Beach Boys ( The ) - When I grow up to be a man

First performance: 01/06/1985

Coverinfo

Bruce covered the song only once:
 
 
During Springsteen’s first ever appearance in Ireland. This was the largest crowd Bruce had played to up to this point, with 90,000 to 100,000 in attendance. This was Bruce’s first full concert as a married man – consequently the crowd was treated to a special (and still never repeated) performance of the Beach Boys classic “When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)”. Bruce was accompanied only by himself on guitar and harmonica.
 
when he returned to the stage for his encores, he said: 
" I’m thinking a lot of different things, standing here today. I guess this song kind of sums it up."   
 
 
  

Songinfo

"When I Grow Up (To Be a Man)" is a song written and composed by Brian Wilson with additional lyrics by Mike Love for the American rock band The Beach Boys. It was released on their 1965 album The Beach Boys Today!
 
 
 

Other cover versions

Bruce on the artist

The 2019 studio album "Western Stars", released on June 14, 2019 is stated by Bruce as heavily influenced by "Southern California pop music" of the 1970s, including artists such as Glen Campbell and Burt Bacharach.
 
 
 
1973-04-07 Norfolk Scope, Norfolk, VA 
Bruce and band are opening for headliner The Beach Boys (minus Brian Wilson, who wasn’t touring with the group at the time).
 
 
 
1963-07-00 Springsteen Residence, Freehold, NJ 
The surf music craze, which had been largely confined to California during the previous year, finally explodes nationally in the U.S.A. during the summer of 1963, with four huge-selling singles released (and all charting top five or better) in rapid succession: "Pipeline" (May 1963 - The Chantays), "Surfin' U.S.A." (June 1963 - The Beach Boys), "Surf City" (July 1963 - Jan and Dean) and "Wipe Out" (August 1963 - The Surfaris). Springsteen is heavily influenced by these four singles, particularly over the course of the next twelve months.
 
  

Lyrics

When I grow up to be a man
Will I dig the same things that turn me on as a kid?
Will I look back and say that I wish I hadn't done what I did?
Will I joke around and still dig those sounds
When I grow up to be a man?

Will I look for the same things in a woman that I dig in a girl?
(fourteen fifteen)
Will I settle down fast or will I first wanna travel the world?
(sixteen seventeen)
Now I'm young and free, but how will it be
When I grow up to be a man?

Oooooo Ooooooo Oooooooo
Will my kids be proud or think their old man is really a square?
(eighteen nineteen)
When they're out having fun yeah, will I still wanna have my share?
(twenty twenty-one)
Will I love my wife for the rest of my life
When I grow up to be a man?

What will I be when I grow up to be a man?
(twenty-two twenty-three)
Won't last forever
(twenty-four twenty-five)
It's kind of sad
(twenty-six twenty-seven)
Won't last forever
(twenty-eight twenty-nine)
It's kind of sad
(thirty thirty-one)
Won't last forever
(thirty-two . . .)