The 1970s Classic Country Song Bruce Springsteen Loved, and Covered

For all his genre-bending, Bruce Springsteen‘s identity is firmly rooted in rock. It’s impossible to consider him as anything else. Springsteen hasn’t contested this identity, but he has made it clear that rock isn’t his only love. On several occasions, Springsteen has given props to country music.

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“In country music, I found the adult blues, the working men’s and women’s stories I’d been searching for,” Springsteen once said. “It was reflective…soulful.”

Similar enough to his narrative-driven sound, country music became a sounding board for The Boss to explore. There was one country classic in particular that Springsteen noted as a favorite, so much so that he decided to cover it as well.

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The Classic Country Song Bruce Springsteen Loved, And Covered

Glen Campbell is many musicians’ favorite country artist. His talent spoke for itself, drawing in his peers. Campbell wrote many songs considered classics of the genre, but one in particular caught Springsteen’s attention.

For the documentary attached to his 2019 album, Western Stars, Springsteen covered a Campbell staple, “Rhinestone Cowboy.” Though set apart from his sound, this cover proved to be just what Springsteen fans needed, even if they didn’t know to ask for it.  

“It was just a song that came up in an instant, you know,” Springsteen once said. “A really beautifully written song, and it was always one of my favourites by Glen Campbell.”

Campbell’s “Rhinestone Cowboy”

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Springsteen’s version is meritable, but it doesn’t usurp Campbell’s rendition. This song became Campbell’s calling card, succinctly summing up his legacy.

But even Campbell’s version wasn’t the first. The first artist to tout himself as a “Rhinestone Cowboy” was Larry Weiss. Campbell heard the song while on tour and decided it was a perfect fit for him.

“I heard the phrase and thought, ‘Boy, I like that title,’” Campbell once said. “I put my own meaning to it and wrote the song. I’ll always be a kid at heart, and ‘Rhinestone Cowboy’ was sort of a summation of all my childhood cowboy movie heroes – particularly Hopalong Cassidy.”

Campbell shouldered this story well, becoming the definitive singer of this country classic. Revisit “Rhinestone Cowboy” below.

(Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Bruce Springsteen)