
The line from " Backstreets", "I hated you when you went away" was originally a line in "She's the One". "She's the One" has connections with other Springsteen songs. The percussive piano sound and the rhythms that are reminiscent of some Buddy Holly songs sound like an homage to older rock 'n' roll songs. As if to emphasize the Diddley-like riff, Springsteen has sometimes led into "She's the One" in concert with a Diddley song - either " Bo Diddley" or "Mona". Musically, it has a staccato beat and a rhythm reminiscent of the Bo Diddley beat. Like other songs on Born to Run, "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" and " Night", the story of the relationship is told in a flashback. The lyrics reflect both the joys and yearnings of summer nights. Although the singer knows the woman is a liar, he wants to believe her. The topic of the song is the rock staple of an intensely attractive, but cold-hearted woman, who causes massive emotional turmoil for her lover. Several versions of the song were recorded for Born to Run between April and June 1975, and the June 1975 version recorded at 914 Sound Studios in Blauvelt, New York is the one that was officially released. Fresh off his solo acoustic Ghost of Tom Joad Tour, Dylan’s social protest song was very much in keeping with Bruce’s own recent set lists.īruce’s arrangement was somber and sincere, and his performance was mesmerizing both live (Dylan seemed particularly moved) and on the professionally captured video.įrom the 1997 Kennedy Center Honors, here’s Bruce Springsteen’s only performance to date of Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’."She's the One" was one of the songs that Springsteen wrote before beginning to record the Born to Run album, along with "Born to Run", " Thunder Road" and " Jungleland", although originally he was not sure whether to include it on the album. On December 7, 1997, Bob Dylan was one of the honorees at the annual Kennedy Center Honors ceremony, and the “New Dylan” was one of the artists selected to pay tribute to him that night.Īlthough he’d never played it live before, Bruce’s song selection was an obvious one. When he finally did, the circumstances couldn’t have been more auspicious. Given Dylan’s influence on Bruce’s music and career, it seemed predestined that Bruce would eventually cover “The Times They Are A-Changin'” in concert. Its rank as #59 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time is well-deserved. Rarely does a year go by without a notable live or studio cover. James Taylor and Carly Simon performed at the legendary 1979 No Nukes concerts, and Billy Joel performed it at his famous Soviet shows. Over the years, it’s become a beloved protest song, with covers by The Byrds, Peter Paul & Mary, Simon and Garfunkel, The Beach Boys, Cher, The Hollies, and Nina Simone just in the first five years following Dylan’s original version. (It peaked at #9 in the U.K., where it was released in 1965.) It almost certainly would have been a hit if it had been. He performed it live the very next day following Kennedy’s death.Īmazingly, “The Times They Are A-Changin'” was never released as a single in the U.S. The times, were most definitely a-changing, and Dylan’s song made sure everyone acknowledged it. Within a month, President Kennedy would be assassinated, auguring a tumultuous year that proved to be an inflection point for both the Civil Rights movement and America’s overseas interventions.
