Greasy Lake is a lake near Howel NJ. It gets its name from the idea that homeless people living around the lake used it for bathing, washing dishes, etc. The homeless people were known as "Gypsy Angels" or the "Spirits In The Night."
Part of Springsteen's first album, it was a #40 US hit for Manfred Mann's Earth Band when they covered it in 1977. They also covered "Blinded By The Light" and "For You" from Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.
Springsteen wrote this after Columbia Records rejected his first attempt at an album, telling him to make some songs that could be played on the radio. He came up with this and "Blinded By The Light."
See your Spotify stats (with number of plays and minutes listened) and discover new music.
Music data, artist images, album covers, and song previews are provided by Spotify. Spotify is a trademark of Spotify AB.