“Magic” isn’t a song that gets covered very often, even though it’s only grown in relevance since Bruce first released it in 2007.
It’s a dark song–deeply cynical, political, and distrustful. But as The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn put it in a radio interview, “that song has always kind of had a spooky charm to it.”
Well, Finn’s cover certainly dials up the spooky. Take a listen:
Finn’s cover of “Magic” is the kind you only get when a song truly speaks to you, and his alternative ending to Bruce’s original leaves us with the song’s warning echoing in our heads. It’s one of those rare covers that rivals if not surpasses the original.
