I’m well aware that not all of my readers appreciate Bruce’s pre-label music as much as I do–I only need to look at my site’s traffic on the days when I spotlight the Steel Mill era to see that.
But since you’re already reading, trust me: you should really listen to this one, because “Jeannie, I Want to Thank You” is a jaw-dropper.
Although this is definitely a live Steel Mill recording (it’s from the Matrix in San Francisco on January 13, 1970), the band’s performance of Bruce’s original composition is a jazzy good time, far removed from the heavier sound that typifies much of Steel Mill’s material. “Jeannie, I Want to Thank You” is still a guitar showcase, but it’s almost a blend of the Steel Mill sound and the Bruce Springsteen Band one that would follow the next year.
The entire band is on fire here: from the opening bars, Danny Federici has the spotlight, and he makes the most of it, showing off his prowess in a way he didn’t often get a chance to. Vinnie Roslin keeps that funky bass riff going for the full ten minutes, Vini Lopez plays with remarkable restraint, and Bruce… well, let’s just say he earns his “fastest-guitar-in-the-east” reputation on this one.
Take a listen:
The band turns in such a confident, powerful performance that we almost don’t notice that Bruce only wrote twelve lines for the entire ten-minute song.
That’s okay, because like much of Bruce’s material from that period, the lyrics are more in service of the music rather than any particular message. “Jeannie, I Want to Thank You” places us in the aftermath of a break-up, and Bruce is definitely the dumped one.
Jeannie I want to thank you
For the ride ’cause it was fun
I’d like to go around another turn
But that ride is done
The game it has been won by you
Whoa darling, darling, darling don’t go
Sometimes I think I was such a fool
For doing the things I done
But the consequences are dearly felt
As I stand alone
A man without a home or you
And darling, darling, darling come home
We’re hard-pressed to determine how seriously Bruce took this relationship. Clearly he didn’t want it to end, and obviously he wants her back–but he also strikes a cavalier tone with both the lyrics and music, characterizing their relationship as a fun ride, and admitting regret for his actions only sometimes.
It’s probably best not to dwell on the song’s depth, however, any more than Bruce himself does. This song is all about the instrumental break, one that’s far longer than the song itself.
But oh, that break–it’s one of my favorite Springsteen moments from the Steel Mill era.
Jeannie, I Want to Thank You
Never recorded
Never released
First performed: January 13, 1970 (San Francisco, CA)
Last performed: June 13, 1970 (Bricktown, NJ)
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