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.

History

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", "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. 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 2-seater Hot Rod car, 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 material" and that the tune should start Springsteen off towards a bright future.

Personnel

According to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon:

Manfred Mann's Earth Band version

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.

Lyrics

Manfred Mann's Earth Band's recording of the song changes the lyrics. The most prominent change is in the chorus, where Springsteen's "cut loose like a deuce" is replaced with "revved up like a deuce". The lyric is a reference to the 1932 V8-powered Ford automobile, which enthusiasts dubbed the "deuce coupe". Springsteen was fond of classic hot rods in his youth, hence the line "revved up like a deuce, another runner in the night". As the line is a famous example of a mondegreen because it is frequently misheard as "wrapped up like a douche", Springsteen has joked about confusion over the lyrics, claiming that it was not until Manfred Mann rewrote the song to be about a feminine hygiene product that it became popular.
According to Manfred Mann, it was the idea of drummer Chris Slade to use the chords of "Chopsticks" as a transition between song parts. The "deuce"/"douche" confusion stems from technical problems.

Charts

Year-end charts

Chart Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 10036
US Cash Box52

Personnel

with

2007 remix

In 2007, Manfred Mann's Earth Band's version was remixed by German duo Michael Mind that reached No. 6 in Finland and No. 12 in Germany.