There are only a select few songs by other artists on Bruce Springsteen’s studio albums, but “High Hopes” holds the distinction of being the only one he recorded and released twice.
Unfortunately (and surprisingly, given Bruce’s talent for breathing new life into other artists’ songs), neither version measures up to the original. “High Hopes” was written and first recorded by Tim Scott McConnell in 1987 and then again with his band The Havalinas in 1990.
The Havalinas made a name for themselves on the L.A. music scene in the early nineties, piquing Bruce’s interest and earning his admiration (although he admits to never catching them play live). A group of talented musicians playing unusual rock instruments, The Havalinas had a sort of punk-folkabilly sound that stood out against the sea of grunge that dominated that period. “High Hopes” from their debut album is one of the best examples.
The percussive drum-and-guitar intro of “High Hopes” compels instant attention and holds it throughout, and the video suggests the band has a good amount of stage charisma as well. Combined with the song’s Springsteenian themes, it’s no surprise that Bruce was taken with it.
“I was drawn to the song because it’s very good lyrically,” Bruce told Rolling Stone in a 2014 interview, “without being sort of didactic or too direct. It’s got a really good lyric about struggling. And also it’s got a great chorus.”
“High Hopes” lodged itself in Bruce’s brain for quite a while, because when he reunited the E Street Band in 1995 (five years after the release of the Havelinas’ version), “High Hopes” was one of the songs they recorded, an outlier cover captured during the sessions that yielded the bonus tracks for Greatest Hits.
Bruce ultimately chose not to release “High Hopes” on Greatest Hits–a wise decision, because there’s nothing great about that 1995 E Street Band recording. Max’s drums are too tight and mechanical compared to the original, and Danny’s organ is no substitute for the Havalinas’ woodwinds.
More importantly, the newly reunited E Streeters hadn’t yet gelled. Listening to the recording, one gets the impression that each of them was doing their own thing rather than playing off each other–especially Clarence, who takes a wandering solo that’s practically subterranean in the mix.
Bruce eventually released “High Hopes” on his 1996 Blood Brothers EP, but it went pretty much unnoticed by fans and critics and never surfaced in Bruce’s set lists.
Until 2013, that is.
That was the year that Tom Morello joined the E Street Band, sitting in for Little Steven, who was off filming Lilyhammer.
While preparing for the upcoming Australian leg of the Wrecking Ball Tour, Morello heard Bruce’s version of “High Hopes” on E Street Radio and thought it had potential. He suggested as much to Bruce, who agreed to add it to the set list. They sound checked it at the first show in Brisbane, and then on Night Two, they opened with it.
Their new arrangement went over well–so well, in fact, that Bruce gathered the band at a studio in Sydney the very next day and recorded a new version of the song.
And this one was much better.
Rather than try to imitate the sound of the original version, Bruce, Tom, and the band went in a different direction. This modern version of “High Hopes” has almost a metallic zydeco feel, thanks to Charlie Giordano, the track’s unsung hero.
Morello’s inimitable guitar-shredding infuses the song with a hard edge, and the E Street Horns only add to the New Orleans flavor of the arrangement. It still pales when compared with the Havalinas’ original, but it’s at least a fresh take by a larger and tighter E Street Band that comes to life on stage.
“High Hopes” stayed in the set list throughout the Australian Tour. Less than a year later, it had given rise to a new album for which it served as the title track.
When Bruce went back out on the road in 2014 for a victory lap, “High Hopes” featured regularly in almost every show, one of the many nightly showcases for Morello.
When Morello went home to his own band, “High Hopes” left the E Street Band behind, too. It hasn’t been seen in Bruce’s set list since the closing night of its namesake tour, but should Morello make a guest appearance the next time the E Street Band hits the road, perhaps we’ll get to catch it once again.
I’ve got high hopes.
High Hopes
Recorded: January 1995 (first version); March 17, 2013 (second version)
Released: Blood Brothers (1996), High Hopes (2014)
First performed: March 16, 2013 (Brisbane, Australia)
Last performed: May 18, 2014 (Uncasville, CT)
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