I told Steve “Tomorrow night, ‘Staying Alive,’” and he goes, “You got me on that one. I don’t know how we’re gonna do it.” And Tom Morello said, “I don’t want to have any other ideas. Because I want to see how you’re gonna pull that one off.” Steve’s going, “I can’t imagine it.” I go okay, I’m not going to be able to sing it where they sang it, so I have to think about Marvin Gaye on What’s Going On and Trouble Man and I’m thinking of blaxploitation pictures. I thought, if I bring this thing down to my key and I play it like a blues, this is inner-city blues; it could slip right on to What’s Going On. I had to find my voice in it. I got the lyrics up on the computer and just started to sing it. When it sounded believable to me I knew we’d be fine. It was like, “Okay, I can be this person in this song.” –Bruce Springsteen, Rolling Stone, March 11, 2014
The 1977 original is instantly recognizable.
“Stayin’ Alive” by The Bee Gees was a monster hit, catapulted to the top of the charts by its prominent placement underneath the opening credit sequence of the classic film, Saturday Night Fever.
Not only did The Bee Gees command the Number One spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for four weeks with “Stayin’ Alive” in early 1978, the song would go on to be enshrined by the American Film Institute as #9 on their Top 100 Songs in American Cinema ranking, and Rolling Stone would place it at #189 on their 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list.
If the original is instantly recognizable, however, Bruce Springsteen’s unexpected 2014 cover… well, that one took Bruce’s Brisbane audience thirty seconds to recognize and another thirty to believe.
Bruce’s Marvin Gaye-inspired arrangement was jaw-dropping–when the full power of the E Street Band kicks in, with the E Street Horns and a just-for-the-occasion string section arrayed in full glory (the strings would be put to good use that night), all those present knew that something special was happening. It’s no wonder that Bruce released the performance as an official video on his YouTube channel.
As for the original songwriters, Barry Gibb had this to say after witnessing the performance:
Dear Bruce @springsteen, just been blown away by your Stayin Alive. You brought it back to life.Thank you!
— Barry Gibb (@GibbBarry) February 26, 2014
Many fans (this one included) consider “Stayin’ Alive” to be one of Bruce’s best-ever covers, a highlight on a tour full of surprise, inventive covers.
Three months later, Gibb would return the favor. Check out his cover of Bruce’s “I’m on Fire“.
Stayin’ Alive
First performed: February 26, 2014 (Brisbane, Australia)
Last performed: May 17, 2014 (Uncasville, CT)
