Even Bruce Springsteen doesn’t always get it right on the first try.
Take “Oh Mama,” for instance. Bruce wrote and performed it during his Steel Mill era, a period in which his songs were typically light on lyrical substance and heavy on instrumental jams.
Even by Steel Mill standards, though, “Oh Mama” was a bit of a mess.
Lyrically, it sounds like something written by a kid in a high school band–and that’s not a slam since Bruce was probably only twenty when he wrote it. Musically, I find “Oh Mama” a tough listen. There are certainly songs that showcase the boys’ instrumental chops and vocal skills, but this isn’t one of them.
Bruce turns in a couple of fine guitar solos, Danny dominates in the mix on the organ, and Vini does his best to hold everyone together. But those vocals… ouch. Perhaps they couldn’t hear themselves in the mix (there’s some late banter suggesting as much); let’s extend the benefit of the doubt.
And yet, “Oh Mama” is still historically significant, and if you paid close attention to the opening verse, you already know why:
You get up every morning at the sound of the bell
You stumble out the door just a-feeling like hell
I make it into class about a quarter past eight
I hear my teacher yakking at me ’cause I’m ten minutes late
So down at my desk next to my girlfriend Mary
You were late for a date so I went out with Harry
Honey don’t you know I had to stay in the class
I never took my homework on that old dark road
This car, it ran out of gas
That opening couplet grabbed your attention, didn’t it? Yep, “Oh Mama” is basically an early version of “Night” (there’s even a “boss man” reference later in the song), written by a kid whose frame of reference was still closer to that of a student than a blue-collar laborer.
“Oh Mama” isn’t anywhere near as romantic as “Night,” though. It’s pretty much the polar opposite in fact: Bruce spends the whole song complaining about his daily drudge while his girl busts his chops.
I get up every morning at the sound of the bell
Oh mama, oh mama, why
Stumble out the door just a-feeling like hell
Oh mama, oh mama, why
I get into class about a quarter past eight
Oh mama, oh mama, why
I get my teacher yakking at me cause I’m ten minutes late
Oh mama, oh mama, why
Oh mama, oh mama, why
Why do you treat me like this?
Oh mama, oh mama, why
Cause when I look in your eyes you know I just can’t resist
You’re my hully gully, baby, I’m all a-twist
Oh mama, mama, mama, mama
Gave up on the school and I gotta get a job
Oh mama, oh mama, why
My teacher and papa screaming that I look like a slob
Oh mama, oh mama, why
My boss man won’t give me a moment of peace
Oh mama, oh mama, why
I’m low class, pumpin’ gas, monkey in grease
Oh mama, oh mama, why
Oh mama, oh mama, why
Why do you treat me like this, I don’t know
Cause when I look in your eyes you know I just can’t resist
You’re my hully gully, baby, I’m all a-twist
It’s not a memorable entry in the Springsteen songbook, and yet it was clearly significant enough that its author still remembered it four years later when writing material for his breakthrough album.
He saved the first couplet, aged the narrator a few years, changed the focus from the day’s toil to the night’s release, wrapped it all in a bright, brash arrangement bursting with romantic zeal… and ended up with a classic that remains a fan favorite to this day.
No one’s going to put “Oh Mama” on heavy rotation, but it’s a peak into the origins of a much stronger song and a great example of Bruce’s songwriting instincts. A great line waits for its time.
Oh Mama
First performed: November 27, 1970 (Asbury Park, NJ)
Last performed: January 23, 1971 (Asbury Park, NJ)
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“A great line waits for its time.” Nice connection to “Night”. Had not recognized this. You do this often.