IT TAKES A LOT TO LAUGH, IT TAKES A TRAIN TO CRY

a.k.a. GROUP THERAPY

Well, I ride on a mailtrain, baby
Can't buy me no thrill
Well, I sit up all night, baby
Leanin' on the window sill
Well, if I die
On top of the hill
And if I don't make it
You know my baby will

Don't the moon look good, mama
Shinin' through down through them trees
Don't the brakeman look good, mama
Chuggin' down the "Double E"
Don't the sun look good
Don't the sun look good
Goin' down over the sea
Don't my gal look fine
When she's comin' after me

Now the wintertime is coming mama
The windows are filled with frost
I tried to tell everybody
But I could never get my thing across
Well, I wanna be your lover, baby
I don't wanna be your boss
Don't say I never warned you
When your train gets lost

I said I ride on a mailtrain, baby
Can't buy me no thrill
Well, I sit up all night, darling
Leanin' on the window sill
And if I die
On top of the hill
And if I don't make it
You know my baby she will

Don't the moon look good, mama
Shinin' through down through them trees
Don't the brakeman look good, mama
Chuggin' down the "Double E"
Don't the sun look good
Don't the sun look good
Goin' down over the sea
Don't my gal look fine
When she's comin' in after me

Now the wintertime is coming mama
The windows are filled with frost
I tried to tell everybody
But I could never get my thing across
Well, I wanna be your lover, baby
I don't wanna be your boss
And don't say I never warned you
When your train gets lost

A Bob Dylan classic, sometimes mistakenly referred as GROUP THERAPY (read below). Performed by Dr. Zoom and The Sonic Boom only twice as far as it's known:
- 14 May 1971 at Sunshine Inn, Asbury Park, NJ
- 15 May 1971 at Newark State University, Union, NJ (these lyrics refer to that performance, read below)

From Brucebase, about the 14 May 1971 show at Sunshine Inn, Asbury Park, NJ:

01- IT TAKES A LOT TO LAUGH, IT TAKES A TRAIN TO CRY
02- GOIN' BACK TO GEORGIA
03- BO DIDDLEY
04- JUMBELIAH
05- CRY TO ME
06- FAST BLUES SHUFFLE
07- ZOOM THEME
08- SLOW BLUES
09- ONE MORE TRY
10- ROLL OVER BEETHOVAN – REELIN' AND ROCKIN'
The 10-song setlist mentioned above has been culled from a document in Bruce's handwriting that is probably the song schedule for this debut Dr. Zoom gig. The material is clearly identifiable by Bruce's header of "Sonic Tunes". Whether or not Bruce made any late changes to this schedule for the actual performance is not known. FAST BLUES SHUFFLE may be Bruce's name for LAST NIGHT IN TULSA (as also performed at the following day's Zoom gig). There is no audio of this debut Dr. Zoom show in circulation. Collectors should note that the widely circulating boot CD The Bruce Springsteen Story Vol. 5 - Dr Zoom & The Sonic Boom (E.ST) mistakenly lists its contents as being from this Sunshine Inn gig. However the audio is actually from the following day's outdoor Dr. Zoom performance at Newark State College.

From Brucebase, about the 15 May 1971 show at Newark State University, Union, NJ:

Fortunately a very good quality soundboard tape of all (or nearly all) of the Springsteen - led segments of this Dr. Zoom show has been in circulation since the mid 1990's and can be found on the CD boot The Bruce Springsteen Story Vol. 5 - Dr Zoom & The Sonic Boom (E.ST). As is the case with all the volumes in The Bruce Springsteen Story CD boot series, the music is wonderful and significant - but the CD liner note information is poorly researched and full of errors. In the case of this Zoom material, they've taken an obvious outdoor venue tape (with 0% voice and instrument echo) and linked it to the Sunshine Inn - an indoor concert hall. The other notable error on the boot (not as serious but telling nevertheless) is the misidentification of the Dylan classic IT TAKES A LOT TO LAUGH, IT TAKES A TRAIN TO CRY as a song called GROUP THERAPY. This appears to have been done merely on the strength of an offhand comment Bruce makes at the end of the song [read below].

Song outro on 15 May 1971 at Newark State University, Union, NJ:

Thank you now, thank you very much. There's the Sonic people, they'll take a short break, alright. (someone in the band: "That was called GROUP THERAPY"). ??? Al B.Tellone over there on the saxophone. ???.