Live 18 Jan 1971 version
[Spoken intro:] We're gonna change a little and we're gonna dance a little.
Well everybody's saying their favorite saying
Everybody's singing their favorite songs
Everybody's got a favorite game that they're playing
Well ha, we're alright but I, I guess we're, we're all wrong
Hey sing it ???
I said you better take a look around you brother
Something's happening here
Now sooner or later it's gonna surround you
And leave you with nothing but fear
All you gotta do is hang around
Tell you you're never gonna know just what's going down
Now you gotta change it, change it children
Change it, change it children
Change it, change it children
Change it, change it children
[Spoken:] Oh let's bring it on down, bring it on down now. Bring it on down. I said bring it on down a little over here fellas.
[Spoken:] Yeah well, now I know that we all wanna change it. I tell you first, first we gotta rearrange it. Now nobody here wants to be, wants to be selfish so we got the first five people here that can see and there ain't no one in the back there that can see at all, you know. Ok? Alright, now let me say something to you.
Well there's cannons on my left, I got cannons on my right
Rode my people out of battle 'till the sign was right
And you know the only path that's bringing 'em low now, can't you see the light
Oh doing what you wanna, living life like you like
I'll say
Hey look you better take a look around you
Something gonna happen here, you know it
Sooner or later we're gonna surround them
And leave them with nothing but fear
All you gotta do is hang around
Tell you you're never gonna know just what's going down
[Spoken:] You ain't never gonna know, but we're gonna give you a little taste.
[Spoken:] I think we're gonna take our first clapping lesson here. The trick is to clap in time. Yeah. Alright, let's give it to 'em.
Whoa whoa it's that time again
Whoa yeah it's that time again
Whoa whoa it's that time again
Whoa yeah it's that time again
I ain't felt like this since I don't know when
A new sun is rising and the weather is changing
Whoa whoa it's revolution
Whoa whoa it's revolution
Yeah yeah it's revolution
Whoa whoa it's revolution
So lets get together and have a good time
So much fun it's gonna blow your mind
Break out the guns and the ammo
Everything's gonna be fine
Break out the guns and the ammo
We're gonna have ourselves a real good time
Whoaaa
Whoa whoa it's that time again (for revolution)
Whoa whoa it's that time again (for revolution)
Yeah yeah it's that time again (for revolution)
Whoa whoa it's that time again (for revolution)
Whoa whoa it's that time again (for revolution)
Yeah yeah it's that time again (for revolution)
Yeah yeah it's that time again (for revolution)
Whoa whoa it's that time again (for revolution)
Whoa whoa it's that time again (for revolution)
Whoa whoa it's that time again (for revolution)
Whoa whoa it's that time again (for revolution)
Whoa whoa it's that time again
So take LSD and off the pigs
The summer is over gonna make it big
Ta-ta-ta ta-ta-ta ta-ta-ta ta-ta-ta
Ta-ta-ta ta-ta-ta ta-ta-taaaa
Haaa haaa, haaa haaa
And we gotta change it, change it children
Change it, change it children
Everybody's saying their favorite sayings (change it, change it children)
Everybody's singing their favorite songs (change it, change it children)
Everybody's got a favorite game that they're playing (change it, change it children)
Everybody's right Lord, and huh, we're all wrong (change it, change it children)
Oh but we can fix that up (change it, change it children)
Yeah we can amend that mistake (change it, change it children)
Well you know I made a lot of mistakes in my life, stepped on a few toes too (change it, change it children)
Well I made a lot of mistakes in my life, the Lord God up above knows that's true (change it, change it children)
But before we can change it we got to change ourselves oh yeah (change it, change it children)
(Change it, change it children)
From all the destruction (change it, change it children)
From all the same corruption (change it, change it children)
Alright yeah, ah hoo-hoo (change it, change it children)
Alright yeah, alright let's do it (change it, change it children)
You got to change it now
Whoa whoa whoa
You got to change it, change it children
Change it, change it children
Change it, change it children
Change it, change it children
Change it, change it
Change it, change it
Change it, change it
Change it, change it
Change it, change it
Change it, change it
Oh you got to change it (change it)
Oh you wanna change it (change it)
Whoa! (Change)
Change, yeah, yeah
Whoa whoa whoa (change it, now change it children)
Whoa whoa whoa yeah yeah yeah (change it, change it children)
Whoa whoa whoa yeah (change it, change it children)
Whoa whoa whoa yeah (change it, change it children)
(Change it, change it children)
(Change it, change it children)
(Change it, change it children)
(Change)
[Spoken outro:] Thank you. Thank you. Alright thank you.
CHANGE IT is an unreleased song written by Bruce Springsteen. He performed it live with Steel Mill in 1970 and 1971. The song is also knows among fans under the titles "Change It (Revolution)" and "Changing Children", the latter being based on misheard lyrics.
The above lyrics are for a live 18 Jan 1971 performance of CHANGE IT at D'Scene in South Amboy, NJ, with Steel Mill. Bruce Springsteen and Robbin Thompson shared vocals on the song.
This was a double-bill show with Steel Mill headlining and Godzilla opening. A very good soundboard recording of the show is in circulation among collectors and is believed to be the entire Steel Mill performance.
CHANGE IT is known to have been performed at least 4 times in Bruce Springsteen's early years (pre-October 1972), with Steel Mill. Very little is known about shows from this early period, and therefore, the song must have been played on some more dates during the Robbin Thompson era of Steel Mill (September 1970 to January 1971).
As far as it's known, no artist has recorded and released Bruce Springsteen's CHANGE IT.
Much of the above information about the song's live history is taken from Brucebase.
If you have any additional information about this song, or any corrections to the above lyrics, please contact me via the below form or by email: .
List of available versions of CHANGE IT on this website:
CHANGE IT [Live 18 Jan 1971 version]