Bruce Springsteen lyrics -- Bruce Springsteen shows -- Bruce Springsteen records

Song title: Brilliant disguise


Brilliant disguise

I hold you in my arms as the band plays
What are those words whispered baby just as you turn away
I saw you last night out on the edge of town
I wanna read your mind and know just what I’ve got in this new thing I’ve found
So tell me what I see when I look in your eyes
Is that you baby or just a brilliant disguise

I heard somebody call your name from underneath our willow
I saw something tucked in shame underneath your pillow
Well I’ve tried so hard baby but I just can’t see
What a woman like you is doing with me
So tell me what I see when I look in your eyes
Is that you baby or just a brilliant disguise

Now look at me baby struggling to do everything right
And then it all falls apart when out go the lights
I’m just a lonely pilgrim I walk this world in wealth
I want to know if it’s you I don’t trust ‘cause I damn sure don’t trust myself

Now you play the loving woman I’ll play the faithful man
But just don’t look too close into the palm of my hand
We stood at the alter the gypsy swore our future was right
But come the wee wee hours maybe baby the gypsy lied
So when you look at me you better look hard and look twice
Is that me baby or just a brilliant disguise

Tonight our bed is cold
I’m lost in the darkness of our love
God have mercy on the man
Who doubts what he’s sure of

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

Published on the following official releases:

First known live performance: 31/10/1987 The Rumrunner, Sea Bright,NJ ,USA
Last known live performance: 15/12/2018 Walter Kerr Theatre, New York,NY ,USA

Song 'history':


Played during the '1987 bar tour', which is the name under which I group the 1987 shows Bruce played with various small bands, or guesting, in small NJ clubs.
Published on TUNNEL OF LOVE, in 1987.
Performed every night of the Tunnel of Love tour
Performed 8 times during the 1988 Amnesty International tour
Played, in acoustic version, at the Christic Shows in LA, 16/17-Nov-1990.
Perfomed in a large number of shows (96) of the Human Touch tour
The song was then included in the GREATEST HITS compilation, released in 1995.
Not much used during the Reunion tour, deserving only 5 renderings
During the Rising tour, the song was played less than a dozen times
Played during the 'Double Take' shows in 2002
The song was then included in the ESSENTIAL compilation, released in 2003.
Played during the rehearsals for the Devils and dust Tour, in Mar/Apr 2005.
During the Devils and Dust tour, the song was played less than a dozen times
Just less than a dozen shots during the Magic tour
Scarcely used during the Wrecking Ball tour, with 3 inclusions
Two only performances during the High Hopes tour (23/02/2014 Hope Estate Winery, Hunter Valley ,Australia and 24/04/2014 PNC Arena, Raleigh,NC ,USA)
Not much used during the 2016 The River tour, deserving only less than a dozen renderings
Published in live soundtrack of 'Springsteen on Broadway' show
Perfomed in a large number of shows (206) of the Springsteen on Broadway tour

The song was also played in informal happenings or off-tour appearances
Data from the www.brucespringsteen.it database