“Sitting on Top of the World” is an American blues standard, recently recognized by the Library of Congress for its historical and cultural significance. It dates back to 1930, when it was first recorded by The Mississippi Sheiks, and its evergreen popularity is no doubt due in large part to its ironic lyrics: in any incarnation, the singer recounts his woes but still insists with each verse that he’s “sitting on top of the world” — determined to remain optimistic even though nothing about his circumstances may warrant it.
By the time Earth first performed the song in 1968, “Sitting on Top of the World” had been covered and adapted many times over, most recently by Cream. This is probably the version that brought the song to Bruce’s attention:
Bruce is believed to have played the song on at least one occasion (and possibly more) with Child in the summer or fall of 1968, but the only surviving and definitively dated recorded document is from 1972, during the Bruce Springsteen Band period.
Take a listen below to the only known recording of Bruce performing this blues classic, from The Bruce Springsteen Band’s performance at The Back Door in Richmond, Virginia, on February 4, 1972.
Sitting on Top of the World
First performed: February 4, 1972 (Richmond, VA)
Last performed: February 4, 1972 (Richmond, VA)
