Swallows (The ) - It Ain't The Meat (It's The Motion)

First performance: 12/05/1977

Coverinfo

Bruce covered the song only once in 1977 : 
 
 
1977-05-12 Monmouth Arts Center, Red Bank, NJ 
 
Two concerts tonight were originally scheduled (along with the two shows the following night) as regular Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes gigs. However Southside became ill (suffering from a recurring throat ailment) and couldn't perform so Steven Van Zandt came to the rescue by organizing The Asbury Park All-Star Revue - a combination of The Asbury Jukes, The E Street Band, Ronnie Spector and Springsteen. Due to Southside's illness and a lack of time for Van Zandt to prepare to lead, tonight's two shows were rearranged into a single concert starting at midnight. Van Zandt was the lead vocalist (with Bruce on guitar/background vocals) on most of the tracks .
 
THIS TIME IT'S FOR REAL / GOT TO GET YOU OFF MY MIND / WITHOUT LOVE / SHE GOT ME WHERE SHE WANTS ME / LOVE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF TOWN / LITTLE BY LITTLE / IT AIN'T THE MEAT (IT'S THE MOTION) / WHEN YOU DANCE / BABY, I LOVE YOU (with Ronnie Spector) / WALKING IN THE RAIN (with Ronnie Spector) / SAY GOODBYE TO HOLLYWOOD ( with Ronnie Spector) / BE MY BABY (with Ronnie Spector) / THE FEVER / I DON'T WANT TO GO HOME / HAVING A PARTY / YOU MEAN SO MUCH TO ME (with Ronnie Spector) / THUNDER ROAD / RENDEZVOUS / BACKSTREETS / BORN TO RUN 
 
 
 
 Photo Billy Smith 
 

Songinfo

It ain't the meat ( it's the motion ) is a song written by Henry Glover and Lois Mann, 1951. Originally recorded by The Swallows. 
 
 
 

Other cover versions

1976-05-30 - THE STONE PONY, ASBURY PARK

This song was also covered by Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes : Bruce was also present at this show but didn't perform it that night. Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes' first concert with major public exposure hosted by Philadelphia radio station WMMR-FM and broadcast on syndicated stations throughout the northeastern US. This was effectively a celebration of the recent release of Southside's debut album I Don't Want To Go Home. The producer of the album, Steve Van Zandt, was onstage playing rhythm guitar for most of the show. And what a lineup of guests it was! Bruce Springsteen joins for one song, the closing "Having A Party".
 

Bruce on the artist

Lyrics

It ain't the meat, it's the motion
Makes your daddy wanna rock
It ain't the meat, it's the motion
It's the movement that gives it the sock
Now I had a girl so doggone thin
No meat, no bones, she was just all skin
One thing about her I can understand
She wraps all around me like a rubber band
It ain't the meat, it's the motion
Makes your daddy wanna rock
It ain't the meat, it's the motion
It's the movement that gives it the sock
It ain't the meat, it's the motion
Makes your daddy wanna rock
It ain't the meat, it's the motion
It's the movement that gives it the sock
You find some girls who are big and fat
Some fellows don't like to see them like that
But I like to see 'em big and tall
The bigger they come, the harder they fall
It ain't the meat, it's the motion
Makes your daddy wanna rock
It ain't the meat, it's the motion
It's the movement that gives it the sock
It ain't the meat, it's the motion
It ain't the meat, it's the movement
It ain't the meat, it's the action
That makes your daddy wanna rock all night
I got a little girl who lives down the street
It ain't much of her but she's mighty sweet
When she starts rockin', she don't wanna stop
It makes a man wanna blow his top
It ain't the meat, it's the motion
Makes your daddy wanna rock
It ain't the meat, it's the motion
It's the movement that gives it the sock