What more is there to say about this one?

It’s one of the most beautiful and true love songs ever written covered by perhaps the most gorgeous voice to ever grace a studio.

Linda Ronstadt covered Bruce Springsteen’s “If I Should Fall Behind” on her final rock album, We Ran, in 1998. Her arrangement starts sparer and finishes lusher than Bruce’s studio track, but her vocals stand out throughout–as warm and heartfelt as the song deserves.

Linda followed it up the next year with a lovely duet on “Across the Border” with Emmylou Harris that garnered more attention, but for my money the lesser-heard track is the stronger one.

We can only wonder what else she might have brought to Bruce’s catalog had her career not been tragically cut short.

7 Replies to “Cover Me, Linda Ronstadt: If I Should Fall Behind”

  1. Very nice, I will have to add it to the other versions of that beautiful song. Can’t find online is the version by Dion on his great 3 cd box set “King of New York”, Faith Hill has a nice country version, but by far my favorite is Bruce on the Live at Madison Square Garden 2000 cd/dvd. The whole band steps up to the mic and sing lines from the song. When I watch that it reminds me that it was Bruce back with the Band and it has special meaning ( love Patti and Nils singing together )! Great song!! Thank you

  2. Just gorgeous. Ken, thanks for reminding me to add this to my personal “Bruce-Covers” playlist. ❤️ I love it.

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