GROWIN' UP

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!


Info

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.

Promotional poster for the 29-30 Sep 1979 shows at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, CA
Promotional poster for the 29-30 Sep 1979 shows at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, CA
Ticket stub for the 30 Sep 1976 show at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, CA
Ticket stub for the 30 Sep 1976 show at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Santa Monica, CA

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).

Credits

Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake at BTX and Greasy Lake) for the lyrics help.

Available Versions

List of available versions of GROWIN' UP on this website:

GROWIN' UP [Album version]
GROWIN' UP [Outtake version]
GROWIN' UP [03 May 1972 demo version]
GROWIN' UP [Live Aug 1972 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 31 May 1973 (WGOE-FM) version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 02 Jun 1973 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 31 Oct 1973 (late show) version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 09 Mar 1974 (KLOL-FM) version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 09 Apr 1974 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 05 Feb 1975 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 23 Aug 1975 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 13 Sep 1975 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 30 Dec 1975 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 07 Apr 1976 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 07 Aug 1976 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 30 Sep 1976 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 25 Oct 1976 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 27 Oct 1976 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 04 Nov 1976 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 13 Feb 1977 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 23 Mar 1977 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 24 Mar 1977 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 31 May 1978 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 25 Jun 1978 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 01 Jul 1978 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 05 Jul 1978 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 07 Jul 1978 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 04 Aug 1978 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 09 Aug 1978 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 15 Aug 1978 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 01 Sep 1978 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 20 Nov 1980 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 27 Nov 1980 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 26 Jan 1981 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 24 Aug 1981 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 20 Aug 1984 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 14 Sep 1984 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 02 Oct 1985 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 07 Aug 1992 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 22 Sep 1992 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 08 Nov 1996 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 24 Sep 1999 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 19 Feb 2003 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 20 Feb 2003 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 02 Mar 2003 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 24 May 2003 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 22 Jun 2003 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 11 Aug 2005 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 22 Nov 2005 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 11 Nov 2006 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 17 Nov 2006 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 22 Apr 2008 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 27 Jul 2008 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 21 Aug 2008 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 21 Apr 2009 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 23 Aug 2009 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 30 Sep 2009 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 22 Nov 2009 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 01 Feb 2014 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 24 Apr 2014 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 23 Feb 2016 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 29 May 2016 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 03 Jul 2016 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 05 Sep 2016 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 07 Sep 2016 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 11 Sep 2016 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live 14 Sep 2016 version]
GROWIN' UP [Live July 2018 version]
GROWIN' UP [Any Trouble's cover version]
GROWIN' UP [David Bowie's cover version]

Page last updated: 18 Jan 2016