BLINDED BY THE LIGHT

Live 07 Apr 1976 version



[chuckles]
Heh
Madman drummers bummers and Indians in the summer with a teenage diplomat
In the dumps with the mumps as the adolescent pumps his way into his hat
With a boulder on my shoulder, feelin' kinda older I tripped the merry-go-round
With this very unpleasing sneezing and wheezing the calliope crashed to the ground
Some all-hot half-shot was headin' for a hot spot snappin' his fingers clappin' his hands,
Some fleshpot mascot was tied into a lover's knot with a whatnot in her hand
Well now young Scott with a slingshot finally found a tender spot and throws his lover in the sand
And some bloodshot forget-me-not says, "Daddy's within earshot, save the buckshot, turn up the band"

And we were blinded by the light
Cut loose like a deuce another runner in the night
Blinded by the light
He got down but he never got tight, he's gonna make it alright

Some brimstone baritone anti-cyclone rolling stone preacher from the east
He said, "Dethrone the dictaphone, hit it in the funny bone, that's where they expect it least"
And some new-mown chaperone was standin' in the corner all alone watchin' the little girls dance
And some fresh-sown moonstone was messin' with his frozen zone to remind him of the feeling of romance

When he was blinded by the light
Cut loose like a deuce another runner in the night
Blinded by the light
He got down but he never got tight, he's gonna make it tonight

Some silicone sister with her manager's mister told me I got what it takes
She said, "I'll turn you on sonny, to something strong if you'll play that song with the funky break"
Go-cart Mozart was checkin' out the weather chart to see if it was safe to go outside
Little Early-Pearly came by in her curly-wurly, asked me if I needed a ride.
Oh, some hazard from Harvard was skunked on beer playin' backyard bombardier
And Scotland Yard was trying hard, they sent some dude with a calling card, said, "Do what you like, but don't do it here"
Well, I jumped up, turned around, spit in the air, fell on the ground
Asked him which was the way back home
He said, "Take a right at the light, keep goin' straight until night, oh, and then, boys, you're on your own"
Take it!

And we were blinded by the light
Cut loose like a deuce another runner in the night
Blinded by the light
Mama always told me not to look into the sights of the sun
Whoa, but mama that's where the fun is
Ooh, yeah
Oh but mama
(I was blinded) Oh but mama
(I was blinded) I was blinded
(I was blinded) I was bli-I was blinded
I was blinded
I was blinded
I was blinded
(Babe) I was blinded
I was blinded
(Baby) was blinded


Info

The above lyrics are for the live 07 Apr 1976 performance of BLINDED BY THE LIGHT at Allen Theatre in Cleveland, OH, during the so-called Chicken Scratch Tour. The song was played in a full-band album-style arrangement. On this particular performance, Springsteen skipped the "And now in Zanzibar..." verse.

This tour (35 know dates, March to May 1976) was nicknamed the "Chicken Scratch Tour" by the road crew because of the high proportion of secondary markets in the South.

The 07 Apr 1976 Show

During the so-called Chicken Scratch Tour, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band performed two consecutive shows at Allen Theatre in Cleveland, OH, on 07 and 08 Apr 1976. Soundboard recordings for both concert are in circulation among collectors. The recording from the second night is incomplete, but the one from the second night is complete and is of higher quality.

Ticket stub for the 07 Apr 1976 show at Allen Theatre, Cleveland, OH
Ticket stub for the 07 Apr 1976 show at Allen Theatre, Cleveland, OH
(Taken from Brucebase)

  1. NIGHT
  2. TENTH AVENUE FREEZE-OUT
  3. SPIRIT IN THE NIGHT
  4. IT'S MY LIFE
  5. THUNDER ROAD
  6. SHE'S THE ONE
  7. BORN TO RUN
  8. INCIDENT ON 57TH STREET
  9. FRANKIE
  10. BACKSTREETS
  11. GROWIN' UP
  12. IT'S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY[/SONG]
  13. BLINDED BY THE LIGHT
  14. JUNGLELAND
  15. ROSALITA (COME OUT TONIGHT)
  16. 4TH OF JULY, ASBURY PARK (SANDY)
  17. DETROIT MEDLEY
  18. QUARTER TO THREE

The 07 Apr 1976 show at Allen Theatre was commercially released in Europe. Since 2005 some enterprising record labels in Europe (mostly in the UK) have been releasing Bruce Springsteen radio and TV broadcasts (and some soundboard recordings) from the seventies, eighties, and nineties. Though these releases are not authorized by Bruce Springsteen or his record company, they are lawful due to a legal loophole in Europe.

Bruce Springsteen -- The Gap Year Broadcast – Live In Cleveland 7th April 1976
Bruce Springsteen -- The Gap Year Broadcast – Live In Cleveland 7th April 1976

2xCD - Sonic Boom (SON0345) - UK, 2017

This release contains the 07 Apr 1976 show at Allen Theatre.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- The Gap Year Broadcast - Live In Cleveland 7th April 1976 Vol. 1
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- The Gap Year Broadcast - Live In Cleveland 7th April 1976 Vol. 1

2xLP - Parachute Recording Company (PARA158LP) - UK, 2019

This release contains part 1 of 2 of the 07 Apr 1976 show at Allen Theatre.
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- The Gap Year Broadcast - Live In Cleveland 7th April 1976 Vol. 2
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band -- The Gap Year Broadcast - Live In Cleveland 7th April 1976 Vol. 2

2xLP - Parachute Recording Company (PARA160LP) - UK, 2019

This release contains part 2 of 2 of the 07 Apr 1976 show at Allen Theatre.

Credits

Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.

Available Versions

List of available versions of BLINDED BY THE LIGHT on this website:

BLINDED BY THE LIGHT [Album version]
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT [Live 09 Jan 1973 version]
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT [Live 02 Mar 1973 version]
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT [Live 31 Oct 1973 (late show) version]
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT [Live 06 Jan 1974 version]
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT [Live 07 Apr 1976 version]
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT [Live 26 Jun 1993 version]
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT [Live 22 Apr 1996 version]
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT [Live 23 Oct 1999 version]
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT [Live 18 Aug 2001 version]
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT [Live 20 Feb 2003 version]
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT [Live 06 Aug 2003 version]
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT [Live 04 Apr 2005 version]
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT [Live 25 Jun 2005 version]
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT [Live 11 Nov 2006 version]
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT [Live 19 Nov 2006 version]
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT [Live 31 Jul 2008 version]
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT [Live 22 Nov 2009 version]
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT [Live 15 Apr 2014 version]
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT [Manfred Mann's Earth Band's cover version]
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT [Eagles Of Death Metal's cover version]

Page last updated: 18 Jan 2016