It’s not every day that a musician covering a fellow artist’s song receives the appreciation of the said track’s creator, but Bruce Springsteen, the Boss, has achieved that as well. Recently, Marc Blatte, the songwriter of ‘When She Was My Girl,’ expressed his support for the rocker as he discussed Springsteen’s rendition while chatting with Goldmine.
“Thank you,” said Marc as he accepted congratulations on his recent album, ‘The Distant Thunder,’ with Joe Cerisano, and continued by addressing Bruce’s cover. “Bruce’s new version of “When She Was My Girl” sounds great. He’s the boss! I always thought he was a tremendous soul singer, so I wasn’t surprised that he pulled it off.”
Marc then mentioned other covers of the single and discussed how Bruce’s take differed from the others. He said, “I think there is a difference in his delivery, too. When I watched The Four Tops perform the song live decades ago with so much joy, it took on a different meaning than what I had considered when I wrote it. Levi Stubbs sang about the girl being gone, but it came across as ‘Oh well, I’ll move on.’”
The singer continued, “With Springsteen, I compare it to his ‘Thunder Road’ when the screen door slams, and that is goodbye! With Bruce Springsteen’s new version of ‘When She Was My Girl,’ he truly taps into the angst I had when I wrote it at 28, which was not an easy age to be when you seem to have nothing happening. It was filled with regret and remorse, and I think Bruce is a master of evoking pathos.”
So, Blatte supported Springsteen as he appreciated how he covered the song in the most intimate way possible. Bruce’s rendition also brought the true meaning behind ‘When She Was My Girl,’ as the song was not about moving on from a breakup but regretting missed opportunities.
