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Blinded by the Light
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Blinded by the Light
"Blinded by the Light" is a song written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen, which first appeared on his 1973 debut album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. A cover by British rock band Manfred Mann's Earth Band reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States in February 1977 and was also a top ten hit in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Canada.
The song came about when Columbia Records president Clive Davis, upon listening to an early version of Greetings from Asbury Park N.J., felt the album lacked a potential single. Springsteen wrote this and "Spirit in the Night" in response.
According to Springsteen, he wrote the song by going through a rhyming dictionary in search of appropriate words. The first line of the song, "Madman drummers, bummers, and Indians in the summers with a teenage diplomat" is autobiographical. "Madman drummers" is a reference to drummer Vini Lopez, known as "Mad Man" (later changed to "Mad Dog"), "Indians in the summer" refers to the name of Springsteen's old Little League team, "teenage diplomat" refers to himself. "As the adolescent pumps his way into his hat" recalls his aunt Dora Kirby claiming, "Bruce never took his baseball hat off." A "merry-go-round" is baseball slang for when a pitcher keeps walking batters.[clarification needed] The remainder of the song tells of many unrelated events, with the refrain of "Blinded by the light, cut loose like a deuce, another runner in the night". By Deuce, Springsteen meant a Deuce Coupe — a '32 Ford Hot Rod, running hot or fast.
"Blinded by the Light" was the first single from Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.
Cash Box said that it was much like early Dylan, but especially like "My Back Pages", and that Springsteen lets loose with a lyrical barrage of images and pictures. Record World said that the song has some of the cleverest lyrics of all [Springsteen's] material" and that the tune should start Springsteen off towards a bright future.
According to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon:
Manfred Mann's Earth Band released a version of the song on their 1976 album The Roaring Silence. Their version includes the "Chopsticks" melody played on piano near the end of the bridge of the song. The track reached No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Canadian RPM charts. Manfred Mann's Earth Band's recording of "Blinded by the Light" is Springsteen's only No. 1 single as a songwriter on the Hot 100.
Record World said, "After a synthesized intro reminiscent of 'Won't Get Fooled Again', the group is in full throttle." In 2024, Mann said that he was inspired by Supertramp, particularly "Dreamer", when it came to the synth hook.
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Blinded by the Light
"Blinded by the Light" is a song written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen, which first appeared on his 1973 debut album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. A cover by British rock band Manfred Mann's Earth Band reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States in February 1977 and was also a top ten hit in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Canada.
The song came about when Columbia Records president Clive Davis, upon listening to an early version of Greetings from Asbury Park N.J., felt the album lacked a potential single. Springsteen wrote this and "Spirit in the Night" in response.
According to Springsteen, he wrote the song by going through a rhyming dictionary in search of appropriate words. The first line of the song, "Madman drummers, bummers, and Indians in the summers with a teenage diplomat" is autobiographical. "Madman drummers" is a reference to drummer Vini Lopez, known as "Mad Man" (later changed to "Mad Dog"), "Indians in the summer" refers to the name of Springsteen's old Little League team, "teenage diplomat" refers to himself. "As the adolescent pumps his way into his hat" recalls his aunt Dora Kirby claiming, "Bruce never took his baseball hat off." A "merry-go-round" is baseball slang for when a pitcher keeps walking batters.[clarification needed] The remainder of the song tells of many unrelated events, with the refrain of "Blinded by the light, cut loose like a deuce, another runner in the night". By Deuce, Springsteen meant a Deuce Coupe — a '32 Ford Hot Rod, running hot or fast.
"Blinded by the Light" was the first single from Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J.
Cash Box said that it was much like early Dylan, but especially like "My Back Pages", and that Springsteen lets loose with a lyrical barrage of images and pictures. Record World said that the song has some of the cleverest lyrics of all [Springsteen's] material" and that the tune should start Springsteen off towards a bright future.
According to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon:
Manfred Mann's Earth Band released a version of the song on their 1976 album The Roaring Silence. Their version includes the "Chopsticks" melody played on piano near the end of the bridge of the song. The track reached No. 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Canadian RPM charts. Manfred Mann's Earth Band's recording of "Blinded by the Light" is Springsteen's only No. 1 single as a songwriter on the Hot 100.
Record World said, "After a synthesized intro reminiscent of 'Won't Get Fooled Again', the group is in full throttle." In 2024, Mann said that he was inspired by Supertramp, particularly "Dreamer", when it came to the synth hook.