Cover Me: Eyes on the Prize

The only thing I did was wrong
Was staying the wilderness too long.

“Keep Your Eyes on the Prize” may be the unofficial anthem of the Civil Rights movement, but it dates back at least a few decades earlier to an African-American spiritual called “Gospel Plow,” with known recordings going back to the 1930s.

The titular plow references Luke 9:62: “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

Or put another way: if you want a better present, you better break free from your past.

Mahalia Jackson recorded a memorable version of “Gospel Plow” in 1958, retitled “Keep Your Hand on the Plow.”

Bob Dylan recorded an uptempo version of “Gospel Plow” for his debut album, but by then the song had already been reshaped by activist Alice Wine for a more modern context.

It’s unclear how much the new lyrics stemmed from Alice herself and how much was already floating among folk songs (some verses appear to have been passed down), but regardless of what was created or curated, Wine crafted a powerful song that spoke directly to the strength, determination, and fortitude required of the protesters and activists of the Civil Rights movement.

In June 1963, Pete Seeger recorded a live version of “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize” that became one of the best known renditions….

…and two months later, the song was performed at the March on Washington by Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, the Freedom Singers, and Len Chandler.

Over the years that followed, “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize” proved to be a fitting anthem and remains an uplifting reminder for activists to this day. There’s never been a time since the song’s debut when the fight for equality and justice hasn’t demanded sacrifice and perseverance from its footsoldiers.

In the early days of 2006, Bruce Springsteen recorded a version of “Eyes on the Prize” (shortening the title) at the last of his three Seeger Sessions. His version starts low and slow, almost a whisper, and builds in power like a movement picking up adherents.

In an interview for Backstreets, Bruce explained to Dave Marsh: “So this guy, he’s in the shadows. You’re walking down the street, and you’re thinking everything is fine, and it’s not too early in the evening but not too late either, and all of a sudden somebody collars you and pulls you into the alley and says, ‘Wait a minute. You don’t know what’s happening here, my friend.’ And starts to tell you that story… ‘Man you better keep your eyes on the prize, because it’s coming down.'”

“Eyes on the Prize” builds in power as the story grows in potency. “Suddenly the guy in the alley is in the street…” Bruce continued. “He’s surrounded by other people. And other people are picking this secret up, and it’s turning into not such a secret anymore.”

The crowd builds as the song culminates in a Dixieland march and a reminder of what’s at stake: Ain’t been to heaven, but I been told, streets up there are paved with gold.

It’s a powerful performance, a story told as much by its arrangement and Bruce’s vocal performance as by its lyrics. But the song grew more powerful still in concert.

Yesterday, we listened to Marc Anthony Thompson’s terrific cover of “Johnny 99” and learned how it led to an invitation to join the Sessions Band.

“[Marc] said he’d be interested in doing some singing,” Bruce told Dave Marsh in a Backstreets interview, “and I said ‘Well great, come on down!’ And he came down, and it was like, bang!, it was just perfect right away.”

Their voices blended so well together that Bruce quickly decided to share the center mic with Marc at key points during the show–the most powerful of which was their nightly performance together of “Eyes on the Prize.”

In a rare interview, Thompson discussed the experience of touring with Bruce.

Their performances grew in power and potency throughout the tour, and by the end of it Bruce was giving Marc the last word.

Other than a Magic Tour cameo, Thompson hasn’t performed with Bruce since the end of the way-too-short Seeger Sessions Tour, but he’s continued to release great music. Check out his catalog on your favorite streaming service–you’ll be glad you did.

Eyes on the Prize
Recorded: January 21, 2006
Released: We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006)
First performed: April 20, 2006 (Asbury Park, NJ)
Last performed: November 21, 2006 (Belfast, Northern Ireland)

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