Live 30 Sep 1976 version
Well I stood stone-like at midnight suspended in my masquerade
And I combed my hair till it looked just right and commanded the night brigade, oh!
I was open to pain and crossed by the rain and I walked on a crooked crutch
I strode all alone into a fallout zone, came out with my soul untouched
I hid in the clouded wrath of the crowd, when they said "sit down" I stood up
Ooh, ooh, growin' up
The flag of piracy flew from my mast, my sails were set wing to wing
I had a jukebox graduate for first mate, she couldn't sail but she sure could sing
I pushed B-52, bombed 'em with the blues, my gear set stubborn on standing
Broke all the rules, strafed my old high school, never once gave thought to landing
Hid in the clouded wrath of the crowd, when they said "come down" I threw up
Yeah, yeah, growin' up
Hey, Big Man!
[Spoken:] The big day, when I was looking at town in New York, going to auditions with big record company, to get that CBS label. But my manager and my lawyer were getting on the audition elevator... special elevator, more heights. I was shooting up through the clouds. Passing the stars, passing all the planets. Finally I get up, the doors all open up, they frisk me a few times, and then at this big solid gold desk, wearing a long red robe, with this little wreath around his head, was Clive Davis. Little angels taking notes, flying all around. I said, "Mr. Davis, I wanna be a rock and roll star." I said first, "You're hearing my confession." And he said, "Sign here." And I put my name on that line, and...
I took month-long vacations in the stratosphere, you know it's really hard to hold your breath
I swear I lost everything I ever loved or feared, I was the cosmic kid
My feet they finally took root in the earth, I got me a nice little place in the stars
I swear I found the key to the universe in the engine of an old parked car
I hid in the clouded wrath of the crowd, when they said "pull down" then I pulled up
Ooh, ooh, growin' up
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Growin' up
Alright!
The above lyrics are for the live 30 Sep 1976 performance of GROWIN' UP at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium in Santa Monica, CA, during what is known as The Lawsuit Tour. The song was played in a full-band, album-style arrangement. All of this tour's performances of GROWIN' UP from this date onward featured a story in the break; this was the first known performance of GROWIN' UP to feature a story.
Despite the marvelous reception received by both Born To Run and the tour which followed, the relationship between Bruce Springsteen and his now former manager and producer Mike Appel was deteriorating. In July 1976 the storm broke; Mike Appel wrote to Springsteen saying that he would not allow Jon Landau (Springsteen's friend and co-producer of Born To Run) to produce the next album, citing a particular paragraph from their original agreement. Springsteen replied on 27 Jul 1976 by firing manager Mike Appel and suing him and his management company Laurel Canyon Ltd. in Federal Court in Manhattan, claiming fraud, breach of trust, and undue influence. Appel counter-sued on 29 Jul 1976 in New York State Supreme Court, asking the court to prohibit Springsteen and Jon Landau from working together in studio. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band were slated to enter the studio that year for the recording of a new album, except that on 15 Sep 1976 the judge in the lawsuits case ruled that Springsteen was enjoined from any further recording with Columbia Records until Appel's suit was resolved. This would drag for about a year. Meanwhile, Springsteen continued gigging, and in the process broke his self-imposed rule of not playing the larger arenas. This was basically because he was not able to put a record out, and it was the only way his fans would be able to hear him at all. The tour became known as "The Lawsuit Tour" (62 know dates, August 1976 to March 1977).
Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.
List of available versions of GROWIN' UP on this website:
GROWIN' UP [Album version]
