RED HEADED WOMAN

Live 22 Sep 1992 version

[Spoken intro:] Good evening! One two. Yiii! Alright.

Yiii...

Well brunettes are fine man
And blondes are fun
But when it comes to getting the dirty job done

I'll take a red headed woman
A red headed woman
It takes a read headed woman
To get a dirty job done

Well listen up stud
Your life's been wasted
'Til you've got down on your knees and tasted

A red headed woman
A red headed woman
It takes a read headed woman
To get a dirty job done

Tight skirt, strawberry hair
Tell me what you've got baby, waiting under there
Big green eyes that look like sun
They can see every cheap thing that you ever done

Well I don't know how many girls you've dated, man
But you ain't lived till you've had your tires rotated

By a red headed woman
A red headed woman
It takes a read headed woman
To get a dirty job done

Alright!
Yiii...

Page last updated: 10 Jul 2011

Info

The above lyrics are for the live 22 Sep 1992 performance of RED HEADED WOMAN at Warner Hollywood Studios (Stage #4) in Los Angeles, CA, during the taping of Springsteen's episode of MTV Unplugged. The song was the opener of the night, and was the only "unplugged" song of the show. It was released on the In Concert / MTV Plugged home video in 1992 and the corresponding audio album the following year.

MTV Plugged Concert

MTV Unplugged is a popular MTV series that began in the 1989/1990 TV season, and was first aired on 26 Nov 1989. Produced by Viacom and directed by 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 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, through 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. The following is the 22 Sep 1992 MTV Unplugged concert setlist:

• RED HEADED WOMAN
• BETTER DAYS
• LOCAL HERO
• LUCKY TOWN
• ATLANTIC CITY
• DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN
• BOOK OF DREAMS
• 57 CHANNELS (AND NOTHIN' ON)
• THE BIG MUDDY
• LIVING PROOF
• IF I SHOULD FALL BEHIND
• LEAP OF FAITH
• LEAP OF FAITH [second take]
• MAN'S JOB
• ROLL OF THE DICE
• GROWIN' UP
• HUMAN TOUCH
• SOUL DRIVER
• SOULS OF THE DEPARTED
• I WISH I WERE BLIND
• THUNDER ROAD
• MY BEAUTIFUL REWARD
• LIGHT OF DAY
• LOCAL HERO [second take]
• DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN [second take]
• GLORY DAYS

Handwritten setlist for the 22 Sep 1992 show at Warner Hollywood Studios, Los Angeles, CA

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. MTV Unplugged producer Alex Coletti told UK's Q magazine that "when you have the chance to work with Bruce Springsteen, he can do what he wants.: 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. The tracks that were broadcast on MTV are:

1. RED HEADED WOMAN
2. BETTER DAYS
3. LOCAL HERO
4. ATLANTIC CITY
5. DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN
6. MAN'S JOB
7. GROWIN' UP
8. HUMAN TOUCH
9. LUCKY TOWN
10. I WISH I WERE BLIND
11. THUNDER ROAD
12. LIGHT OF DAY
13. THE BIG MUDDY
14. 57 CHANNELS (AND NOTHIN' ON)
15. MY BEAUTIFUL REWARD
16. GLORY DAYS

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 a third bonus tracks not aired and not available on the VHS release: ROLL OF THE DICE.

The audio live album of the same title was released in Europe (CD 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 contained only 13 tracks, two of which were not part of the broadcast: IF I SHOULD FALL BEHIND (which was not even released on video) and LIVING PROOF.

1. RED HEADED WOMAN
2. BETTER DAYS
3. ATLANTIC CITY
4. DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN
5. MAN'S JOB
6. HUMAN TOUCH
7. LUCKY TOWN
8. I WISH I WERE BLIND
9. THUNDER ROAD
10. LIGHT OF DAY
11. IF I SHOULD FALL BEHIND
12. LIVING PROOF
13. MY BEAUTIFUL REWARD

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.

In Concert / MTV Plugged was reissued on DVD on 09 Nov 2004. The DVD issue includes all 19 tracks found on the LaserDisc release.

Available Versions

List of available versions of RED HEADED WOMAN on this website:

• Live 16 Nov 1990 version
• Live 17 Nov 1990 version
• Live 22 Sep 1992 version
• Live 24 Apr 1996 version
• Live 26 Nov 1996 version
• Live 29 Nov 1999 version