GROWIN' UP^©

Live 19 Feb 2003 version

Well I stood stone-like at midnight suspended in my masquerade
And 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 strolled 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
Ooooh, growin' up

Well 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
Well I pushed 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
I hid in the clouded wrath of the crowd, when they said "come down" I threw up
Yeah yeah, growin' up

I took month-long vacations in the stratosphere and you know it's really hard to hold your breath
Yeah I swear I lost everything I ever loved or feared, I was the cosmic kid
Well my feet they finally took root in the earth but 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 say "sit down" I stood up
Hmmm, growin' up
Yeah yeah, growin' up

[song intro]

These lyrics refer to the live 19 Feb 2003 performance at Somerville Theatre, Somerville, MA.

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, 20 Aug 1984, 14 Sep 1984, 22 Sep 1992, 24 Sep 1999, and 22 Jun 2003.

Spoken intro on 19 Feb 2003 at Somerville Theatre, Somerville, MA:

(after the song, Bruce talks about DOES THIS BUS STOP AT 82ND STREET? then talks about GROWIN' UP)

GROWIN' UP. I'm not gonna do that again. But (chuckles), GROWIN' UP was uh, that was pretty, pretty straight ahead, that was just sort of the youth that I imagined for myself that I probably didn't really have, except on occasion, you know. It was just one of those things once again just sort of uh... An imagined youth I suppose, you know. But it, it, it caught something in it, maybe it was just a sense of fun, fun I was having with the words and, and uh, uh, the freeness I was having with language at the time just made me feel young, right? When you back to those songs they still feel fresh, you know. And the other, and the other ones I've always thought was said "man, I didn't listen to that record for long time after I made it", you know. And I thought like I'd used up all the words and that was it, I don't have right (chuckles), I was done now. But uh, uh, that whole song once again, that one line, so GROWIN' UP was uh, "key to the universe and the key to the engine of an old parked car". That was the line for me that, that, that, that made this song a good ???. It meanted if you try hard enough, you can find it anywhere, you know. If you're, if you're willful enough, you can find it anywhere. And so that was, that was that song...