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David Bowie's cover version
(Here we go, a-one, two, three, four!)
Well I stood stones-like at midnight suspended in my masquerade
I combed my hair till it was just right and commanded the night brigade
I was open to pain and crossed by the rain and I walked on a crooked crutch
I strode all alone through a fallout zone, came out with my soul untouched
I hid in the clouded wrath of the crowd, but when they said sit down I stood up
Ohh-ohh, growing 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 the B-52 and bombed 'em with the blues with my gear set stubborn on standing
I broke all the rules, strafed my old high school, never once gave thought to landing, no
And I hid in the clouded warmth of the crowd, when they said come down I threw up
Ohh-ohh, growing up
[Instrumental break]
I took month-long vacations in the stratosphere and y'know it's really hard to hold your breath
And I swear I lost everything I ever loved or feared, I was the cosmic kid in full costume dress
Well my feet finally took root in the earth but I got a nice little place in the stars
And I swear I found the key to the universe in the engine of an old parked car
I hid in the mother breast of the crowd, but when they said pull down I pulled up
Oh, oh, oh, and don't you know that I'm growing up
I said oh, oh, oh, I can't help it that I'm growing up (ah)
The above lyrics are for David Bowie's cover version of GROWIN' UP. The song was released as bonus track on the 1990 reissue of his covers album Pin Ups.
Bowie recorded the song in 1973, but the track wasn't released until 1990. See the "Recording and Release" section below for more details.
Bruce Springsteen opened for headliner Biff Rose in 1973 during a 6-night stand (from 31 January to 05 February, two shows each night) at Max's Kansas City in New York. David Bowie showed up on the final night of this to see Biff Rose, a friend of his, and caught Springsteen's performance. Bowie had never even heard of a guy named "Springsteen" until that 05 Feb 1973 night. In a 1987 Musician Magazine interview, Bowie commented on Bruce's performance on this night saying, "I hated him as a solo... as soon as the band came on it was like a different person and he was marvelous... I like the Asbury Park [LP] material, my favorite period of Springsteen is the early stuff". The two weren't introduced to each other that night. A few months later Bowie recorded a version of GROWIN' UP, but the song remained in the vaults until its release in 1989. Bowie was the first artist to record a Springsteen composition.
DJ Ed Sciaky called Bruce Springsteen on 24 Nov 1974 asking him to come to Philadelphia to meet David Bowie, who was in town recording his upcoming Young Americans album and performing a concert on 25 November. Late in the evening Springsteen cached a bus to Philadelphia to spend a couple of days as houseguest of Sciaky. The two arrived at midnight at Sigma Sound Studios where they spent the early hours of 25 November with David Bowie at the studio. Bowie had recently recorded a cover of IT'S HARD TO BE A SAINT IN THE CITY but apparently it wasn't finished, so Bruce didn't get to hear it. Bowie would complete the recording the following year but it remained in the vaults until it's release in 1989. Later that 25 November day, Springsteen and Sciaky attended Bowie's evening concert at the Philadelphia Spectrum.
In the liner notes of One Step Up / Two Steps Back: The Songs Of Bruce Springsteen (a 1997 various artists Bruce Springsteen tribute album), Bowie wrote about the November 1974 meeting in Philadelphia: "Springsteen came down to hear what we were doing with his stuff. He was very shy. I remember sitting in the corridor with him, talking about his lifestyle, which was a very Dylanesque — you know, moving from town to town with a guitar on his back, all that kind of thing. Anyway, he didn't like what we were doing, I remember that. At least, he didn't express much enthusiasm. I guess he must have thought it was all kind of odd. I was in another universe at the time. I've got this extraordinarily strange photograph of us all — I look like I'm made out of wax."
David Bowie recorded a version of GROWIN' UP in July 1973 at Château d'Hérouville in Hérouville, France, during the recording sessions for his upcoming album Pin Ups. The album consisted solely of covers and was released in October 1973, but GROWIN' UP didn't make the cut. The song remained in the vaults until 1990 when it was included as a bonus track on the reissue of Pin Ups. The song was also released that year on a US-only 1-track promotional single. A digitally remastered GROWIN' UP was included on the bonus disc of the 30th anniversary edition of Bowie's Diamond Dogs album in 2004.
David Bowie's cover version of GROWIN' UP was included on some other official releases.
Some of the above info is taken from Brucebase.
Please contact me if you have scans for or info about any official release containing David Bowie's cover version of GROWIN' UP that's not mentioned on this page. If you have any corrections, additions, or comments, please contact me via the below form or by email: .
List of available versions of GROWIN' UP on this website:
GROWIN' UP [Album version]
