Blinded by the Light

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. 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. ==Personnel==

According to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon: • Bruce Springsteen – vocals, acoustic and electric guitar, bass • Vini "Mad Dog" Lopez – drums • Clarence Clemons – saxophone, backing vocals • Harold Wheeler – piano • Unknown musicians – organ, tambourine ==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" (the "deuce" coming from the 2 in 1932, the first year the V8 was available). Springsteen was fond of classic hot rods in his youth, hence the line about the deuce. 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" (the tune had at that point already been integrated into the arrangement) as a transition between song parts. The "deuce"/"douche" confusion stems from technical problems (which can be confirmed by comparing to live recordings). Charts Weekly charts Year-end charts Certifications Personnel • Manfred Mann – organ, piano, Minimoog, backing vocals, lead vocals • Chris Hamlet Thompson – lead vocals, rhythm guitar • Dave Flett – lead guitar • Colin Pattenden – bass • Chris Slade – drums, backing vocals with • Doreen Chanter – backing vocals • Irene Chanter – backing vocals • Susanne Lynch – backing vocals 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. ==See also==