mid 80s as well.
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Excellent song, I still like it. It was good of Springsteen to give his old friend a hand like that. You could probably tell it was a Bruce song even if you didn’t know who wrote it.
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Oh yea…that sound has him all over it. Read Randy’s comment in this….it would be a good TT subject. Anyway…I absolutely wore this song out…funny how certain things can attract you to a song…that simple intro strum did it for me.
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Those first few albums that the E Streeters helped out with are full of great songs. This sounds right out of Bruce’s ‘River’ stage.
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Yes…it fits the River area perfectly. I was going to pick another song but seeing that single cover took me back to when I was 14. Again… odd things that pull you in…that one strum on that chord…just magical to me.
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I like that chord to. I’ve heard it used in similar songs.
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It’s so simple but it hits the spot.
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Really love this song, Max. I’m a fan of heartland rock. The energy, the blue collar workmanship, the horns…Gary U.S. Bonds was an architect of it before Springsteen, Seager and Mellencamp put it on the map.
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As a 14 year old…it sounded so good coming out of the speakers…this is one where I had to have the single. Yes he was ahead of it for sure…I’m glad Springsteen paid the debt back a little.
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True point. The blueprints (sorry, kinda stretching the blue collar concept there!) were all there for Bruce to build on, come up with his update on a classic style.
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Absolutely. I’d say Springsteen put all the elements together most definitively. He mos def borrowed from Bonds, Joe Tex, Mitch Ryder, to name a few of the ones I can come up with on the fly. I’d say Otis Redding was a big influence of that sound too.
Another song that captures this really well is the Sanford-Townsend Band’s Smoke of a Distant Fire.
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Oh I remember ‘Smoke.’ I liked that one, been a while since I’ve heard it over here. Our beloved ‘Classic Hits’ keeps a tight rein on anything not on the ‘Already flogged d to death’ Fleetw- format.😬
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I’ve always loved this song. Amazingly, Gary U.S. Bonds who is now 87 is still performing. In fact, I saw him in January this year as part of a fundraising concert for Parkinson’s, ALS and PSP – together with Bruce Springsteen and Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers!
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He still sounds great! Thanks for that Christian!
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Awesome, Christian!
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Thanks, Lisa! 🙂
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You’re most welcome.
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It does have the best of that 60s feel amped up with Springsteens 80s big band/big chorus/hornsy updates. And I get the way something like holding a record cover or sleeve brings it all back. Can’t download that kind of touchy/feely memory can you?
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No you can’t…some things take me right back…and that cover did. I haven’t seen it since then.
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Ah, G#m. What a chord! God, I love this song. What a perfect single and great radio song. The whole album is great especially “Daddy’s Come Home”. Great post.
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Shhhhh…don’t tell anyone but I always played it Am…much easier! It was a perfect radio song.
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Well, my musical knowledge consists of 10 ukulele lessons over 15 years ago, so I’m in no position to rat anyone out.
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Good lol! Oh I love playing the ukulele…I’ve had some cheap ones…they are so much fun. You can play pratically anything on them.
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I do remember this song, and yes, the Springsteen and E Street are all over it. Springsteen never recorded it?
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I don’t think so Lisa…he wrote it for Gary…which this reminds me of Jack White helping Loretta Lynn…I love this
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Oh ok. I must be remembering Gary singing it way back when.
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Yes…it was a big hit but had a Springsteen sound.
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Man, the songs were just pouring out of Springsteen in the early 1980s.
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Bonds does an absolute killer cover of Jackson Browne’s “The Pretender” on the Dedication album.
Other Bonds Springsteen-penned goodies are Your Love, Out Of Work, Club Soul City and Rendezvous.
Check out Gary’s cover of The Box Tops’ Soul Deep too.
I imagine they are all Cincinnati Babyhead’s thing.
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