The fact that “Heaven Help the Lonely” didn’t become a Number One hit song is just one of the many crimes and indignities inflicted upon Willie Nile.
Watch his official video for what should have been a heavy rotation single off his 1991 album, Places I Have Never Been (which itself should have been released a decade earlier, but Nile’s recording career was mired in legal troubles), and tell me that doesn’t sound like a hit record.
Alas, “Heaven Help the Lonely” never got serious airplay, but catch Nile in concert and you’ll get the chance to hear him play it live. And if you see him at his frequent Light of Day appearances, you might even get to see Bruce sing it with him.
Bruce made back-to-back appearances with Willie Nile at the Light of Day Festival in 2010 and 2011, playing “Heaven Help the Lonely” with Willie each time, almost a year to the day apart.
You can watch both performances below and judge for yourself which one is better. I can’t decide–they’re both fantastic, and Bruce is clearly having a great time at each.
Heaven Help the Lonely
First performed: January 16, 2010 (Asbury Park, NJ)
Last performed: January 15, 2011 (Asbury Park, NJ)
