#John mellencamp wasted days full

In his conversation with USA TODAY, Mellencamp, who recently canceled his tour because of COVID-19 obstacles (“for the third time,” he says with a sigh), delves into his long relationship with Springsteen, the portentous themes on the new album and the history of the everlasting “Jack & Diane.”

#John mellencamp wasted days full

The duo romp a little more on the easy swinging “Did You Say Such a Thing,” but also warn “the forecast is severe” on the piano and accordion-laden “A Life Full of Rain.” The album’s first single, “Wasted Days,” finds the pair in a reflective state (“Who’s counting now, these last remaining years / How many minutes do we have here?”). He also enlisted an old friend for a trio of songs, a kindred spirit in wistful storytelling: Bruce Springsteen. On Friday, Mellencamp unveils his first album in five years. “Strictly a One-Eyed Jack” features a dozen songs packed with themes of mortality and dense lyrics, guided by the album’s protagonist, “a dangerous old man” (i.e., the one-eyed Jack, which Mellencamp will further explain). From the early days of Johnny Cougar – a name he says “was forced on me. and I don’t like anybody telling me what to do” – through '80s MTV staples (“Pink Houses,” “Hurts So Good,” “Small Town”) rootsy zigzags (“Paper in Fire,” “Get a Leg Up,” “Wild Night”) a shadowy musical written with Stephen King (“Ghost Brothers of Darkland County”) and voluminous accolades (the Songwriters Hall of Fame, ASCAP Founders Award and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame are but a few), his accomplishments overwhelm. Mellencamp’s is a rightfully celebrated career. Or, as it turns out, on the other end of the phone for an hour. Exactly the type who would make an ideal conversationalist over a few drinks. He’s calling from “on top of the mountain” in Northern California – not literally, but in his home – and for a guy often pegged as prickly, he’s immediately disarming. “If a squirrel chews through the line, we’re in trouble,” John Mellencamp says by way of introduction. All rights reserved.Watch Video: Diamond shines at Songwriters Hall of Fame As reported by Billboard, Bruce said, “I worked on three songs on John’s album and I spent some time in Indiana with him.”Ĭopyright © 2021, ABC Audio. Springsteen, meanwhile, shared further information about the collaboration during a satellite radio interview in June. John told Billboard at the time, “Bruce is singing on the new record and is playing guitar.” Mellencamp first revealed that he’d worked on new music with Springsteen in May while taking part in music mogul Clive Davis‘ star-studded virtual benefit for the Grammy Museum. The video, which was shot in New Jersey this month by frequent Springsteen collaborator Thom Zimny, includes scenes of Mellencamp and The Boss playing acoustic guitars while sitting at a kitchen table and standing in front of a detached garage with an American flag draped from it. Springsteen contributes an electric guitar solo to the tune. “Wasted Days,” which was written by John, features lyrics reflecting on mortality and making the most of our time on the planet. The song is the first single from Mellencamp’s upcoming, as-yet-untitled studio album, which is due out in 2022.

John Mellencamp‘s first-ever collaboration with Bruce Springsteen, an introspective, acoustic-driven duet titled “ Wasted Days,” has been released as a digital single, while a companion music video has premiered on Mellencamp’s YouTube channel.