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Song title: Mary Lou


Mary Lou

Your scrapbook’s filled with pictures
of all your leading men
Well baby don’t me picture in there with them
Don’t make me some little girl’s dream
that can never come true
Oh baby, don’t do it to me
I won’t do it to you

Mary Lou, I’m not like all those other guys
Mary Lou, I won’t fill pretty head with their pretty lies
Mary Lou, and dreams that never, never, never ever will
come true
Mary Lou, I don’t deserve to hurt and make you cry like
you do

You seen all the romantic movies
You dream to take the boys home
But when the action fades you’re left all alone
You deserve more than this, oh your love that can grow
And not playing outtakes, girl, from some lata-late show,
no no
Mary Lou, you’re not like all those others girls
Mary Lou, so afraid to shake up that real world

Every night you go out lookin’ for
true love’s satisfaction
But you’ll end up setting for just lights, camera, action
In another cameo role with some bit-player you’re befriending
You’re gonna go broken-hearted
lookin’ for that happy ending

Mary Lou, I know all those movies too
Mary Lou, I know the hurt too much dreaming can do[1]
Mary Lou, now one wants the dreams, baby, more than I do
But Mary Lou, you’re gonna end up
baby just another ticket stub
Mary Lou, cryin’ alone in the theatre
as the credits roll

Notes: This will later evolve in Be true.Many version of this song exists, with evolving lyrics.
[1] This verse is in the "Tracks" version, the next in various other out-takes


Statistics from the KILLING FLOOR (www.brucespringsteen.it) database


Published on the following official releases:

Never played in regular set.
Data from the www.brucespringsteen.it database

Studio recordings have surfaced from the THE RIVER sessions, but the song was not used for that album.
The TRACKS studio out-take collection included for the first (official) time this song.
The song was then included in the THE TIES THAT BIND Anniversary Box, released in 2015.
Data from the www.brucespringsteen.it database