Album version
Yesterday I went shopping, buddy, down to the mall
Looking for something pretty I could hang on my wall
I knocked over a lamp, before it hit the floor I caught it
A salesman turned around, said, "Boy, you break that thing you bought it"
You can look but you better not touch, boy
You can look but you better not touch
Mess around and you'll end up in dutch, boy
You can look but you better not, no you better not, no you better not touch
Well I came home from work and I switched on Channel 5
There was a pretty little girly looking straight into my eyes
Well I watched as she wiggled back and forth across the screen
She didn't get me excited, she just made me feel mean
You can look but you better not touch, boy
You can look but you better not touch
Mess around and you'll end up in dutch, boy
You can look but you better not, no you better not, no you better not touch
Come on, whoa!
Hey!
Hey-yeah-yeah!
Well I called up Dirty Annie on the telephone
I took her out to the drive-in just to get her alone
I found a lover's rendezvous, the music low, set to park
I heard a tapping on the window and a voice in the dark
You can look but you better not touch, boy
You can look, better not touch
Mess around and you'll end up in dutch, boy
You can look but you better not, no you better not, no you better not touch
You can look but you better not touch, boy
You can look, better not touch
Mess around and you'll end up in dutch, boy
You can look but you better not, no you better not, no you better not
No you better not, no you better not, I said you better not, so you better not
Whoa!
Yeah yeah
Come on, woah!
YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH) is a song written by Bruce Springsteen and released on his 1980 album The River. The above lyrics are for Bruce Springsteen's album version of YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH) as released in 1980.
Another studio version of YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH) (official studio version) was released on The Ties That Bind: The River Collection box set in 2015.
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Bruce Springsteen wrapped up the Darkness On The Edge Of Town Tour on the first day of 1979. For the next few months, he altered between composing and practicing solo demos at his home in Holmdel, NJ (between January and June 1979), rehearsing with the band at his Telegraph Hill Road property in Holmdel, NJ (between March and May 1979), and recording in studio at The Power Station in New York City, NY (from late March to late August 1979).
By early August 1979, enough quality material had been recorded at The Power Station. According to The Ties That Bind documentary, a total of twenty-four songs had been recorded. According to Clinton Heylin's 2012 book It was looking like Springsteen's fifth album might be released in Christmas 1979. E Street Shuffle: The Glory Days of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Springsteen's initial track sequence for the album was as follows:
Side 1:
Side 2:
By mid-September 1979, Springsteen replaced RICKY WANTS A MAN OF HER OWN, LOOSE ENDS, and THE MAN WHO GOT AWAY by CINDY and THE RIVER. Soon after, he removed RAMROD, restored LOOSE ENDS, and added YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH). A title, "The Ties That Bind", was selected for the album and wheels put in motion to produce artwork for the cover. Around September, at least ten tracks were mixed to completion. On 04 Oct 1979, the ten selected tracks were dubbed to two half-track reel-to-reel tapes at The Power Station, and labeled "side one" and "side two". As written on the reels, the producer was Jon Landau and the engineers were Neil Dorfsman and Bob Clearmountain, assisted by Jeff Hendrickson. The new track sequence for the album was as follows:
Reel #1:
Reel #2:
Mock covers with "The Ties That Bind" title were roughed out early in the planning. The cover shot was to be a picture of Bruce Springsteen in front of a barn, with the back cover being a shot of his face behind a screen door. In late September 1979, The Ties That Bind single album was scrapped as Springsteen's writing process continued.
A second phase of recording sessions was scheduled. Again, for the next few months, Springsteen altered between composing and practicing solo demos at his home in Holmdel, NJ (between September 1979 and February 1980), rehearsing with the band at his Telegraph Hill Road property in Holmdel, NJ (between September 1979 and February 1980), and recording in studio at The Power Station in New York City, NY (from October 1979 to June 1980).
The combined sessions from March 1979 to June 1980 produced the double album The River that was eventually released in October 1980. The studio sessions to some extent extended into August 1980 due to Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's involvement in the recording of Gary U.S. Bonds' album Dedication, which was released April 1981).
The album features 20 new Springsteen compositions and clocks at 83:47. It was produced by Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau, and Steven Van Zandt, engineered by Neil Dorfsman, and mixed by Bob Clearmountain, Chuck Plotkin, and Toby Scott.
Side 1:
Side 2:
Side 3:
Side 4:
According to recording engineer Neil Dorfsman, about 50 songs were recorded to a completed state during The River sessions. 20 were released on The River and 14 were released as B-sides and on official compilations. 14 songs are circulating via the unofficial route, but the majority of them are poor recordings of band rehearsals at the Telegraph Hill Road property, though it is likely that most of them exist as completed takes from The Power Station.
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Other versions of YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH) were also officially released.
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YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH) was performed off-tour on 13 Oct 1986 at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA, during the first annual Bridge School Benefit. The song was played solo acapella. The live 13 Oct 1986 version of YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH) was released on the Bridge School October 13, 1986 official live download in 2019.
At least 2 artists have recorded and released Bruce Springsteen's YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH).
List of available versions of YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH) on this website:
YOU CAN LOOK (BUT YOU BETTER NOT TOUCH) [Album version]
