RICKY WANTS A MAN OF HER OWN^©

Unofficial studio version 2

Two, three, four
One, two, three, four

One, two, three, four!

Well look out mama, your little girl she has changed
She cut her baby curls and she's got her act rearranged
Look out daddy, what she needs now she can't find at home
Oh Ricky wants a man of her
She wants a man of her
Ricky wants a man of her own

Mama says her little girl won't talk to her anymore
She just goes in her room, turns on the radio, and shuts the door
She's got her own bathroom, TV, stereo, extension phone
Oh but mama, Ricky wants a man of her
She wants a man of her
Ricky wants a man of her own

Well daddy says when he drops her off Friday night at the gym
She slides way down in the front seat so the kids won't see her with him
She don't do no work, she won't tell nobody when she's coming home
And she makes poor daddy wait down on the corner at midnight all alone

Well daddy's pullin' out his hair, he says, "The girl ain't got no direction"
She don't care to bring her boyfriends home to pass daddy's inspection
Now we're left peeking through the curtains every time that we hear a horn blow
Well I guess Ricky wants a man of her own

Mama says, "Son, talk to her, she'll listen to you"
Yeah she listens real nice and she does what she wants to do
Well daddy says she wears her jeans so tight, "Well you change 'em or you're stayin' home"
Oh but daddy, Ricky wants a man of her
She wants a man of her
Ricky wants a man of her own
She's almost grown
Ricky wants a man of her
She wants a man of her
Ricky wants a man of her own

Whoa, whoa!

Page last updated: 30 Aug 2008

The above lyrics are for a fully finished studio take that was unofficially released on The Definitive River Outtakes Collection Vol. 1 (E Street Records) bootleg. This take has very similar lyrics to the official studio version, but two lines are different in the second-to-last verse. The mix is completely different; it has guitars way up in the mix. According to this bootleg's liner notes, this take was recorded on 20 Jul 1979 at The Power Station, New York City, NY. There's a good possibility that this date is accurate.

List of available versions of RICKY WANTS A MAN OF HER OWN on this website:

• Official studio version (more details)
• Unofficial studio version 1
• Unofficial studio version 2
• Live 24 Aug 2008 version