# Blinded by the Light **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [July 8, 2008, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blinded-by-the-light/455685 "2008-07-08T14:14:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2008, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blinded-by-the-light/455685/1 "2008-07-08T14:14:29Z")
[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5\_148.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_148.html) Despite what the official lyrics say, I’ve always heard it as “Revved up like a Deuce”. There is precedent for switched lyrics. In Elton John’s _Rocket Man_, Bernie Taupin actually wrote “Burnin’ out his fuel up here alone.” But on the studio recording, Elton sings it as “Burnin’ out his fuse up here alone.” ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2008, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blinded-by-the-light/455685/2 "2008-07-08T18:11:12Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5\_148.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_148.html) Despite what the official lyrics say, I’ve always heard it as “Revved up like a Deuce”. There is precedent for switched lyrics. In Elton John’s _Rocket Man_, Bernie Taupin actually wrote “Burnin’ out his fuel up here alone.” But on the studio recording, Elton sings it as “Burnin’ out his fuse up here alone.” [/QUOTE] Interesting. Cite available? I love looking into that sort of thing; lyrics are a fun way of keeping an eye on society. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2008, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blinded-by-the-light/455685/3 "2008-07-08T19:51:15Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] [http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5\_148.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_148.html) Despite what the official lyrics say, I’ve always heard it as “Revved up like a Deuce”. [/QUOTE] Then I suspect you’ve been listening to Manfred Mann’s cover, _not_ Springsteen’s original. Mann’s version could surely go either way “wrapped” or “revved”. But Springsteen says quite distinctly that it’s “Cut loose like a deuce”. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2008, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blinded-by-the-light/455685/4 "2008-07-08T20:37:34Z")
[QUOTE=DSYoungEsq] Interesting. Cite available? I love looking into that sort of thing; lyrics are a fun way of keeping an eye on society. 🙂 [/QUOTE] For Elton-Taupin, you mean? I guess the album cover (or insert on earlier vinyl versions) would be a cite for “fuel” and the track itself for “fuse”. > [@Qadgop](#): > > Then I suspect you’ve been listening to Manfred Mann’s cover, not Springsteen’s original. Yes, I believe you’re right. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2008, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blinded-by-the-light/455685/5 "2008-07-08T20:57:53Z")
Thanks! I’ll have to go see if I can track that down. \Album cover. How quaint.\ 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2008, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blinded-by-the-light/455685/6 "2008-07-08T22:11:01Z")
😃 Elton used to have the most magnificent album inserts. These were high quality pamphlets with lyrics and pictures and credits. Then later, the inserts were dropped, and lyrics were printed on either a sleeve or the insides of double albums. I used to have the original full-blown deals for all his albums through Captain Fantastic before selling them to a collector. ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2008, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blinded-by-the-light/455685/7 "2008-07-08T22:20:17Z")
Heck, I can trace that sort of thing back to 1728. The printed lyrics of a song from the play [_Double Falshood; or, The Distrest Lovers_](http://pws.prserv.net/jwkennedy/Double%20Falshood/index.html) begin “Fond _Echo!_ forego thy light Strain” in every printing, but the sheet music begins “Fond Eccho, forbear thy light Strain” in every printing.