What the deuce…?

My sister just went to a wedding where they served fruitcake. That’s not right. Who serves fruitcake? Who likes fruitcake? Are you telling me that the bride and groom chose fruitcake to symbolize their [dessert] love? You don’t do that. As Johnny Carson used to say, there’s only one fruitcake in the world and it keeps getting passed from family to family. I wonder if it was a gift. You know how some people will inevitably complain if there’s only yellow cake or like, red velvet at a wedding? What kind of response were they expecting by serving a “cake” enjoyed by less than four percent of the populace? (I just made up that number.) They should have been stopped. I’ve been married enough (once) to know that the bride and groom can easily be stopped.

And this part is for my mother. (Feel free to keep reading, but I guarantee you won’t find this as entertaining as my Mom undoubtedly will.)

So, Mom. Did a little research into the song you asked about. My initial answer was correct; Manfred Mann DID do a cover of Springsteen’s “Blinded by the light”, (the first single from Greetings From Asbury Park NJ, 1973) and the verse you had questioned was “revved up like a deuce/another runner in the night.” Basically, a deuce is a two-seater car a la the Beach Boys’ “Little deuce coupe.” (Springsteen’s version says “cut loose” instead of “revved up,” but since he bandies the term about half a dozen times on that album alone, maybe Manfred Mann decided to take creative liberties. That could happen, right? The world’s most prolific cover band taking creative liberties? Sure!)

And there you have it. Revved up like a DEUCE, and not that other noun which I hope we never have occasion to say to one another again, on the phone or otherwise.

Would you like to see some common misheard interpretations of that line? A few gems:

Racked up like moose that’s been run over in the night…
Wrapped up like a dude, sha na na reuben in delight…
Wracked up by the goosin’ and the runnin’ in the night…
Caught up by the juice bar in the middle of the night…

You are so welcome.

Tonight I’m going to a Korean dive bar up in Andersonville for a karaoke birthday party! Tomorrow I may head over to the Old Town Art Fair. Hey! Chicago Social should link up to my blog, you know, for things to do about town! They do that, right? I’ve never actually read Chicago Social. I won’t let that stop me.

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