Live 22 Sep 1992 version
Billy had a mistress down on A and 12th
She was a little something that he did for himself
Still his own little secret didn't hurt nobody
Come the afternoon he'd take her wading
Waist deep in the big muddy
Waist deep in the big muddy
You start out standing but end up crawling
And I got in some trouble and I needed a hand from a friend of mine
This old friend had a figure in mind
See, it was nothing illegal, just a little bit funny
Then he said "Come on, don't tell me the rich don't know, sonny
Sooner or later it all comes down to money"
And you're waist deep in the big muddy
Waist deep in the big muddy
You start on higher ground but end up somehow crawling
Well I had a friend, said "You watch what you do
Poison snake bites you and you're poison too"
How beautiful the river flows and the birds they sing
You and I we're messier things
There ain't no one leaving this world, buddy
Without their shirttail dirty or their hands little bloody
Waist deep in the big muddy
Waist deep in the big muddy
You start on higher ground but end up somehow crawling
Waist deep in the big muddy
Waist deep in the big muddy
Waist deep in the big muddy
Woo whoa
Woooo
The above lyrics are for the live 22 Sep 1992 performance of THE BIG MUDDY at Warner Hollywood Studios (Stage #4) in Los Angeles, CA, during the taping of Springsteen's episode of MTV Unplugged. It was released on the In Concert / MTV Plugged home video in 1992, and the audio was released on the Streets Of Philadelphia maxi single in 1994 (see the "Other Official Releases" section below).
MTV Unplugged is a popular MTV series that began in the 1989/1990 TV season and first aired on 26 Nov 1989. Produced by Viacom and most frequently directed by Milton Lage and Beth McCarthy, the program showcases popular musicians primarily known for playing electric amplified instruments (usually the electric guitar and electric bass) performing live using only acoustic instruments.
During a break in his World Tour 1992-1993, Bruce Springsteen was booked on 22 Sep 1992 for the taping of an episode of MTV Unplugged. The taping took place at Warner Hollywood Studios in Los Angeles, CA. Springsteen opened the show with a solo acoustic version of RED HEADED WOMAN, but he then brought his 1992-93 touring band onstage, and in a twist on the program's theme, put the plug back in and played a full-band concert — though there were also stripped down renditions of GROWIN' UP and THUNDER ROAD. Reportedly Springsteen had been unhappy with the touring band's rehearsals of acoustic arrangements, and this was what led him to break the unplugged format.
Springsteen was the first to insist on an electric performance, and MTV executives were reportedly furious at his decision to abandon the acoustic format of the show. "When you have the chance to work with Bruce Springsteen, he can do what he wants," MTV Unplugged producer Alex Coletti told UK's Q magazine. "It was a fantastic show, and it still had a lot of Unplugged's feel. It was very small, very intimate, very loose, and that's all part of what makes Unplugged special. But it was very loud!" To make best of the situation, the "Un" was crossed out from "Unlugged", and the concert premiered on MTV on 11 Nov 1992 as MTV Plugged.
A VHS release of the show preceded any audio release, coming out on 15 Dec 1992. It was titled In Concert / MTV Plugged, with "Plugged" written as "UnPlugged" on the cover art. The concert was not released in its complete form, but the home video release included the complete broadcast in addition to two bonus tracks, LIVING PROOF and IF I SHOULD FALL BEHIND. In Concert / MTV Plugged was also released on LaserDisc on 31 Jan 1993, which included all the tracks found on the VHS release, in addition to a third bonus track, ROLL OF THE DICE.
The audio album of the same title was released for a limited time in Europe (on CD, cassette, and double disc vinyl) on 12 Apr 1993 to promote the 1993 European (and final) leg of World Tour 1992-1993. It was not released in the United States until 26 Aug 1997. The album contains 13 tracks only, omitting five songs from the broadcast, but it includes the two bonus tracks from the VHS release.
Side 1:
Side 2:
Side 3:
Side 4:
In Concert / MTV Plugged was reissued on DVD on 09 Nov 2004. The DVD release includes the same 19 tracks found on the LaserDisc release.
GROWIN' UP and THE BIG MUDDY, which were included on the home video release but not on the subsequent audio album, were officially released on the Streets Of Philadelphia maxi single in 1994.
The 22 Sep 1992 rehearsal and concert at Warner Hollywood Studios were commercially released in Europe. Since 2005 some enterprising record labels in Europe (mostly in the UK) have been releasing Bruce Springsteen radio and TV broadcasts (and some soundboard recordings) from the seventies, eighties, and nineties. Though these releases are not authorized by Bruce Springsteen or his record company, they are lawful due to a legal loophole in Europe.
In addition to its release on the MTV Plugged home video releases, the live 22 Sep 1992 performance of THE BIG MUDDY was also included on the Streets Of Philadelphia EP in 1994. It was also included on the Live & Rare European EP in 2003.
Please contact me if you have scans or info about any official release containing the live 22 Sep 1992 version of THE BIG MUDDY that's not mentioned on this page. There's reportedly a Canadian pressing of the Streets Of Philadelphia EP with catalog number 44K 77383. Any additions, comments, or corrections to this page are welcome. You can send an email at or use the below form.
List of available versions of THE BIG MUDDY on this website:
THE BIG MUDDY [Album version]
