Sam and Dave - When Something Is Wrong with My Baby

First performance: 05/12/2003


Coverinfo

Bruce performed the song 3 times:
 
 
2003-12-08 Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ
Finale show (rescheduled from December 6) . First performances of the stand for "96 Tears", with Garland Jeffreys. "Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa-Fa (Sad Song)", with Sam Moore (in its only known Springsteen performance, featuring a snippet of "Hey Bo Diddley" in the intro), and "Merry Christmas Baby", also with Moore.
 

2003-12-07 Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ
Jon Bon Jovi guests for the only time during the stand, singing his "It's My Life" as well as joining on the Southside Johnny songs and the final encores. Willie Nile joins for "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding" and "Santa Claus is Comin' to Town". "I Thank You" includes a snippet of "Hey Bo Diddley" in the introduction.
 
2003-12-05 Convention Hall, Asbury Park, NJ
First night of the Christmas Benefit shows. Some of the proceeds are donated to the Asbury Park High School band, along with 30 instruments. Guests include Sam Moore, Garland Jeffreys and Jesse Malin. 
 

Songinfo

"When Something Is Wrong with My Baby" is a classic hit song, a soul ballad, written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter, recorded in Memphis and sung by Sam & Dave, and first released in 1967 by Stax Records.
 
 
 

Bruce on the artist

2021-09-01 SiriusXM Studio, New York City
Bruce played the song during the 27th epsiode of 'From My Home to Yours' series, themed "Going to the Chapel", a homage to songs about love and marriage.
 
Bruce: Yes, that was Sam & Dave, back in the days when they were speaking to one another, with "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby (Something Is Wrong With Me)". I've seen them perform that, live in Philadelphia. Also at the Satellite Lounge in Fort Dix, New Jersey. And at The Fastlane, that's right, The Fastlane in Asbury Park. I saw Sam & Dave three times while they were still playing together. And, literally, every time, they brought me to tears. And certainly with this song. They were just one of the most powerful, incredible duos of all time. And when I saw them at The Fastlane, it was heartbreaking, because it was a relatively small crowd there, and they simply sang their hearts out. And I can tell you, I stood in the back of the room and wept at seeing this great, great, great talent, later in the day of their performing together, bringing in, really, quite a small audience, and it was just so undeserved, and they were so epic and so profound that it touched me incredibly deeply. And that about says it all. Almost."  
 
 
2009-09-25 Apollo Theater, New York City
Taping for Elvis Costello's Spectacle, Bruce explains about Sam and Dave
Listen here 
 
Samuel David Moore (born October 12, 1935, Miami, FL) is an American Southern Soul and Rhythm & Blues (R&B) singer who was the tenor vocalist for the soul vocal duo Sam & Dave from 1961 through 1981. Sam Moore is a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame (for "Soul Man"), The Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and a Grammy Award and a multi-Gold Record award winning recording artist.
Sam Moore also contributed on the Human Touch album (1992) : 
 
Bruce also contributed  on " Better to have and not need ":  a song written by Homer Banks, Thomas Bingham, and John Colbert, and released in 2006 by Sam Moore's on his comeback album Overnight Sensational. Bruce Springsteen guests on the recording of this track. (vocals)
 
 
 
All appearances with Springsteen:
 
 
 
1999-10-15 - AMERICA WEST ARENA, PHOENIX, AZ
2003-12-05 - CONVENTION HALL, ASBURY PARK
2003-12-07 - CONVENTION HALL, ASBURY PARK
2003-12-08 - CONVENTION HALL, ASBURY PARK
 
2006-02-00 - THRILL HILL EAST, RUMSON, NJ
Sam Moore recording session
 
2006-02-08 - STAPLES CENTER, LOS ANGELES
Grammy Awards
 
2009-10-29 - MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, NEW YORK CITY
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concert
 
2012-12-06 - JOBING.COM ARENA, GLENDALE, AZ
HUMAN TOUCH - STUDIO SESSIONS 
  
"Your ticket is your handshake. These skills gave me a huge ace up my sleeve. And when we finally went on the road, and we played that ace, we scorched the Earth, because that's what I was taught to do by Sam Moore, and by James Brown. " 
 

Lyrics

When something is wrong with my baby
Something is wrong with me
If I know she's worried
Then I would feel that same old misery
We've been through so much together
We spoke as one and that's what makes it better
When something is wrong with my baby
Something is wrong with me
Just what she means to me now
Oh you just oh you just wouldn't understand
And the people say oh they say she's no good
Oh but she's my woman
And I know I'm her man
If she's got a problem oh yeah yeah
Oh I know I'm gonna have to help her solve it
When something is wrong with my baby
Something is wrong with me
If something is wrong with my baby
Something is wrong with me