Top Five Bruce Springsteen Covers (by Adam Sharp)
Written by WTR // July 15, 2011 // Features // 15 Comments
Whenever I get in a conversation about songwriters with friends, inevitably I bring up the fact that I think Bruce Springsteen is one of the best ever. I don’t say it to be cute, funny or different. I say it cause it’s the damn truth. Beneath the schmaltz, tight jeans and dancing Courtney Cox is a man who possesses an ability with the pen that isn’t matched by many. The problem, of course, is that we hear these songs with all that 80s excess and don’t really think about how depressingly real the words are that Springsteen uses. For instance, turning on ‘Born to Run’ and singing along with the windows down is essential summer driving, but without the sax and keyboards you’d see it’s an honest and aching song about those struggling to see the light at the end of the working class tunnel. The truths in Springsteen’s tunes didn’t become evident to me until I started to hear covers of his work that stripped the songs bare, leaving only the essence of the song. Again, it’s stunning what Springsteen can do to you when you have only the words to hold on to. Here are my 5 favorite Springsteen covers – get ready to believe.
01 The River- Josh Ritter
I’ll be honest: I have no idea why everyone likes the original version of this song so much. Josh Ritter takes everything away but a guitar, bringing out the true heartbroken soul of the song. Seeing this played live by Ritter is one of the most stunning moments I’ve ever seen at a show.
02 Dancing In The Dark – Beerjacket
Remember when I said if you take away the schmaltz and dancing Courtney Cox that you could see how great Springsteen is? I meant this song. See how much better it is this way? Genius, right?
Beerjacket – Dancing In The Dark
03 I’m On Fire – AA Bondy
What an unbelievably creepy song. Seriously. Bold choice writing from the pedophile angle, Boss. To be fair, the original isn’t all that concerned with masking the creepiness, but that extra twang and harmonica AA Bondy brings takes it to a new level.
04 Something in the Night – Matthew Ryan
Just a terribly depressing song, especially when slowed down and played with only an acoustic guitar, like Matthew Ryan does. The original isn’t exactly an upbeat thriller, but it still soars in a way that it shouldn’t. This song is a dark look at trying to find an escape from everyday life through various vices, which isn’t exactly a subject made for a sing along chorus.
Matthew Ryan – Something In The Night
05 Atlantic City – Kyle Morton and Danielle Sullivan
Much like ‘I’m On Fire,’ the original version of this song isn’t all that joyful, but the earnestness in this cover finds a deeper truth. Slowing it down and stripping away the layers allows you to hear (and feel) a heartbreaking line like ‘Now our luck may have died/ and our love may be cold/ But with you forever I’ll stay.’ It’s a devastatingly real take on the consequences of life and love. It’s what Springsteen is a master at writing about.
Kyle Morton and Danielle Sullivan – Atlantic City
Adam Sharp is a music blogger from the windy city. He also has a Twitter, which he feels silly about (publicly declaring his love for polka music and gangster rap makes him a bit uncomfortable). Adam is an expert on unicorns, bald eagles, and indie rock. He has never lost a game of charades.
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15 Comments on "Top Five Bruce Springsteen Covers (by Adam Sharp)"
you guys should know Mavka. A amazing band http://soundcloud.com/mavka
Burlap to Cashmere are also pretty awesome http://mediaplayer.creativeonlineteam.com/content/burlaptocashmere/index.html
How about Martin Zellar’s “Darkness on the Edge of Town”?
I’m On Fire is not about pedophilia. Listen to it again, it’s actually about a man looking to score with another man’s wife. Geez, dude….
These are GREAT! I’m psyched Friends/Fuel posted the link on their FB feed. How about Harry Manx & Kevin Breit doing I’m On Fire?
http://grooveshark.com/#/s/I+m+On+Fire/2V88Q2?src=5
Yikes. Not good on my part there. Thanks for pointing that out to me- I think it was the opening of ‘Hey little girl is your daddy home’ that just got that engrained in my mind.
I think Patti Griffin does an amazing job with Stolen Car.
While I agree with David that it’s not written from a pedo viewpoint, at least I can see how you might have thought it was. How AA Bondy thought the line was “… and carved a 6-inch valley through the middle of my toe” is a different story all together. Definitely one for the “‘Scuse Me While I Kiss This Guy” book, vol. 2.
How about correcting the “I’m on Fire” goof?
I totally get where your coming from about how despair and pain is missed in a poppy song, but I have a different view. Have you ever had life moving around you at 100mph all happy like yet you feel like you’re all alone and invisible? You just keep on keeping on cause its really all you can do.
And Bruce is 100% better live. Sinatra he is not. When the Boss sings, its gutteral (did I just ruin that word) and almost raw. The E Street band is whailing behind him yet you can feel the struggle in his voice. And as far as The River being stripped down, don’t over look the harmonica in it. The first note on the harmonica makes me feel like a dark cloud has settled above me. It makes me think I should tie my work boots a little tighter. This may hurt.
But what do I know?
I came here via Fuel/Friends link as well and I’m glad I did. I like these covers. But I don’t agree on your take on the originals.
Most of all this strikes me with “Dancing in the Dark”. The first time I really listened to that song I was fifteen and I felt like someone had suddenly struck me a blow and I stood in the middle of the room feeling more than a little creepy, because that guy was singing ABOUT ME! The cover is nice, yes, but it’s way too reflective. Can you remember how it feels as a teenager, when you’re so stuck and so restless and you can’t break out and what you really want is to set the whole world on fire and race screaming through the universe and what you’re left to do is bang your head against the wall in frustration and confusion? That line about “there’s something happening somewhere, I just know that there is”…. puh! When I turn the volume right up on this song and start dancing like noone is watching (which ususally noone is), I go right back to that place.
This cover is, for me, a very grown-up, faintly bitter-sweet memory of that teenage angst.
(There’s more to say about the other songs, but I won’t, this is too long already! Thanks for the patience!)
Nah, you make totally valid, good points. It’s what’s beautiful about music. For me, Springsteen’s songs work better this way, but I can see how one would get the same out of them with the entire band involved. I hope I didn’t come across as not enjoying Springsteen’s actual work, because that’s not the case at all.
That’s what I like about music- everyone has their own connection. Your points are for sure spot on, and I really do dig the originals as well.
To whoever wrote the commentary about Atlantic City, there is nothing lost in the original version that you find again in this cover…you just have to understand the reasoning why it is sung the way it is sung in the original. He sings it uptempo to show the emotion the character is feeling. Excitement about trying to win and forget the past. He could easily sing it like this cover…all down and out and busted, but the song is about one last try. Not sure I am right of course, but that is how I have always understood it.
Great musicians are like our great painters. They paint the scene with the lyrics, but they also paint the emotion with the melody. When those two are combined correctly, you have greatness. Thats why pop music last 5 minutes, but Elliott Smith’s songs for example, last a lifetime. Thats why Atlantic City has always been my favorite most played Bruce song. He combined the two perfectly.
Patty Griffin’s – Stolen Car is #1
Deer Tick’s – Nebraska is awesome too.