Live 20 Oct 1995 version
[Spoken intro:] Pump it, boys!
Jimmy was a rocker, oh, how he liked to rock
Combed his hair just right
And he practiced the way he talked
Gonna go out tonight and make a little noise
He was a steel-driving man just like his daddy was
Didn't have a choice, he's just doing what he's told
If you can't be a man better be one of the boys
Going to meet little Joe at the corner
Hey, make sure he is dressed up just right
Little Joe has been acting like a goner
But tonight
It's all right!
Pumping iron, sweating steel
Hearts of stone, dressed to kill
Pumping iron, sweating steel
Well, you can never understand the way I feel
Jimmy's gonna meet Maria downtown at ten o'clock
Well, her old man don't like him, won't let him come to the house
Pop a pill, drink some whiskey, get a little wasted, baby, that's all right
'Cause that poor boy got to live his whole lifetime
In just one night, and that night'll be tonight
Can I hear you over there? Can I hear you?
Pumping iron, sweating steel
Hearts of stone, dressed to kill
Pumping iron, sweating steel
Well, you can never understand the way I feel
Here come Maria, man she looks really hot
Got to give her everything I got, at last
Slips in her Chevy beside little Joe
Steps on the gas and watch her go so fast, ah, she's so fast
Get it going!
Pumping iron, sweating steel
Hearts of stone, dressed to kill
Pumping iron, sweating steel
Well, you can never understand
Pumping iron, sweating steel
Hearts of stone, dressed to kill
Pumping iron, sweating steel
Well, you can never understand the way I feel
Well, you can never understand the way I feel
One, two, three, four!
Pumping iron, sweating steel
Hearts of stone, dressed to kill
Pumping iron, sweating steel
Well, you can never understand the way I feel
You can never understand the way I feel
Let me hear you say yeah!
Let me hear you say yeah!
Let me hear you say yeah!
Let me hear you say yeah!
[Spoken outro:] From Asbury Park, New Jersey! Houserocker for a week! I'm Joe Grushecky, we're the Houserockers, and we are living in American Babylon!
PUMPING IRON is a 1980 song by the Iron City Houserockers. See the original Iron City Houserockers version for more details.
The above lyrics are for the live 20 Oct 1995 performance of PUMPING IRON at Nick's Fat City in Pittsburgh, PA, during Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers' October Assault Tour. Bruce Springsteen plays guitar and sings backup vocals on this song.
In October 1995, Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers kicked off the release of their American Babylon album with a six-stop tour dubbed the "October Assault." Introduced as "honorary Houserocker of the week" on the first night, Bruce Springsteen joined the band for the majority of the set on all six dates, playing guitar and sharing vocals with Grushecky. At each show, Springsteen came out for American Babylon's WHAT DID YOU DO IN THE WAR and remained on stage for the remainder of the set. The fourth date of the mini-tour (20 Oct 1995 in Pittsburgh, PA) was broadcast on radio. Eight songs from the fourth date and two songs from the fifth date (21 Oct 1995 in Pittsburgh, PA) were officially released.
This live 20 Oct 1995 version of PUMPING IRON appears on three official releases.
The track was released in both an unedited version and an edited version. The unedited version can be found on the Labour Of Love (Live) EP, clocking at 8:34, and on the October Assault 1995, Nick's Fat City, Pittsburgh, PA CD, clocking at 8:44. The edited version can be found on the Down the Road Apiece - Live album, clocking at 6:10. That edited version has the sections above in bold and part of the guitar solo/duel edited out.
PUMPING IRON was performed 6 times during the 6-date-long October Assault Tour with Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers. The live 20 Oct 1995 version was first officially released in 1996.
PUMPING IRON was performed during the first (2000), third (2002), fourth (2003), twelfth (2012), fourteenth (2014), and fifteenth (2015) annual Light Of Day benefits. The song was played with Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers.
Bruce Springsteen appeared at a total of six Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers concerts at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum in Pittsburgh, PA, in 2010, 2011, and 2014. PUMPING IRON was performed on 04 Nov 2010, 05 Nov 2010, 03 Nov 2011, 04 Nov 2011, 22 May 2014, and 23 May 2014.
PUMPING IRON was performed off-tour on 22 Jul 1995 at Tradewinds in Sea Bright, NJ, during a guest appearance with Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers.
PUMPING IRON was performed off-tour on 02 Mar 1998 at Nick's Fat City in Pittsburgh, PA, during a guest appearance with Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers.
PUMPING IRON was performed off-tour on 09 Jul 1999 at Hooligans in Long Branch, NJ, during an acoustic guest appearance with Joe Grushecky.
PUMPING IRON was performed off-tour on 17 Jul 2004 at The Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ, during a guest appearance with Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers.
PUMPING IRON was performed off-tour on 02 Dec 2004 at Heinz Hall in Pittsburgh, PA, during the "Flood Aid '04" benefit concert.
PUMPING IRON was performed off-tour on 18 Jul 2015 at Wonder Bar in Asbury Park, NJ, during a guest appearance with Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers.
Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.
Info about the October Assault Tour is taken from Backstreets magazine issue #50/51.
List of available versions of PUMPING IRON on this website:
PUMPING IRON [Live 20 Oct 1995 version]
