Song title: Bishop danced
Bishop danced
Bishop danced with a thumbscrew woman
Did a double-quick backflip and slid across the floor
The Catholic traffic flowed freely ‘cross the river
And Fiddlestick fiddled quick out the front door
Oh baby dumpling, Mama’s in the back tree
If the bough breaks, Mama might fall
Little sad and only, baby don’t be lonely
Mama knows ‘rithmetic, knows how to take a fall
Mama knows ‘rithmetic, knows how to take a fall
And the kids are crying
“Flapjacks, make ‘em fat” early in the morning
Little Jack, grab your hat, hear the breakfast call
Mukrat, bad old cat, kick him in the fire-place
There’s someone in the kitchen blowin’ Dinah on their horn
There’s someone in the kitchen blowin’ Dinah like they’re born
Well Maverick Daddy got a one-night bride
She glides like a monkey-mule kickin’ on the backslide
Over hill, over hill, Daddy don’t you spill now
Papa’s got a switch-stick, he’s pumpin’ little Bill
Papa’s got a switch-stick, he’s pumpin’ little Bill
And Billy he’s crying:
“Tomahwak, Tomahwak, Daddy’d better duck out
The Mohwaks, the Mohawks, they’re still out there in the woods
Minotak, Okenak, running through my dreams now
With fire on the fingertips and indian’s screams
Fire on the fingertips and feathers made of moonbeams”
Well early in the morning the cannonneer cries
I seen the sailor’s warning in the western skies
Oh mountain man if you can, cut me down a fir tree
With branches full of candlesticks for baby and me
And my darling cries, she said
“Honey, the weather vane, lately, it’s been pointin’ the way to heaven”
Scatterbrains, Scatterbrains, watch out where you fall
Champagne, champagne, a round for all the old choir boys
They’re bustin’ off the altar chasin’ Dinah through the hall
They’re bustin’ off the altar chasin’ Dinah through the hall
And like kids they’re crying
“Flapjacks, make ‘em fat” early in the morning
Little Jack, grab your hat, hear the breakfast call
Mukrat, bad old cat, kick him in the fire-place
There’s someone in the kitchen blowin’ Dinah on their horn
There’s someone in the kitchen blowin’ Dinah like they’re born
Published on the following official releases:
Very few performances of this songs are known (to me, at least!):
- 09/01/1973 Wbcn-FM Studios, Boston,MA ,USA
- 31/01/1973 Max's Kansas City, New York,NY ,USA during the Greetings Tour
- 01/02/1973 Max's Kansas City, New York,NY ,USA during the Greetings Tour
- 03/02/1973 Max's Kansas City, New York,NY ,USA during the Greetings Tour
- 04/02/1973 Max's Kansas City, New York,NY ,USA during the Greetings Tour
- 05/02/1973 Max's Kansas City, New York,NY ,USA during the Greetings Tour
- 19/02/1973 Max's Kansas City, New York,NY ,USA during the Greetings Tour
- 02/03/1973 Community Theatre, Berkeley,CA ,USA during the Greetings Tour
- 02/05/2012 Prudential Center, Newark,NJ ,USA during the Wrecking ball tour
- 19/11/2012 Pepsi Arena, Denver,CO ,USA during the Wrecking ball tour
Data from the www.brucespringsteen.it database
First known live performance: 09/01/1973 Wbcn-FM Studios, Boston,MA ,USA
Last known live performance: 19/11/2012 Pepsi Arena, Denver,CO ,USA
Song 'history':
Played live 7 time(s) during the so-called 'Greetings Tour'
.
Keep in mind that only a small amount of the setlists of these years has surfaced, so it may have been played a lot more.
The TRACKS studio out-take collection included for the first (official) time this song.
Bruce gave this song only two shots through the Wrecking Ball tour (02/05/2012 Prudential Center, Newark,NJ ,USA and 19/11/2012 Pepsi Arena, Denver,CO ,USA)
The song was also played in informal happenings or off-tour appearances
Data from the www.brucespringsteen.it database