The dice sure do seem to be in a pop groove lately–it’s a been a while since they’ve assigned me any deep lyrics to analyze.
We’ll keep it going one more time with this time-travel trip to a half-century ago, when The Bruce Springsteen Band was in residence at The Back Door in Richmond, Virginia.
Bruce and his band played at least nine shows at that venue in February 1972, and even though many of the band’s performances were captured on tape, it can be maddeningly difficult to figure out which song came from which show. So take the dates at the bottom of the article with a grain of salt.
We think Bruce played his original song “Magic Kind of Loving” at least three times that month, but only one of those performances circulates widely–and it’s a somewhat muddy audience recording, which makes it difficult to understand Bruce’s lyrics at times.
But that’s okay, because Bruce is focusing more on the music here–“Magic Kind of Loving” is a fierce, guitar-driven rocker designed to get and keep the audience on their feet–it’s more typical of Bruce’s Steel Mill songwriting than his BSB-era output.
As for the lyrics, there are several lines almost impossible to decipher, but the rest are clear enough for us to grok the song without the mystery lines.
Well I might not be no natural-born lover
Or a brown eyed handsome man
Well ???
and she said that I want you
???
She got a magic kind of loving
It sure don’t matter for me
Well I might not be no king bee
And my baby might not be no queen
Well when she comes to the door
She says “Daddy I’m yours”
???
She got that magic kind of loving
It sure don’t matter for me
Well I might not be no natural born lover
???
But whenever she’s blue
She said Daddy, I want you
???
She got that magic kind of loving
And it sure does matter for me
In other words, the lovers in “Magic Kind of Loving” may not be beauties, but they’re all right–and that’s alright with them.
Magic Kind of Loving
First performed: February 4, 1972 (Richmond, VA)
Last performed: February 25, 1972 (Richmond, VA)
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