DNA, your natural ability, the study of your craft
A development of and devotion to an aesthetic philosophy, balls
Naked desire for fame, love, adoration, attention, women, sex, a buck
And then if you wanna take it all the way 'til to the end of the night
You will need a furious fire in your belly that just don't quit burnin'
These are some of the elements that will come in handy
Should you come face to face with eighty-thousand screaming rock and roll fans
Because these are fans who are waiting for you to pull something out of your hat
Out of thin air, something out of this world
Something that before the faithful were gathered here today was just a song-fueled rumor
Now I come from a boardwalk town where everything is tinged with just a bit of fraud
So am I
1972, I wasn't any racecar drivin' rebel, I wasn't any corner street front
I was a guitar player on the streets of Asbury Park
But, I held four clean aces
I had youth, I had a decade of hardcore bar band experience already behind me
I had a great group of musicians and friends who really knew my playing style and I had a magic trick
Now I'm here tonight to provide proof of life
To that ever-elusive never completely believable, particularly these days us
That's my magic trick, and like all good magic tricks, it begins with a setup