“There have been many tough guys. There have been contenders and there have been pretenders, but there is only one king: Elvis Presley.” –Bruce Springsteen, introducing “Wear My Ring Around Your Neck,” March 8, 1975
It’s far from Elvis’ best song. In fact, if “Wear My Ring Around Your Neck” is notable for anything, it’s for breaking Elvis’ remarkable streak of ten consecutive #1 hits. (Although to be fair, it did reach #2.)
Still, despite its sometimes awkward lyrical simplicity (there must have been another rhyme available for neck besides “by heck”), and even though it’s rarely covered by other artists, it still managed to catch Bruce Springsteen’s attention.
Bruce worked up a fast–almost manic at times–encore arrangement for it that sounds very similar to his arrangement for “Quarter to Three” (with which “Wear My Ring Around Your Neck” was sometimes paired).
Bruce debuted his cover of “Wear My Ring Around Your Neck” late on the Wild and Innocent Tour and played it several times throughout late 1974 and 1975.
Other than a one-off performance with Rickie Lee Jones and Boz Scaggs in 1979 (for which I would pay dearly for a copy), Bruce hasn’t covered it since.
Wear My Ring Around Your Neck
First performed: November 16, 1974 (Washington, DC)
Last performed: June 3, 1979 (West Hollywood, CA)
Yes, “Wear My Ring” was rarely covered because few artists have that kind of talent to pull it off.
He *does* do a really admirable job! I mean, I like it better.
I didn’t know this song was not regarded as an Elvis classic. I personally love this song. And while Bruce does a pretty good job with it, it isn’t the King’s. Ricky Van Shelton does a decent cover on the Honeymoon in Vegas soundtrack too.
It’s all relative, I guess. I meant that ranked against Elvis’ long, long lists of classics, it falls a bit short. It was still a big hit, for sure, and it’s sweet. Agreed that the original is better.