GROWIN' UP^©

Live 20 Aug 1984 version

[spoken intro part 1]

I stood stone-like at midnight suspended in my masquerade
I combed my hair till it was just right and commanded the night brigade, hey!
I was open to pain and crossed by the rain, I walked on a crooked crutch
I strolled all alone through a fallout zone, came out with my soul untouched
I hid in the clouded wrath of the crowd, they said "sit down" I stood up
Ooooh, 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
I 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, on my shoes
Ooooh, growin' up

O-k be my ???

[spoken intro part 2]

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, well 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
Hid in the mother breast of the crowd, when they said "sit down" I said "shit up"
Ooooh, growin' up
Whoa, whoa, whoa
Whoa, whoa
Whoa!

Bye bye New Jersey, we was airborne!

These lyrics refer to the live 20 Aug 1984 performance at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ.

Check also the album's version (more details), the Tracks version, and the alternative version. The live versions are all pretty similar, and have no important lyrics variations. Only the spoken intro differs. Check them out: 10 Aug 1972, 31 Oct 1973, 05 Feb 1975, 30 Dec 1975, 07 Apr 1976, 27 Oct 1976, 04 Nov 1976, 23 Mar 1977, 24 Mar 1977, 31 May 1978, 25 Jun 1978, 05 Jul 1978, 07 Jul 1978, 04 Aug 1978, 09 Aug 1978, 14 Sep 1984, 22 Sep 1992, 24 Sep 1999, 19 Feb 2003, and 22 Jun 2003.

Spoken intro on 20 Aug 1984 at Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ:

Part 1: Well now once upon a time...

Part 2: And there we were. It was a night just like tonight. There was real coolness in the air, it was a long long time ago. I'd just met Clarence, he was working in the bowling alley, I was working at the gas station, we had a combined bank account of 88 dollars and 50 cents. We had no direction in our lives, we had no guidance, we had no inspiration, we were lost, we needed some hope, we needed some faith, we needed some close physical relationship with members of the opposite sex. And then, it was then that Clarence mentioned that he'd met two girls who had a sense of availability about them, just the previous night, and that he knew where they lived just on the outskirts of town. So we figured we'd forget about our problems and enjoy ourselves. We were basically happy-go-lucky kind of guys. And so we got in Clarence's Oldsmobile. We were feeling pretty good and we drove south on Route 9, down through Freehold, down through Lakewood, down through Toms River, down deep into the pines. And then the unthinkable happened. We had a flat. We were on this dark back road. We couldn't decide whether to just roll the windows up and stay in the car till morning, or go out see if we had a flat. This being the days before I was Clarence's employer, we decided that we'd choose to see who'd go check the trunk. I won and then I went and checked the trunk. So, there's nothing in there and Clarence said that he knew where there was a gas station, just on the other side of those woods. So we started walking into the trees. There was spooky sounds coming from all over the place... Clarence, like, "do you believe in ghosts?" We don't believe in ghosts, we believe like in Frankenstein and the Wolfman. This is Wolfman territory, I'm telling you. There's uh, what about the Jersey Devil? I'm telling you man. I believe in the Jersey Devil. So we got, got walking, things were going pretty good. Clarence, not so close, man. Get off my back, don't walk so close, it's bad enough I can't see where I'm going. You need a manicure, Clarence, I'm telling you. You must've been to Flemington Furs lately or something buddy. Uh, hi Clarence... (Clarence: Whooooa!) Oh, oh Clarence! Oh Clarence! Hey Clarence! Where are you buddy? (Clarence: oh!) Where are you pal? (Clarence: oh no!) Where are you buddy? (Clarence: whoa!) Oh jeez, ??? about that. Oh don't scare me like that. Oh, oh Jesus. And, then something shot down out of the sky, the clouds pulled away from the moon, and over in the clearing we saw the answer to our quest. First I picked up the mic-stand... and stood there in the moonlight, and then, when we touched...