Brilliant Disguise

Album: Tunnel of Love (1987)
Charted: 20 5
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Songfacts®:

  • Springsteen sings this one from the viewpoint of a man who is conflicted over a romantic relationship. He confronts his partner, asking if she's just playing the part of a faithful woman and wondering if she's simply put on a brilliant disguise. Later in the song, he turns the tables, letting her know that he might be faking it as well.

    Although he claims the song is not directly autobiographical, Springsteen was having problems in his marriage to his first wife, the actress Julianne Phillips, and they divorced soon after.
  • Speaking with Rolling Stone, Springsteen described this as "a different kind of love song," with lots of nuance. He said the Tunnel Of Love album as a whole is meant to take in "the different types of emotional experiences of any relationship where you are really engaging with that other person and not involved in a narcissistic romantic fantasy."
  • When his marriage to Julianne Phillips came to a close, Springsteen took up with Patti Scialfa, a singer in his E Street Band. They had their first child together in 1990 (a year after his divorce was finalized) and married in 1991. This marriage went the distance, and led Bruce to a different interpretation of "Brilliant Disguise."

    On his 2005 Storytellers appearance, he explained how he used to enjoy going to strip clubs around the time he wrote this song, and then he brought out Scialfa to sing it with him. Said Bruce: "I guess it sounds like a song of betrayal - who's that person sleeping next to me, who am I? Do I know enough about myself to be honest with that person? But a funny thing happens: songs shift their meanings when you sing them, they shift their meanings in time, they shift their meanings with who you sing them with. When you sing this song with someone you love, it turns into something else."
  • This was the first single from Tunnel Of Love, the follow-up to Springsteen's decade-defining Born in the U.S.A., released three years earlier. The song was a solid hit, as was the title track, but the album was a lot more introspective and mature than its predecessor, reflecting Springsteen's life at the time. Instead of "Glory Days," we got thoughtful songs about the vagaries of love and how we fit into our surroundings.

    It was period of rapid change for Springsteen, who dissolved the E Street Band two years later and figured out how to make music while also raising a family (he and Scialfa ended up having three kids). After a great deal of soul searching and an album most people didn't like (The Ghost of Tom Joad), he got the gang back together in 1999.
  • "Brilliant Disguise" is Springsteen's most durable song from his Tunnel Of Love album. He played it at many of his shows even after breaking up the E Street Band, and again after reuniting them. It's the only song from the album included on his first greatest hits compilation, released in 1995.
  • The music video, directed by Meiert Avis, is one continuous shot of Springsteen performing the song seated in a kitchen with an acoustic guitar. It's in black and white, and gets pretty intense as it zooms in to a tight shot of Bruce's face, which is wracked with emotion. It was shot in Sandy Hook, New Jersey, at a kitchen in Fort Hancock that used to be part of an officer's quarters.

    By this time, Springsteen had pretty much aged out of MTV, but fortunately for him, VH1 launched two years earlier catering to a more mature crowd. The "Brilliant Disguise" video was perfect for it.
  • This is part of Springsteen On Broadway, Bruce's Broadway residency that started in 2017. He performed songs from his catalog solo, with the exception of "Brilliant Disguise" and "Tougher Than The Rest" (also on Tunnel Of Love), where was typically joined by Patti Scialfa. When introducing the song, Bruce would offer some words of wisdom along these lines:

    "In this life, you make your choices, you take your stand, and you awaken from that youthful spell of immortality where it feels like the road is going to go on forever. And you walk alongside your chosen partner with the clock ticking, and you recognize that life is finite, that you've got just so much time, and so together, you name the things that will give your life in that time its meaning. Its purpose, its fullness, its very reality. This is what you build together, this is what your love consists of. These are things you can hold on to when the storms come, as they will."

Comments: 14

  • Netgk from UsaI've seen some speculate that "don't look too closely into the palm of my hand" perhaps refers to reading his palm, which seems like a good guess. I've wondered if it could also mean that he has a gun. Either he could be planning to use it, or else he wants it for protection from whatever she put underneath her pillow (like another gun). Anybody have any insight on this lyric?
  • Dave from Wichita, KsAs I recall at the time, there was some discussion that Springsteen had a lot of trust issues because his wife was an actress, hence the "brilliant disguise" she could wear at any time. It made him uneasy that he wasn't sure at times if she was acting the part of the wife, and being a Hollywood beauty he wondered "what a woman like you is doing with me" (he being a rough and tumble guy from Jersey) thus sowing seeds of doubt. I also recall that there were those in his "camp" that encouraged this thinking on his part, either to keep him from "going Hollywood" or for other self-interests, but the end result was the same... divorce. I've always felt this is one of his best works, and is very autobiographical... cuts right to the bone.
  • Joe from St. Marys, Pa"God have mercy on the man who doubts what he's sure of" - Great advice about the importance of keeping your life in balance and always keeping your focus on what is really important in life.
  • Bill from Middletown, CtSpringsteen never backed down when writing songs - even when it meant showing weakness. Characters in his younger songs were often full of confidence and bluster, sure of themselves if not of their future.
    The turning point in the song is the change to "is it ME, baby, or just a brilliant disguise?" He may be putting on an act for her, and for himself... and he's finally realizing it.
    Craig is right - the video setting is perfect. Did she just go upstairs? Go out 'for a drive'? Is he waiting for her to come home? But the real discussions are always in the kitchen...
  • Coffeegod from Brandon, MsI remember hearing this song and 'Tunnel Of Love' and thinking 'dude, this guy's marriage is completely over'. Three months later it was all over the news. Good to know the second time around has worked so well for him.
  • Gene from San Diego, CaThe classic song of a man who doubts what he's sure of. Awesome song, awesome album. Loved how if didn't glorify love, but spoke of it how it really is. Like in the tack "When You're Alone".
  • Dave from San Antonio, TxThis Song AND Album is Bruce at his most Mature.
    Those us us that have gone thru those situations...MAN what a song!
  • Anna from Dublin, IrelandGreat song, great album, always been one of my favourites, in fact my first bruce album. The last line always sends a shiver down my spine, "God have mercy on the man who doubts what he's sure of..." would love to hear him singing it solo acoustic. This song gave me a lot of insight into life as a teenager, still love it.
  • Josh from Terre Haute, InThis whole album is under rated, and it may be my favorite of his, and I am a huge Springsteen fan. I think any one who has been betrayed or had their trust broken can relate to this song. "Tell me who I see, when I look in your eyes, is that you baby, or just a brilliant disguise" I can definitely relate.
  • Dennis from Anchorage, AkA lot of long-time Springsteen fans were upset with him for the way his sound changed in the 80's, on Born in the USA and Tunnel of Love. He allowed a lot of electronic instrumentation and smoothed out the rough edges some, which made his music more radio-friendly than it had been. But his songwriting was as honest as ever, and just as brave. This is a beautiful, heartbreaking song.
  • Chance from Melbourne, AustraliaThis is my favourite Springsteen song, and it is without doubt one of the best songs of its type.Just listening to those lyrics sends shivers up my spine because they are so much like real life.
  • Craig from Madison, WiOne of Springsteen's most underrated songs. Emotionally painful and naked. The turn in the final lines where he (possibly) takes on his own disguise is a relationship stalemate that happens all too frequently. On the surface he sings like it's a triumph, but underneath he's defeated. A lover's battle comparable to Dylan's "Idiot Wind" and the Stone's "Under My Thumb," but without Bob's epic scale or Mick's warrior-like gouging. Bruce is quiet and private. It's not by chance the video has him singing alone in a kitchen, for that's where most of these battles occur, whispering the devastating questions while the children sleep.
  • Jeroen from Antwerpen, BelgiumGood remark! It also makes clear the importance of trust... You' re NEVER completely sure about what you have. "God have mercy on the man who doubts what he's sure of..." Brilliant song!
  • Fred from Abilene, TxThis song reveals the true source of jealousy: self-hatred. The guy doesn't know what a "woman like you is doin' with me."
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