Baseball Related Songs: “Blinded by The Lights,” by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band
In today’s episode of Baseball Related Songs, we pay attention to “Blinded by The Light” performed by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, a song that was originally written by Bruce Springsteen.
Bruce Springsteen wrote the song for his debut album Greetings from Asheville Park, N.J. The album was a nod to Springsteen’s childhood years in the Garden State. Springsteen’s version of Blinded by The Light didn’t exactly storm the charts. Manfred Mann’s Earth Band’s version would do, four years later in February 1977. The song was part of their 1976 album “The Roaring Silence.”
MMEB’s cover would reach the no. one position in the Billboard Hot 100. The British Band adapted some of the lyrics. The biggest adaption was the following sentence:
“revved up like a deuce” or “wrapped up like a deuce.” Springsteen loved old hotrods. The word deuce refers to a 1932 V8-powered Ford automobile, which enthusiasts dubbed the “deuce coupe.”
The “deuce”/”douche” confusion stems from technical problems[(which can be confirmed by comparing to live recordings). MMEB sang ‘wrapped up like a douche’, and it wasn’t written like that and the singer screwed it up completely. It sounded like ‘douche’ instead of ‘deuce’, ‘cos of the technical process, a faulty azimuth due to tape, head angles, and it meant they couldn’t remix it. Warner Records said to change the word douche as people in the south would no like it. Nevertheless, the band stuck with douche and the song became a huge hit in the USA.
In an episode of VH1’s Storytellers, Bruce Springsteen explained the meaning of each lyric. And it may surprise you that there are a few baseball related words/expressions.
First of all: “Madman drummers, bummers, and Indians in the summers with a teenage diplomat.” Besides all the other words, the word Indians catches the eye. It was the name of Springsteen’s Little League team.
“tripped the merry-go-round” refers to the baseball term merry go-round which is slang for for when a pitcher keeps walking batters.
Lyrics:
Blinded by the light
Revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night
Blinded by the light
Revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night
Blinded by the light
Revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night
Madman, drummers, bummers
Indians in the summer with a teenage diplomat
In the dumps with the mumps
As the adolescent pumps his way into his hat
With a boulder on my shoulder, feelin’ kinda older
I tripped the merry-go-round
With this very unpleasin’, sneezin’ and wheezin’
The calliope crashed to the ground
The calliope crashed to the ground!
But she was blinded by the light
Revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night
Blinded by the light
Revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night
Blinded by the light
Revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night
Blinded by the light
Revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night
Some silicone sister with a manager mister
Told me I got what it takes
She said, “I’ll turn you on sonny to something strong
Play the song with the funky break”
And go-kart Mozart was checkin’ out the weather chart
To see if it was safe outside
And little Early-Pearly came by in his curly-wurly
And asked me if I needed a ride
Asked me if I needed a ride!
But she was blinded by the light
Revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night
Blinded by the light
She got down, but she never got tired
She’s gonna make it through the night
She’s gonna make it through the night
But, mama, that’s where the fun is
But mama, that’s where the fun is
Mama always told me not to look into the eyes of the sun
But mama, that’s where the fun is
Some brimstone, baritone, anticyclone, rolling stone
Preacher from the East
Says, “Dethrone the dictaphone, hit it in its funny bone
That’s where they expect it least
And some new-mown chaperone standin’ in the corner
Watchin’ the young girls dance
And some fresh-sown moonstone was messin’ with his frozen zone
Remind him of romance
The calliope crashed to the ground!
But she was blinded by the light
Revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night
Blinded by the light
Revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night
blinded by the light
(Indians in the summer with a teenage diplomat) revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night
(In the dumps with the mumps) blinded by the light
(As the adolescent pumps his way into his hat) revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night
blinded by the light
(I tripped the merry-go-round) revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night
(With this very unpleasin’, sneezin’ and wheezin’) blinded by the light
(The calliope crashed to the ground) revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night
blinded by the light
(And throws his lover in the sand) revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night
(And some bloodshot, forget-me-not said daddy’s within earshot) blinded by the light
(Save the buckshot, turn up the band) revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night
blinded by the light
(Told me I got what it takes) revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night
(She said, “I’ll turn you on, son, into something strong”)
She got down but she never got tired
She’s gonna make it through the night