Note to Teachers: The programs viewed in conjunction with these lesson plans may include references, consistent with the eras portrayed, to substance abuse, violent acts, and topics of a sexual and/or political nature. Because this may be considered inappropriate for classroom use in some communities, you are encouraged to review the programs before presenting them to your students, and if necessary, choose those sections that enhance your lesson and are acceptable for use in your classroom. VH1 Storytellers: Bruce Springsteen VH1 Music Studio Cable in the Classroom Lesson for Music Classes, Grades 7-12 Lesson 2 Objectives: * Students will use the correct music terminology to evaluate a performance, composition, and arrangement of the song "Blinded by the Light" by Bruce Springsteen and compare it to the number one hit version recorded by Manfred Man. National Standards for Music Education: 1. Understanding music in relation to history and culture. 6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music. 7. Evaluating music and music performances. 8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts. Materials: * VHS VCR Player * Television * VH1's Storytellers: Bruce Springsteen (Cable in the Classroom edited version) * Web-based lesson materials * Biography of Manfred Mann (provided below) * Copies of the lyric sheet for "Blinded by the Light" as performed by Bruce Springsteen (provided below) * Copies of the lyric sheet for "Blinded by the Light" as performed by Manfred Man (provided below) * Copies of the Venn Diagram Worksheet (provided below) * Bruce Springsteen Discography and Hit Singles Chart (provided below) * Recording of "Blinded by the Light" by Manfred Man * CD Player/audio equipment * Pens/Pencils (students) * Chalkboard/Overhead Projector Prior Knowledge: * Students have completed Lesson 1 and/or have watched VH1's Storytellers: Bruce Springsteen, in its entirety. * Students should have a working knowledge of music terminology. Procedures: 1. Make a class list of the #1 songs on the charts today. Have students brainstorm and list qualities that make songs top hits of the day (good singing, catchy rhythms/arrangements, melody, lyrics with meaning, instrumentation, etc.). Write down student responses on the chalkboard. [Optional: Play excerpts of top songs during this section to facilitate answers.] 2. Display the Bruce Springsteen Discography and Hit Singles chart (below) on an overhead projector. Lead students to realize that although Bruce Springsteen had many #1 albums, he did not have any #1 hit singles. 3. While distributing the lyric sheet to Bruce Springsteen's song "Blinded by the Light" (below), tell students that they will see Bruce Springsteen perform the acoustic version of this song in the Storytellers program. Inform them that Bruce Springsteen will say that this song was his only number one hit, although not performed by himself but by Manfred Man. 4. Play the segment "Blinded by the Light" (Song #2) of VH1's Storytellers: Bruce Springsteen. Have students take notes on their reaction to the song in terms of relevant musical qualities (lyrics, rhythm, pitch, melody, form, texture, instrumentation, tempo, and style). 5. Distribute the biography of Manfred Mann, Manfred Mann's "Blinded by the Light" lyric sheet, and Venn Diagram Worksheet (below) to students. Ask students to read the biography as you set up the CD player/audio equipment. 6. Play the two recordings of the same work (Bruce Springsteen and Manfred Mann). The student's task is to describe the musical characteristics of each performance (the elements of music) and compare and contrast the two using the Venn Diagram provided in the worksheet. Encourage students to use the same music terminology as used in Lesson 1. [Suggested Student Response Time: After each recording is played, the student is allowed one minute to make notes. Each recording is played again, and the student is given five minutes to write another response. Each recording is played a third time, and the student is given another five minutes to revise or complete the response.] 7. Have students share their responses and make a large Venn Diagram on the board or overhead projector. Revisit student responses for what makes a top hit of today and see if each version measured up to their original characteristics. 8. Collect the worksheet from each student and grade based on the National Standard Benchmarks: a. Basic Level: The student is clearly aware there are differences between the two interpretations, but his or her description tends to focus on nonmusical or superficial differences. He or she has difficulty in identifying musical differences and in using appropriate musical terminology to describe them. b. Proficient Level: The student is able to distinguish between the two interpretations by describing several of the most important distinguishing features of each, using appropriate music terminology. c. Advanced Level: The student is able to distinguish between the two interpretations by describing in detail all of the important distinguishing features of each, using appropriate music terminology. Extensions: 1. Have students bring in samples of two different versions of the same song and conduct a similar comparison. Supplemental Resources: * Official Bruce Springsteen website: * Bruce Springsteen Discography and Hit Singles chart: * Biography of Manfred Mann: * Manfred Mann's "Blinded by the Light" Lyric Sheet: * DeCurtis, A., George-Warren, H., and Henke, James (1992). The Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll. New York: Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc. National Standards for Music Education 1. Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music. 2. Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music. 3. Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments. 4. Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines. 5. Reading and notating music. 6. Listening to, analyzing, and describing music. 7. Evaluating music and music performances. 8. Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts. 9. Understanding music in relation to history and culture. These standards-based materials are provided through a partnership with MENC: The National Association for Music Education. This lesson plan was created by MENC member Karen Miyamoto, Ph.D., Music Educator, Honolulu, Hawaii. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN DISCOGRAPHY AND HIT SINGLES Discography: January 5, 1973 Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. Columbia Records #60 US 2,000,000 November 5, 1973 The Wild, the Innocent and the E Street Shuffle Columbia Records #59 US, #33 UK 2,000,000 September 1, 1975 Born to Run Columbia Records #3 US, #17 UK 6,000,000 June 2, 1978 Darkness on the Edge of Town Columbia Records #5 US, #16 UK 3,000,000 October 17, 1980 The River Columbia Records #1 US, #2 UK 5,000,000 September 20, 1982 Nebraska Columbia Records #3 US, #3 UK 1,000,000 June 4, 1984 Born in the U.S.A. Columbia Records #1 US, #1 UK 15,000,000 November 4, 1986 Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band Live/1975-85 Columbia Records #1 US, #4 UK 13,000,000 October 6, 1987 Tunnel of Love Columbia Records #1 US, #1 UK 3,000,000 March 31, 1992 Human Touch Columbia Records #2 US, #1 UK 1,000,000 March 31, 1992 Lucky Town Columbia Records #3 US, #2 UK 1,000,000 1993 In Concert/MTV Plugged Columbia Records #189 US, #4 UK - March 18, 1995 Greatest Hits Columbia Records #1 US, #1 UK 4,000,000 November 25, 1995 The Ghost of Tom Joad Columbia Records #11 US, #16 UK 500,000 November 10, 1998 Tracks Columbia Records #27 US 1,000,000 April 13, 1999 18 Tracks Columbia Records #64 US, #23 UK - March 27, 2001 Live in New York City Sony #5 US, #12 UK 1,000,000 July 30, 2002 The Rising Sony #1 US, #1 UK 2,000,000 November 11, 2003 The Essential Bruce Springsteen Sony #14 US, #28 UK 1,000,000 April 26, 2005 Devils & Dust Columbia Records #1 US, #1 UK Hit singles * from "Born to Run" o 1975 "Born to Run" #23 US o 1976 "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" #83 US * from "Darkness on the Edge of Town" o 1978 "Badlands" #42 US o 1978 "Prove It All Night" #33 US * from "The River" o 1980 "Hungry Heart" #5 US o 1981 "The River" #35 UK o 1981 "Fade Away" #20 US * from "Born in the U.S.A." o 1984 "Born in the U.S.A." #9 US o 1984 "Dancing in the Dark" #2 US, #28 UK o 1984 "Cover Me" #7 US, #38 UK o 1985 "Dancing in the Dark" (re-entry) #4 UK o 1985 "Cover Me" (re-entry) #16 UK o 1985 "I'm on Fire" #6 US, #5 UK (double A-side with Born in the USA in the UK) o 1985 "Glory Days" #5 US, #17 UK o 1985 "My Hometown" #6 US, #9 UK (double A-side with Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town in the UK) o 1985 "I'm Goin' Down" #9 US * from "Live/1965-85" o 1986 "War" #8 US, #18 UK o 1987 "Fire" #46 US * non-album-related single o 1987 "Born to Run" (re-issue) #16 UK * from "Tunnel of Love" o 1987 "Brilliant Disguise" #5 US, #20 UK o 1987 "Tunnel of Love" #9 US o 1988 "Tougher Than the Rest" #13 UK o 1988 "Spare Parts" #32 UK o 1988 "One Step Up" #13 US * from "Lucky Town" o 1992 "Better Days" #34 UK * from "Human Touch" o 1992 "Human Touch" #16 US, #11 UK o 1992 "57 Channels (And Nothin' On)" #68 US, #32 UK * from "Philadelphia" soundtrack o 1994 "Streets of Philadelphia" #9 US, #2 UK * from "Greatest Hits" o 1995 "Hungry Heart" (re-issue) #28 UK * from "The Ghost of Tom Joad" o 1996 "The Ghost of Tom Joad" #26 UK * from "Jerry Maguire" soundtrack (originally on "Greatest Hits") o 1997 "Secret Garden" #19 US, #17 UK * from "The Rising" o 2002 "The Rising" #52 US o 2002 "Lonesome Day" #39 UK LESSON 2 WORKSHEET BLINDED BY THE LIGHT A DETAILED ANALYSIS Student's Name:___________________________________________Date:___________ Compare and contrast the two versions of "Blinded by the Light" performed by Bruce Springsteen and Manfred Mann. Complete the Venn Diagram by placing similar qualities in the intersection of the two circles. Place unique characteristics in the non-overlapping spaces. Be prepared to discuss the differences and similarities. Bruce Springsteen Version Manfred Man Version Compare and Contrast: ____________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Biography of Manfred Mann (excerpt from An R&B band that only played pop to get on the charts, Manfred Mann ranked among the most adept British Invasion acts in both styles. The fact that their range encompassed jazz as well as rhythm & blues, coupled with some elements of their appearance and presentation -- co-founder/keyboardist Manfred Mann's bearded, bespectacled presence -- also made the Manfreds more of a thinking person's band than a cute, cuddly, outfit like the Beatles, or sexual provocateurs in the manner of the Rolling Stones. Yet, their approach to R&B was as valid as that of the Stones, equally compelling and often more sophisticated. They charted an impressive number of singles from 1964 through 1969, and developed a large, loyal international fandom that lingers to this day. South African-born keyboardist Manfred Mann, born Manfred Lubowitz in Johannesburg in 1940, was originally an aspiring jazz player. He performed at dances and local coffee bars in Johannesburg as a teenager, and studied classical music at Witwatersrand University, also playing with Hugh Masekela in a local band. His influences included John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley, Ornette Coleman, Bill Evans, and Dave Brubeck. He felt that his musical growth would be stymied by further work in South Africa, however, and decided to move to England in 1961, making his living as a jazz pianist and teacher, and writing articles under the name Manfred Manne, the surname derived from drummer Shelly Manne -- he later dropped the "e" and used "Manfred Mann" as his performing name. Mann's preference for jazz quickly ran headlong into the growing public taste for rhythm and blues that began sweeping through younger audiences in England during the early '60s. In the course of his playing at the Butlins resort in Clacton during 1962, Mann met percussionist Mike Hugg, and the two soon began playing together in a band that included Graham Bond. Hugg and Mann eventually formed their own band, the Mann Hugg Blues Brothers, which grew into a septet, including two saxmen and a trumpet player. They were successful on the London club scene, playing venues such as the Marquee and other top music spots. The band's membership also grew to include guitarist, flautist, and saxman Mike Vickers. The group was still lacking a lead singer, but this deficiency was rectified in late 1962 when they added Paul Jones, who had previously worked with guitarist Tom McGuinness, to their lineup. By early 1963, the Mann Hugg Blues Brothers had shrunk back to five members -- Manfred Mann (keyboards), Mike Hugg (percussion), Mike Vickers (guitar, sax, flute), Paul Jones (vocals), and Dave Richmond (bass) -- and also picked up a manager, Kenneth Pitt, who arranged auditions for the group with Pye, Decca, and EMI Records. The EMI audition in May of 1963 was the one that worked, and they were signed to the latter company's HMV label. The band was assigned producer John Burgess, who was intrigued by the mix of jazz and R&B in their style. It was also Burgess who decided that the group needed a shorter, punchier name and -- against the wishes of the keyboardist himself -- chose Manfred Mann as the band's name. Paul Jones was one of the best British Invasion singers, and his resonant vocals were the best feature of Manfred Mann's early R&B sides, which had a slightly jazzier and smoother touch than the early work of the Rolling Stones and the Animals. The group's debut single, "Why Should We Not" b/w "Brother Jack," were drawn from their first EMI commercial recording audition, and showed a bit of what the band could do instrumentally -- the A-side was a moody, bluesy original that alternately featured Vickers' sax, Jones' harmonica, and Mann's organ, while the flip was a bouncy jazz variant on "Frere Jacques." If the group's debut showed the Manfreds' virtuosity and cleverness, then the blues-rock follow-up "Cock-A Hoop" heralded the arrival of a major and charismatic singing talent in Paul Jones. Despite a lot of radio play, "Cock-A Hoop" failed to chart. The group's luck changed late in 1963, however, when they were asked to write a new theme song for the British television rock & roll showcase Ready, Steady, Go. The result was "5-4-3-2-1," a catchy, pulsing piece of rock & roll that got to number five on the British charts and became the permanent signature tune for the television series. Shortly after the single was recorded, Dave Richmond exited Manfred Mann's lineup and was replaced by Tom McGuinness, who switched from guitar to bass to join the group. The chart success of "5-4-3-2-1" and its use on Ready! Steady! Go! gave the band a secure commercial berth in England, and their two follow-up singles charted easily. It was a couple covers of obscure girl group songs, "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" (the Exciters) and "Sha La La" (the Shirelles), that broke the group internationally -- "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" reached number one in the States, and "Sha La La" just missed the Top Ten. The Paul Jones lineup never duplicated this success, although "Come Tomorrow" and "Pretty Flamingo" were smaller hits. From 1964 to 1966, they took the approach of playing gutsy pop/rock on their singles (including the original version of "My Little Red Book") and soul and R&B on their albums, with occasional detours into jazz, Dylan (their cover of his then-unreleased "If You Gotta Go, Go Now" was a big British hit), and competent original material. This sharp difference in the content of their singles and albums resulted in a split in their audience, and occasional confusion on the part of fans, who bought Manfred Mann's albums expecting to hear songs like "Do Wah Diddy Diddy," and, instead, found blues and jazz numbers represented much more than pop-rock. Listeners who paid close attention to "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" might've recognized unusual touches such as the kettle drums over the choruses, and anyone who flipped it over might've gotten the hint from its B-side, a jazz-blues jam called "What You Gonna Do?" An organ and harmonica-driven piece, it was as hard and threatening as "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" was upbeat and cheerful. Where "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" and the later "Sha La La La" were covers of girl group songs, Manfred Mann's debut long-player, cut in early 1964, had a very different orientation, comprised of songs associated with Cannonball Adderley, Ike & Tina Turner, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, and Howlin' Wolf, among others, and hard, bluesy originals such as the Mann-Jones authored "What Are You Gonna Do." Still, driven by their reputation and some superb R&B singing by Paul Jones -- who was a genuine rival to Mick Jagger in those days -- the group's debut LP, The Five Faces of Manfred Mann made it all the way to number three on the British album chart. The group did seem to make the leap from a single to and album act -- their EMI LPs and EPs all sold well, charting high despite the fact that the sound on them wasn't quite like any other British Invasion act. Manfred Mann played blues-based rock, but in contrast to most of the other British bands of the era, the guitar didn't always figure prominently in their sound. Mike Vickers was as likely to be playing a sax (and he really played, rather than just honking along in the manner of rock saxmen of the period such as Dennis Payton of the Dave Clark Five), or even a flute as an electric guitar; and Mike Hugg also played the vibraphone, an instrument usually far removed from rock & roll. Yet despite the fact that these guys had obviously all studied music, they made a hard and heavy R&B sound, and flexed their musical muscles accordingly -- check out Vickers' guitar break on their version of Willie Dixon's "Hoochie Coochie Man," or Mann's pounding piano on Muddy Waters' "Got My Mojo Working." What's more, they could write credibly -- not hits in the manner of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, but album tracks like "I'm Your Kingpin," "Without You," and "Don't Ask Me What I Say" held up very nicely alongside the Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters, and Bo Diddley repertory on the album. One quirk in the group's history was their virtual absence from America, apart from a three-week tour late in 1964, despite their charting four singles (including the number one "Do Wah Diddy Diddy") in the U.S. during 1964-66. The band found America, with its vast distances as well as its distance from England, too wearying a market to deal with for the money being offered, and concentrated instead on Europe. They opened several important doors by touring such Eastern Bloc countries as Czechoslovakia, in a time when American and western European rock & roll was usually considered a prime manifestation of capitalist decadence. Despite their popularity and a steady stream of successful singles, EPs, and LPs, all wasn't well within the quintet. Each member of the group got to express himself, at least on their EP and album tracks, but by 1965 there was a sense that Vickers, Jones, McGuinness, and Hugg were all becoming known simply as "Manfred Mann," especially on their singles. None of that would have been so bad if the sound on those singles had represented anything other than the group's most commercial manifestation, and Manfred Mann hadn't also been the name of a walking, breathing bandmate -- though Mann himself had never wanted the group to use his name. Mike Vickers, who'd always desired to expand his talents into work as a composer and arranger, exited in late 1965 -- his later credits, in addition to work on soundtracks and other instrumental material, also included producing and arranging songs for the Zombies and Gentle Giant, among other bands. His announcement was the crack in the wall that allowed Paul Jones -- who had been getting a vast amount of attention anyway (if awkwardly) as the lead singer of Manfred Mann -- to announce his departure in pursuit of careers as a solo performer and actor, although he stayed with the group well into 1966. The core of the band, consisting of Mann, McGuinness, and Hugg, soon picked up Jack Bruce, then in John Mayall & the Bluesbreakers, on bass, which allowed Tom McGuinness to return to playing guitar. A saxman and trumpet player also came into the lineup around this time. A car accident early in 1966 left Jones sidelined for an extended period, which resulted in the group recording a large number of instrumental numbers, several of which -- including jazzy covers of "Satisfaction," "I Got You Babe," and "Still I'm Sad" -- appeared on the EP Instrumental Asylum. Despite all of its internal problems, the band generated yet another worldwide hit single in "Pretty Flamingo," which reached the number one spot in England and made the Top 30 in America, despite the group's not touring there to promote it. Even this record, and a number one charting EP in England (Machines) failed to stabilize the band's situation -- in the wake of "Pretty Flamingo" in the spring of 1966, Jack Bruce exited the group to join a new kind of rock-blues trio with Ginger Baker and Eric Clapton, to be called Cream. To top matters off, May of 1966 marked the end of the contract that the band had signed with EMI. The label evidently had sufficient doubts about the group's ability to continue, that it hedged its bets by signing Paul Jones as a solo act and, despite a pair of chart-toppers to their credit that year, let Manfred Mann go. Mann and Hugg, as the original co-founders of the band, weren't going to let it disappear, however -- with McGuinness, they still comprised the core of a group, and they surprised a lot of onlookers (and, no doubt, their former label) by forming a new lineup around singer Mike D'Abo. Beatles' friend Klaus Voormann, late of Paddy, Klaus & Gibson also joined in this aggregation on bass. As a backdrop to all of this maneuvering, Mike Hugg suddenly emerged as a successful songwriter in his own right when the Yardbirds, with whom the Manfreds had previously toured, covered "You're a Better Man Than I," a song he'd written in collaboration with his brother Brian Hugg. Ironically, the Manfreds of this period didn't get around to covering the song themselves, which was probably just as well, as the Yardbirds' version, cut at Sun Records in Memphis with legendary producer Sam Philips running the session, became an instant classic and remained in the group's repertory for years. It wouldn't be the last song that members of the Manfreds would provide to the Yardbirds, but it was the best. Manfred Mann signed with Fontana Records, an English off-shoot of the Holland-based Philips label (best known as the home of the Merseybeats and Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders), in June of 1966. At various times over the next year, EMI would release EPs and LPs of older material by the original band that competed with their new recordings. The advent of a new contract with a new Manfred Mann lineup essentially opened a new, separate phase ("Chapter Two") in the band's career, similar to the post-blues era of Fleetwood Mac. Mike D'Abo, though a good singer, lacked Paul Jones' depth and power, and the group compensated with an approach that was more pop than blues oriented, although at first the differences were very subtle. The new lineup's first single, a cover of Dylan's "Just Like a Woman," became a Top Ten hit in England during the summer of the 1966, establishing the new lineup's commercial credibility. The big change came with their next single, "Semi-Detached Suburban Mr. James," a song written by Geoff Stevens of the New Vaudeville Band -- a novelty song that marked a major departure for the group, it made number two in England and began the reshaping the band's sound and image. A new album, As Is, followed in October of 1966. It had a cut or two that harked back to their R&B days, as well as the two hit singles, but As Is also contained a fair amount of psychedelic and experimental conceptual music, including the prominent use of an instrument new to their sound -- a Mellotron -- and a solo acoustic guitar piece by Voorman, as well as one track, "Another Kind of Music," that mixed pop and operatic-style choruses. The group returned to its jazz roots momentarily for an EP, Instrumental Assassination, consisting of instrumental tracks, similar to the earlier Instrumental Asylum on EMI. The group also hit in the spring of 1967 with "Ha! Ha! Said the Clown," a Tony Hazzard song that also got picked up by the Yardbirds in the final phase of their history. During this same period, Mann and Hugg linked up as songwriters and emerged as successful in the field of commercials and, to a lesser degree, soundtracks. Their pop-oriented approach to their singles, with occasional forays into psychedelic and progressive rock, yielded a string of Top Ten hits in England through 1969, although the only one to hit the jackpot in the U.S. was their cover of a then-unreleased Dylan song, "The Mighty Quinn." Mann dissolved the D'Abo lineup in 1969 to form Manfred Mann Chapter Three -- drummer Mike Hugg, who had been in the band since the beginning, took over on piano and vocals, and as principal songwriter, while Mann played the organ and arranged the music. The outfit's early jazz-rock efforts were interesting, but not very popular, and Manfred steered the ship back toward mainstream rock by forming yet another incarnation, Manfred Mann's Earth Band, with Mick Rogers on vocals and guitar. The heavier, more synthesizer-oriented outfit made quite a few albums in the 1970s. Mann also found time for various outside projects, including producing Lo and Behold, an album of Dylan songs that the songwriter had never recorded officially -- and, in that regard, something of an off-shoot of one element of Manfred Mann's history -- cut by Tom McGuinness' then current group, McGuinness Flint, which also included instrumental contributions by Mike Hugg. The 1976 Earth Band album The Roaring Silence, featuring singer/guitarist Chris Thompson on lead vocals, made the Top Ten, and included the number one hit "Blinded by the Light," a milestone of sorts for Bruce Springsteen as a songwriter, whose work Mann had discovered three years earlier. Mann also made the Top 40 with another Springsteen cover, "Spirit in the Night." The Earth Band, in various configurations and working on different styles, with interruptions (especially by Mann's efforts at solo music), has endured for more than two decades since their last chart hit, finding success in the concert arena when their studio work ceased to catch the public's imagination. Ironically, despite Mann's oft-proclaimed preferences for serious explorations of jazz, blues, and progressive music, it's his pop/rock recordings that hold up best, and for which he'll be remembered most. The continuing power of that music was illustrated in 1992, when the release of a television-marketed compilation of EMI and Fontana tracks called The Ages of Mann precipitated a reunion of Mike D'Abo and Paul Jones with McGuinness, Hugg, and Vickers, for a tour under the guise of "the Manfreds". Manfred Mann himself, although still heavily involved with his own current projects and never a part of "the Manfreds," participated in some radio appearances by the re-formed group. The Manfreds reunited twice more over the next two years, for tours or Europe and a brief foray into America. ~ Bruce Eder & Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide. Blinded By The Light Lyric Sheet by Bruce Springsteen Madman drummers bummers and 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 unpleasing sneezing and wheezing the calliope crashed to the ground Some all-hot half-shot was headin' for the hot spot snappin' his fingers clappin' his hands, And some fleshpot mascot was tied into a lover's knot with a whatnot in her hand And now young Scott with a slingshot finally found a tender spot and throws his lover in the sand And some bloodshot forget-me-not whispers daddy's within earshot save the buckshot turn up the band And she was blinded by the light Cut loose like a deuce another runner in the night Blinded by the light She got down but she never got tight, but she'll make it alright Some brimstone baritone anti-cyclone rolling stone preacher from the east He says, "Dethrone the dictaphone, hit it in its funny bone, that's where they expect it least." And some new-mown chaperone was standin' in the corner all alone watchin' the young girls dance And some fresh-sown moonstone was messin' with his frozen zone to remind him of the feeling of romance Yeah he was blinded by the light Cut loose like a deuce another runner in the night Blinded by the light He got down but he never got tight, but he's gonna make it tonight Some silicone sister with her manager's mister told me I got what it takes She said I'll turn you on sonny, to something strong if you play that song with the funky break, And go-cart Mozart was checkin' out the weather chart to see if it was safe to go outside And little Early-Pearly came by in her curly-wurly and asked me if I needed a ride. Oh, some hazard from Harvard was skunked on beer playin' backyard bombardier Yes and Scotland Yard was trying hard, they sent some dude with a calling card, he said, Do what you like, but don't do it here. Well, I jumped up, turned around, spit in the air, fell on the ground Asked him which was the way back home He said take a right at the light, keep goin' straight until night, and then, boy, you're on your own. And now in Zanzibar a shootin' star was ridin' in a side car hummin' a lunar tune Yes, and the avatar said blow the bar but first remove the cookie jar we're gonna teach those boys to laugh too soon. And some kidnapped handicap was complainin' that he caught the clap from some mousetrap he bought last night, Well I unsnapped his skull cap and between his ears I saw a gap but figured he'd be all right He was just blinded by the light Cut loose like a deuce another runner in the night Blinded by the light Mama always told me not to look into the sights of the sun Oh but mama that's where the fun I Blinded by the Light Lyric Sheet by Manfred Mann (1976) (lyrics obtained from [Chorus]: 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 (fading) Madman dummers bummers, Indians in the summer, With a teenager diplomat And the dumps with the mumps As the adolescent pumps his way into his hat With a boulder my shoulder, feeling kinda older, I tripped the merry-go-round With this very unpleasin', sneezin' and wheezin, the calliope crashed to the ground (pickup) the calliope crashed to the ground (chorus) Some silicon sister with a manager mister told me I go what it takes. I'll run you on sonny to something strong play the song with the funky break And go-cart Mozart was checkin' out the weather charts see if it was safe outside And little Early Burly came by in his curly wurly and asked me if i needed a ride (pickup) asked me if i needed a ride (chorus) Bridge: She got down but she never got tired She's gonna make it to the night She's gonna make it through the night (break with soul-stirring solo) Oh momma that's where the fun is But momma that's where the fun is Momma always told me not to look in the eye's on the sun But momma that's where the fun is (chop sticks variation) So brimstone-baritone, anti-cyclone Rolling Stone Preacher from the East, says dethrone the dictaphone, hit it in it's funny bone thats what they expect at least It's a new grown chaperon standing in the corner watching the young girls dance and some fresh sown moonstone messing with his frozen zone, only reminding him of romance (pickup) and the calliope crashed to the ground (Chorus) (Chorus and First Verse) Now Scott with the sling-shot finally found a tender spot and throws his lover in the sand and some blood-shot forget-me-not said Daddy's within earshot, save the buck-shot, turn up the band (repeat Verse 2 "Silicon sister with a manager....") (bridge)