Live Feb 1972 version
When you dance
Well when you dance, ah come on mama hold me tight
Make romance, ah kiss me baby in the night
When you move, oh don't you know I love it so
It's such a groove, yeah when they turn the lights down low
Well come on mama, don't be afraid
There's no need to stand back
Come on baby, you're alright with me
Come on mama, come on for me
And now when you smile, ah don't you know you drive me wild
So wild, I want you for my partner child
??? when you love, our love's in skies and heavens above
And long ago, how I wanted you for my only love
Well come on mama, don't be afraid
There's no need to stand back
Come on baby, you're alright with me
Come on ??? about right now, yeah
[12-minute instrumental]
Well mama when you dance, ah come on mama hold me tight
And make romance, ah kiss me baby in the night
Oh when you move, yes don't you know I love her so
Ah you know such a groove, yeah when they turn the lights down low
Come on mama, don't be afraid
There's no need to stand back
Come on mama, we'll make it through
Come on mama, dance for me
The above lyrics are for a live performance of WHEN YOU DANCE at The Back Door in Richmond, VA, with The Bruce Springsteen Band. The exact date is unknown, but it's from the February 1972 residency at The Back Door (see section below).
The Bruce Springsteen Band played nine shows at The Back Door in Richmond, VA, during three of the four weekends of February 1972 (04, 05, 06, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, and 27 Feb 1972). They played one show each night and they were the sole act on the bill. Soundboard and audience recordings from these shows circulate among collectors.
Soundboard recordings for 8 tracks, taken directly from Tinker West's original reel tapes, are in circulation. The exact dates for the 8 tracks are not known but it is more likely that all of them come from the same show, probably from the final weekend of the residency. Audience recordings for 13 more tracks are also in circulation. The exact dates are not know but it is more likely that most of them come from the final weekend's performances. A soundboard recording consisting of 14 more tracks is currently in very limited circulation. The recording comes from the 25 Feb 1972 show and is likely the complete show. An audience recording consisting of 5 more tracks is also in circulation and, according to Brucebase, can be identified with some confidence to date from the 26 Feb 1972 show.
A reel-to-reel tape containing the soundboard recording of the 25 Feb 1972 show was auctioned in June 2014 on Sotheby's (see photo below). According to the auction house, the tape comes directly from the collection of John Hammond, "perhaps requested in an attempt to ascertain if the performer that he was so taken by as a solo acoustic act could similarly engage a live audience fronting an electric band." The tape features a printed label with hand-written setlist, but some of the songs are misidentified.
Much of the above information about the 1972 residency at The Back Door is taken from Brucebase.
If you have any additional information about this performance, or any corrections to the above lyrics, please contact me via the below form or by email: .
List of available versions of WHEN YOU DANCE on this website:
WHEN YOU DANCE [Studio rehearsal version]