Live 12 Dec 1975 version
It's a hard world to get a break in
All the good things have been taken
But girl there are ways to make certain things pay
Though I'm dressed in these rags, I'll wear sable someday
Hear what I say
I'm gonna ride the serpent
No more time spent sweatin' rent
I'm breakin' now, it ain't no use
Holdin' me down, stick around
But baby (baby)
Remember (remember)
It's my life and I'll do what I want
It's my mind and I'll think what I want
Show me I'm wrong, hurt me sometime
But someday I'll treat you real fine
There'll be women with their fortunes
Who just want to mother orphans
Are you gonna cry when I'm squeezing them dry
Taking all I can get with no regrets
When I openly lie
And live on their money
Believe me honey, that money
Can you believe that I ain't no saint, no complaints
So get out, don't stop, I shout
'Cause baby (baby)
Remember (remember)
It's my life and I'll do what I want
It's my mind and I'll think what I want
Show me I'm wrong, hurt me sometime
Someday I'll treat you real fine
(It's my life and I'll do what I want) don't push me
(It's my mind and I'll think what I want) it's my life
(It's my life and I'll do what I want) ???
(It's my mind and I'll think what I want)
IT'S MY LIFE is a 1965 song by The Animals. See the original The Animals version for more details.
The above lyrics are for the live 12 Dec 1975 performance of IT'S MY LIFE at C.W. Post College in Greenvale, NY, during the Born To Run Tour. The concert was held at the college's Post Dome. That was the first know Springsteen performance of the song, and one of the very few times that he didn't start it with a spoken narrative.
Introducing the song during his live concerts, Springsteen mentioned that IT'S MY LIFE is a song he was listening to when he came to New York in the sixties. He began performing it live frequently between late 1975 and 1978, preceding it by a spoken narrative about the troubled relationship between him and his father.
Co-songwriter Carl D'Errico and his wife Didi were Springsteen's VIP guests at the 04 Nov 1976 show at Palladium in New York City, NY. He dedicated IT'S MY LIFE to them (see the live 04 Nov 1976 version) and they met him backstage and invited him to their apartment for a home-cooked Italian dinner. As Carl D'Errico recalls, the dinner took place within a week of the concert. Springsteen's tour schedule in New York suggests that the dinner most probably took place on Sunday, 07 Nov 1976. The two did an acoustic version of IT'S MY LIFE, and, as D'Errico recalled, Springsteen said he would put the song on a live album. Carl signed the original sheet music of IT'S MY LIFE for Bruce (see photo below).
In the handwritten lyrics notebook that was reproduced in The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story box set, Springsteen dedicated a page for what looks like a list of potential tracks for his fourth studio album. Titled "Album IV", the list included 15 tracks, with the Animal's cover among them.
Other versions of IT'S MY LIFE were officially released.
IT'S MY LIFE is known to have been performed at least 5 times during the Born To Run Tour (73 know dates / 81 known shows, July to December 1975). Some of that period's setlists are incomplete or unknown, and therefore, the song may have been played on some more dates during the Born To Run Tour. On this tour, the song always started with a spoken narrative, except for its debut on 12 Dec 1975 in Greenvale, NY. The live 31 Dec 1975 version of IT'S MY LIFE was released on the Tower Theater, Philadelphia 1975 official live download in 2015.
IT'S MY LIFE is known to have been performed at least 22 times during the so-called Chicken Scratch Tour (35 know dates, March to May 1976). Some of that period's setlists are incomplete or unknown, and therefore, the song must have been played on some more dates during the Chicken Scratch Tour; it may have been a stable number during the tour. On this tour, among the known performances, the song always started with a spoken narrative.
IT'S MY LIFE is known to have been performed at least 52 times during what is known as The Lawsuit Tour (62 know dates, August 1976 to March 1977). Some of that period's setlists are incomplete or unknown, and therefore, the song may have been played on some more dates during the Lawsuit Tour. On this tour, the song featured a spoken narrative. The live 07 Feb 1977 version of IT'S MY LIFE was released on the Palace Theatre, Albany 1977 official live download in 2017. The live 08 Feb 1977 version of IT'S MY LIFE was released on the Auditorium Theatre, Rochester, NY 1977 official live download in 2017.
In preparation for the Darkness On The Edge Of Town Tour, IT'S MY LIFE is known to have been practiced on 19 May 1978 at Paramount Theatre in Asbury Park, NJ, during the only known/confirmed private rehearsal prior to the tour's start.
IT'S MY LIFE is known to have been performed at least 7 times during the Darkness On The Edge Of Town Tour (111 dates, May 1978 to January 1979), all around September 1978. A few of that period's setlists are incomplete or unknown, and therefore, the song may have been played on some more dates during the Darkness On The Edge Of Town Tour. On this tour, the song did not feature a spoken narrative. The live 20 Sep 1978 version of IT'S MY LIFE was released on the Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ September 20, 1978 official live download in 2017.
IT'S MY LIFE was sound-checked prior to the 23 Mar 1988 show in Atlanta, GA, (as far as it's known) but it was not performed on any of the Tunnel Of Love Express Tour's regular shows.
Thanks Carl and Didi D'Errico (Carlderrico.com) for the photo.
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List of available versions of IT'S MY LIFE on this website:
IT'S MY LIFE [Live 12 Dec 1975 version]
