It seems unbelievable that Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp haven’t recorded together before. Their voices and musical output go together like peanut butter and jelly. Additionally, there’s a pretty big crossover in their fanbases. In short, the collaboration is a match made in rock and roll heaven.
Well, we’re finally getting a collaboration that should have happened decades ago. Bruce Springsteen joined John Mellencamp for the latter’s latest single. “Wasted Days,” sees the two classic rock legends singing about the fragility of life. However, it’s not some sad song about waiting around to die. Instead, the two legends ponder about how much time they have left and lament wasted time over a mid-tempo rocker.
According to NME, the Bruce Springsteen John Mellencamp collaboration will appear on Mellencamp’s upcoming twenty-fifth album. This song is just a taste of what we can expect from that record. The reports that Springsteen talked about it on his Sirius XM station, E Street Radio, earlier this year.
First and foremost, if you like this track you should know that Bruce Springsteen will appear on two more tracks on the upcoming record. About working with Mellencamp, Springsteen said, “I worked on three songs on John’s album and I spent some time in Indiana with him.” Then, he talked about their personal relationship.
“I love John a lot. He’s a great songwriter and I have become very close and had a lot of fun with him.” Minimizing his input on the record, Bruce Springsteen said, “I sang a little bit on his record.”
A Closer Look at the Bruce Springsteen John Mellencamp Collab
John Mellencamp didn’t just drop a single featuring Bruce Springsteen, he also put out a video. In that video, we see the pair of rock legends hanging out and playing cards. Later in the video, we see them jamming together outside. All in all, it’s like watching a highlight reel of two talented guys hanging out for a day. We’re totally here for it.
“Wasted Days,” is one of those tunes that sounds like an upbeat number until you listen to the lyrics. The words aren’t necessarily depressing. They do, however, make you think about all the time you waste on people, places, and things that may not deserve your time.
John Mellencamp lays down the premise of the song in the opening verse. It consists of a few questions. “How many summers still remain? / How many days are lost in vain? / Who’s counting out these last dramatic years? / How many minutes do we have here?”
From there, John Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen trade verses. Springsteen takes the second and Mellencamp takes the third verse. However, the best part of the song is the chorus. That’s when the legends sing together. Hearing those two iconic voices raised in unison will give you chills.
Additionally, the song contains some solid instrumentation. The normal rock instruments – guitar, drums, and bass – sound great. However, “Wasted Days,” also contains a fiddle solo and an accordion solo. It feels like every day before this iconic collab was wasted.
