Original Iron City Houserockers version
Jimmy was a rocker, oh, how he liked to rock
Combed his hair just right and practiced the way he talked
Gonna go out tonight and make a little noise
He was a steel-driving man just, uh, 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 you're dressed up just right
Little Joe been acting like a goner
But tonight
Yeah, tonight
Pumping iron, sweating steel
Hearts of stone, dressed to kill
Pumping iron, sweating steel
You can never understand the way I feel
Jimmy's gonna meet Maria downtown at ten o'clock
Her old man don't like him, won't let him come to the house
You pop a pill, drink some whiskey, get a little wasted, but, doll, that's all right
'Cause that poor boy got to live his whole lifetime
In just one night, and that night
Yeah, tonight
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, she's so fast
Pumping iron, sweating steel
Hearts of stone, dressed to kill
Pumping iron, sweating steel
You can never understand
Pumping iron, sweating steel
Hearts of stone, dressed to kill
Pumping iron, sweating steel
Ah, you can never understand
[fades out]
PUMPING IRON is a song written by Joe Grushecky and released on Iron City Houserockers' 1980 album Have A Good Time But Get Out Alive!. The above lyrics are for the original Iron City Houserockers version of PUMPING IRON as released in 1980.
Bruce Springsteen has performed PUMPING IRON live on several occasions, always with with Joe Grushecky. See the live 20 Oct 1995 version for more details.
Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.
List of available versions of PUMPING IRON on this website:
PUMPING IRON [Live 20 Oct 1995 version]