Coverinfo
Bruce performed the song only once with The David Johansen Group*.
1980-03-01 Fast Lane (The), Asbury Park, NJ
*The David Johansen Group. Johansen is best known as a member of the protopunk
New York Dolls. "Personality Crisis" is the lead song from the New York Dolls' self-titled debut album, released in August 1973. The David Johansen Group was David Johansen's first solo group, forming in 1977 and performing into the mid-1980s. The original lineup features Tommy Trask (guitar), Johnny Rao (guitar), Buz Verno (bass), and Frankie LaRocka (drums). After the In Style album (1979) the band features frequent changes and included such members as Patti Scialfa (vocals), Soozie Tyrell (violin), Charles Giordano (keyboards), Charlie Pip (guitar), Tony Machine (drums), Brett Cartwright (bass), Huw Gower (guitar), and David Nelson (guitar). The lineup of the group at the time Springsteen performed with them in 1980 has not been definitively determined (although Marc Dufaud's 2010 French-language biography Bruce Springsteen: Une vie américaine claims that Scialfa was with the group at the time).
Songinfo
"Personality Crisis" is the lead track from the New York Dolls' self-titled debut album. It was written by Dolls lead singer David Johansen and guitarist Johnny Thunders. An early demo version of it appears on the 1981 collection Lipstick Killers – The Mercer Street Sessions 1972. Mercury Records originally released "Personality Crisis" in 1973 as a double A-side single with "
Trash" to coincide with the album's release.
Bruce on the artist
Lyrics
Whoah, yeah, yeah, yeah, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
Well, we can't take it this week
And her friends don't want another speech
Hoping for a better day
To hear what she's got to say
All about that personality crisis, you got it while it was hot
But now, frustration and heartache is what you got
(That's why they talk about personality)
(Personality)
But now, your tryin' to be something, now, you got to do something
Wanna be someone who counts
But you think about the times you did, they took every ounce
When it sure got to be a shame when you start to scream and shout
You got to contradict all those times you butterflyin' about
(You were butterflyin')
About that personality crisis you got it while it was hot
It's always hot you know it's frustration and heartache is what you got
(I've gotta talk about personality)
And you're a prima ballerina on a spring afternoon
Change on into the wolfman howlin', at the moon, hooowww
About that personality crisis, you got it while it was hot
It's always hot you know it's frustration and heartache is what you got
(That's why they always talk about personality)
Now, with all the crossin' fingers that mother nature says
Your mirrors getting jammed up with all your friends
That personality, everything is starting to blend (?)
Personality, when your mind starts to blend
Got so much personality, impression of a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend of a friend
Personality, wonderin' how celebrities ever mend
(Lookin' fine on television)
Personality crisis, you got it while it was hot
It's always hot you know it's frustration and heartache is all that you got
Ohh, don't you worry
Personality crisis, please don't cry
It's just a personality crisis, please, don't stop
Because you walk a personality
Talk a personality