SHUT OUT THE LIGHT

Official studio version 2

The runway rushed up at him as he felt the wheels touch down
He stood out on the blacktop and took a taxi into town
He got out down on Main Street and went into a local bar
He bought a drink and found a seat in a corner in the dark

Well she called up her mama to make sure the kids were out of the house
She checked herself out in the dining room mirror and undid an extra button on her blouse
He felt her lying next to him when the clock said four a.m.
He was staring at the ceiling, he couldn't move his hands

Oh mama mama mama come quick
I've got the shakes and I'm gonna be sick
Throw your arms around me in the cold dark night
Hey now mama don't shut out the light
Don't you shut out the light, don't you shut out the light
Don't you shut out the light, don't you shut out the light

Well on his porch they stretched a banner that said "Johnny Welcome Home"
Bobby pulled his Ford out of the garage and they polished up the chrome
His mama said "Johnny oh Johnny, I'm so glad to have you back with me"
His pa said he was sure they'd give him his job back down at the factory

Now every evening, well just after supper time
He'd go into the back bedroom and he'd lock the door behind
He'd lie awake till the morning light stretched out across the chair
Just him and a few bad habits he'd brought back from over there

Oh mama mama mama come quick
I've got the shakes and I'm gonna be sick
Throw your arms around me in the cold dark night
Hey now mama don't shut out the light
Don't you shut out the light, don't you shut out the light
Don't you shut out the light, don't you shut out the light

Well deep in a dark forest, a forest filled with rain
Beyond a stretch of Maryland pines there's a river without a name
In the cold black water now Johnson Lanier stands
He stares across the lights of the city and dreams of where he's been

And a grey moon disappears beyond that town hillside
Stars rise, grow brighter, then gone gone gone in a black and endless sky
Like the others before him he'd gone and done his best
Now he watches the water of that nameless river rise above his chest

Oh mama mama mama come quick
I've got the shakes and I'm gonna be sick
Throw your arms around me in the cold dark night
Hey now mama don't shut out the light
Don't you shut out the light, don't you shut out the light
Don't you shut out the light, don't you shut out the light
Don't you shut out the light, don't you shut out the light

Info

The above lyrics are for a studio version of SHUT OUT THE LIGHT (referred to on this website as "official studio version 2") that was released on the Tracks II: The Lost Albums box set in 2025.

This version was recorded in early 1983 at Thrill Hill West, Springsteen's home studio in Beverly Hills, CA. See official studio version 1 for more details.

Track credits:

Bruce Springsteen: vocals, drum programming, all instruments
Mike Batlan: drum programming

Bruce Springsteen: producer
Ron Aniello: producer
Mike Batlan: recording engineer, mixing engineer
Bob Ludwig: mastering engineer
Rob Lebret: mastering engineer, additional engineering

Tracks II: The Lost Albums

Tracks II: The Lost Albums is Bruce Springsteen's follow-up to his 1998 box set Tracks, released on 27 Jun 2025. The box set consists of seven "lost albums" recoded between 1983 and 2018, totaling 83 songs, of which 74 have never been officially released in any form. The seven albums are: L.A. Garage Sessions '83, Streets Of Philadelphia Sessions, Faithless, Somewhere North Of Nashville, Inyo, Twilight Hours, and Perfect World.

Bruce Springsteen -- Tracks II: The Lost Albums

Tracks II: The Lost Albums, along with its companion Lost And Found: Selections From The Lost Albums, was officially announced on 03 Apr 2025 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time (1:00 p.m. GMT). The announcement was accompanied by a "trailer" for the upcoming set, posted on Bruce Springsteen's YouTube channel and other online services. The previous day, Springsteen released a teaser on his social media accounts, linking to a new website, lostalbums.net, created for the two upcoming releases.

The box set is available in limited edition as a seven-disc CD set and a nine-disc LP set, as well as digital download and streaming. The physical releases will include original packaging for each of the previously unreleased records, with a 100-page cloth-bound, hardcover book featuring rare archival photos, liner notes on each lost album from essayist Erik Flannigan and a personal introduction on the project from Springsteen himself.

Available Versions

List of available versions of SHUT OUT THE LIGHT on this website:

Page last updated: 21 Jul 2025