Pumping Iron

"Pumping Iron" is a rock 'n' roll song in which Greaseball boasts about how attractive and powerful he is.

Context[]

Greaseball arrives onstage and the various female characters flock to him. He dances with each of them, paying particular attention to his partner, Dinah, and the new girl, Pearl. The National Engines and Freight train are often present, hanging around enjoying the show.

History[]

In the original London production, "Pumping Iron" was placed after "A Lotta Locomotion". Rusty left to fetch the Freight cars as Greaseball arrived with the 2nd and 3rd class sleepers in tow.

When the show was revised for Broadway, "Pumping Iron" was moved after "AC/DC" – where it has remained ever since. Now the song serves as Greaseball's reply to Electra. He even seduces Electra's female components (Joule, Volta and Wrench) to dance with him. Placing "Pumping Iron" immediately after "AC/DC" also highlights the contrast between the 2 competitors, as Electra's futuristic electro music is answered by Greaseball's old-fashioned rock 'n' roll.

In the 2018 re-writes, the National Engines also join in during the dance break. The new dancing choreography matches the following engines with the following wagons: Greaseball with Dinah; Coco with Volta; Espresso with Joule; Ruhrgold with Wrench; Turnov with Belle; Manga with Carrie; and Brexit with Rocky 3.

Video[]

Pumping Iron - Dan Metcalfe German TV 1991

Starlight Express- Pumping Iron

Pumping Iron - Chris Barron German TV 2004

Pumping Iron - Daniel Smith German Promo 2015

Lyrics[]

Original London Lyrics[]

CONTROL:	Oh boy - here comes trouble!
	It's the reigning champion!

COACHES:	It's Greaseball!
	It's Greaseball!
	Greaseball the diesel!
	Choose me Greaseball,
	Race with me.

DINAH:	Back off girls - he's mine.

GREASEBALL:	Here comes the diesel train
	With its steel refrain,
	Hear me knocking.

	The diesel's on its way,
	It's gonna win the day,
	Hear me knocking.

	Listen to the chatter of the diesel force,
	Generating twenty seven hundred horse,
	Camshaft rolling while the rockers rock,
	Hear me knock.

	See me hustle,
	Feel my muscle,
	Pumping Iron.
	Trying to build my body,
	Trying to lose my mind.

	See me straining,
	I'm in training,
	Pumping Iron.
	I'm a diesel engine,
	I'm knocking, I'm knocking, I'm knocking,

	I'm Pumping Iron.

COACHES:	Well he's the one they'll choose,
	You know he just can't lose,
	Hear him knocking.
	There ain't another rig
	That's even half as big,
	Hear him knocking.
	Everybody's gonna say "that train is smart",
	The mighty diesel engine is a work of art.
	The undisputed leader of the Rolling Stock,
GREASEBALL:	See me knock.

ALL:	See me hustle,
	Feel my muscles,
	Pumping Iron.
	Stretching my bullworker,
	I'm heaving on my weights.
	See my flex my delts and pecs
	I'm Pumping Iron.
	I'm a diesel engine
	I'm knocking, I'm knocking, I'm knocking -

	Heading for the rally (heading for the rally)
	Gonna win the first race (gonna win the first race)
	I'm gonna run the longest (the biggest and the strongest)
	I'm knocking, I'm knocking, you know I'm knocking.
	Man - I'm so beautiful -
	I'm PUMPING IRON !

1987 Broadway Concept Album Lyrics[]

GREASEBALL:	When I am working out
	I hear my body shout
	Hear me knocking

	And then I start to boil
	I need a change of oil
	Hear me knocking

	Generating twenty seven hundred horse,
	Gotta get the power, gotta get the force
	Pushing and pulling 'til it starts to rock
	Hear me knock
	Hear me knock
	Hear me knock

	See me hustle,
	Feel my muscle,
	Pumping Iron.
	Trying to build my body,
	But forgot that I'm losing my mind.

	See me straining,
	I'm in training,
	Pumping Iron.

	I'm pumping like an engine
	And I'm knocking
	I said I'm knocking
	And I'm knocking
	Hear me knock!
	I'm Pumping Iron

	I love my body so
	I love to see it grow
	Hear me knocking

	There ain't another rig
	That's even half as big
	Hear me knocking

	Pumping up the pressure as the pain gets worse
	Stronger than my masters of the universe
	Heavy metal welded in a solid rock
	Hear me knock, hear me knock, hear me knock
	Oh no!

	See me straining,
	I'm in training,
	Pumping Iron.

	I'm pumping like an engine
	I'm knocking
	I'm knocking
	I'm knocking
	Hear me knock!
	I'm Pumping Iron

	See me hustle,
	Feel my muscle,
	Pumping Iron.
	I'm trying to build my body,
	But you know I'm gonna lose my mind.

	See me straining,
	I'm in training,
	Pumping Iron.

	I'm pumping like an engine
	'Cause I'm knocking
	I'm knocking
	I'm knocking
	Hear me knock!
	I'm Pumping Iron

(riffing/trailing off)	I'm Pumping Iron
	Feel my muscle
	See me hustle
	I'm Pumping Iron
	Look at me
	You see me knocking
	But you can't come in - Oh!
	Can't come in
	Feel my muscle!
	No, no, no!

1997 Mexico + Translation[]

Pura Fibra (Pure Muscle) includes only the coaches and female components singing alongside Turbo (Greaseball).^[1]

TURBO (Spanish):	Ya llegué!!!	GREASEBALL (English):	I've arrived!

CONTROL:	Aquí va a pasar algo	CONTROL:	Something is going to happen here

COCHES:	Es Turbo, es diesel	COACHES:	It's Greaseball! It's diesel
	Es Turbo es Diesel		It's Greaseball the diesel!

CONTROL:	El actual campeón	CONTROL:	The current champion

COCHES:	Es Turbo es diesel	COACHES:	It's Greaseball, he's diesel
	Es Turbo es diesel		It's Greaseball the diesel
	Escógeme Turbo, corre conmigo		Choose me Greaseball, race with me!

VIANDA:	Atrás chiquitas, ¡es mío!	DINAH:	Get away girls, he's mine!

TURBO:	Con este súper tren	GREASEBALL:	With this super train
	Sabes quién es quién		You know who is who
	Y te suena		Sound familiar?

	El Diesel con su voz		The diesel with it's voice
	Al triunfo va veloz		Quickly goes to triumph
	Y te suena		Sound familiar?

	Oye al metal vibrando al correr		Listen to the metal vibrate as I run
	Casi son tres mil caballos de poder		With nearly three thousand horse power
	Mis cilindros suenan en un solo bloc		My cylinders rumble in a single block
	¡cómo rock!		Like rock!

	Ve de lejos Mis conejos		See from far my muscles
	¡Pura fibra!		Pure Muscle!
	Me mantengo en forma		I am keeping fit
	Hasta enroquecer		Until I'm out of breath

	Voy jalando arrastrando		I am hauling and dragging
	Pura fibra		Pure muscle!

	Soy motor de diesel		I'm a diesel engine
	Suena, suena, te suena		rumble, rumble, do you hear it
	Soy pura fibra		I am pure muscle

COCHES:	A el he de escoger	COACHES:	I have to choose him
	Jamás podrá perder		He will never lose
	Como suena		How he rumbles!

	De frente al Cabús		In front of the caboose
	Tu dices ¡Ay Jesus!		You say Oh Jesus!
	Como suena		How he rumbles
	Y miradas de ¡que buen maquinón!		And with the looks of a mean machine!

	Con su motor es lo mejor		With his motor, he's the best
	De la creación		Of creation
	Y aunque no es electrico		And although he's not electric
	Te da un shock		He'll give a shock!

TURBO:	Y mucho rock	GREASEBALL:	And lots of rock!

	Ve de lejos mis conejos		See from far my muscles
	Pura fibra		Pure muscle!
	Hago contracciones		I make contractions
	Con mi gran tracción		With my great traction

	Son mis bíceps y mis tríceps		They're my biceps and my triceps
	Pura fibra		Pure Muscle
	Soy motor de diesel		I'm a diesel engine

	Y sueno (Suena)		And I rumble (He rumbles)
	Y Sueno (suena)		And I rumble (He rumbles)
	Te sueno (suena, suena)		You hear me (rumble, rumble)

	Voy a las carreras (Va a las carreras)		I'm going to the race (He's going to the race)
	Rey en la Primera (Rey en la Primera)		King in the first (King in the first)
	Luego con el resto (a todo está dispuesto)		Then with the rest (Everything is set)

	Sueno, sueno, sueno, sueno		Rumble, rumble, rumble, rumble
	(suena, suena, suena, suena)		( He rumble, rumble, rumble, rumbles )

COCHES:	Y además	COACHES:	And also!

TURBO:	Que buen cabús me traigo	GREASEBALL:	What a good caboose I bring along
	Soy pura fibra		I'm pure muscle

German Lyrics + Translation[]

GREASEBALL (German):	Hey! Moment!	GREASEBALL (English):	Hey! A moment!

CONTROL:	Oh Mann, da kommt der amtierende Weltmeister!	CONTROL:	Oh man, here comes the reigning world champion!

COACHES:	Seht Greaseball, Greaseball, Greaseball der Diesel!	COACHES:	Look Greaseball, Greaseball, Greaseball the Diesel!
	Nimm mich, Greaseball, renn' mit mir!		Take me, Greaseball, race with me!
DINAH:	Weg da, der gehört mir!	DINAH:	Get away, he's mine!

GREASEBALL:	Hier kommt die Diesellok,	GREASEBALL:	Here comes the diesel locomotive,
	Der Held des Rolling Stock,		The hero of the Rolling Stock,
	Hört den Rhythmus.		Hear the rhythm.
	Steigt in den Diesel ein,		Get on the Diesel,
	Er wird der Sieger sein,		He will be the winner,
	Hört den Rhythmus.		Hear the rhythm.

	Nur der Dieselmotor hat die Antriebskraft,		Only the diesel engine has the driving force,
	Die viel mehr PS als jeder and're schafft,		That creates much more horsepower than any other,
	Und im Rennen immer vorne liegt - mein Rhythmus siegt!		And is always ahead in the race - my rhythm wins!

	Seht mich laufen,		Watch me run,
	Hört mich schnaufen,		Hear me huff,
	Pumping Iron!		Pumping Iron!
	Training stählt den Körper,		Training strengthens the body,
	Bringt um den Verstand.		Drives you out of your mind
	Stangen heben, mich bewegen,		Lifting bars, moving around,
	Pumping Iron!		Pumping Iron!

	Diesel hat den Vorzug:		Diesel has the advantage:
	Hat Rhythmus,		Has rhythm,
	Hat Rhythmus,		Has rhythm,
	Hat Rhythmus,		Has rhythm,
	I'm Pumping Iron!		I'm Pumping Iron!

COACHES:	Er hat die beste Chance,	COACHES:	He has the best chance,
	Er ist die Nummer eins,		He is number one,
	Er hat Rhythmus.		He has rhythm.

ALL:	Mein/sein Chassis ist stahlhart,	ALL:	My/his chassis is hard as steel,
	Mein/sein Motor bringt in Fahrt,		My/his engine gets going,
	Ich/er hat Rhythmus		I/he has rhythm

COACHES:	Jeder findet diesen Zug sehr attraktiv,	COACHES:	Everyone finds this train very attractive,
	Wünscht sich, dass er mit ihm dieses Rennen lief'.		Wishes, that they'd ran this race with him.
	Diesel ist bei allen Wagen sehr beliebt!		Diesel is very popular with all the cars!
GREASEBALL:	Mein Rhythmus siegt!	GREASEBALL:	My rhythm wins!

	(Dance break)		(Dance break)

ALL:	Seht mich laufen,	ALL:	Watch me run,
	Hört mich schnaufen,		Hear me huff,
	Pumping Iron.		Pumping Iron.
GREASEBALL:	Ich stähl' meinen Kolben,	GREASEBALL:	I strengthen my pistons,
	Heb' jedes Gewicht.		Lifting every weight.
ALL:	Ich renn' mit, denn ich in fit,	ALL:	I'll race with you, 'cos I'm fit,
	Pumping Iron.		Pumping Iron.
GREASEBALL:	Diesel hat den Vorzug:	GREASEBALL:	Diesel has the advantage:
	Hat Rhythmus,		Has rhythm,
	Hat Rhythmus...		Has rhythm...
	Diesel ist im Rennen.		Diesel is in the running.
COACHES:	Diesel ist im Rennen.	COACHES:	Diesel is in the running.
GREASEBALL:	Siegt im ersten Rennen.	GREASEBALL:	Wins in the first race.
COACHES:	Siegt im ersten Rennen.	COACHES:	Wins in the first race.
GREASEBALL:	Ich bin heut' der Erste,	GREASEBALL:	I am first today,
ALL:	Der Größte und der Stärkste,	ALL:	The biggest and the strongest,
GREASEBALL:	Hab' Rhythmus,	GREASEBALL:	Has rhythm,
	Rhythmus,		Rhythm,
	Rhythmus,		Rhythm,
	Rhythmus,		Rhythm,
	Oh yeah!		Oh yeah!

	Mein Gott, bin ich schön!		My God, I am beautiful!
	I'm Pumping Iron!		I'm Pumping Iron!

In 2018, the coaches took the "trying to lose my mind" line.

Trivia[]

When "Pumping Iron" was repositioned, the characters of the Sleepers were removed from the show as they only existed for this one number. The performers doubled as Joule and Volta, so they would already be onstage after "AC/DC".