{"id":18166,"date":"1988-02-22T11:00:00","date_gmt":"1988-02-22T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/?p=18166"},"modified":"2026-02-07T19:04:53","modified_gmt":"2026-02-08T03:04:53","slug":"matr-joe-grushecky-and-bruce-springsteen-talking-to-the-king","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/1988\/02\/22\/matr-joe-grushecky-and-bruce-springsteen-talking-to-the-king\/","title":{"rendered":"Talking to the King"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>38 years, 53 shows.<\/p>\n<p>That&#8217;s how many years and how many times Bruce Springsteen and Joe Grushecky have performed together. as of this writing at least.<\/p>\n<p>It&#8217;s easy to understand why they enjoy working together so much: their songwriting sensibilities are pretty similar. From dark noir like &#8220;Broken Wheel&#8221; to political statements like &#8220;That&#8217;s What Makes Us Great&#8221; to\u00a0 arena anthems like &#8220;Pumping Iron&#8221; and &#8220;Rebel Music,&#8221; there&#8217;s a Grushecky analogue for just about every type of song in Bruce&#8217;s catalog, and vice versa.<\/p>\n<p>And then there are the songs that are just plain fun, and no Grushecky song brings the smiles like &#8220;Talking to the King,&#8221; the lead-off track from Joe&#8217;s 1992 album <em>End of the Century.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"758\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/twQ8p-R0BtU?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p>With its immediately infectious riff and sweet, fantastical lyrics, &#8220;Talking to the King&#8221; is exactly the kind of dream you&#8217;d expect an <em>almost-<\/em>made-it-big rocker to have in the dark of night.<\/p>\n<p>Joe&#8217;s protagonist is a lifelong aspiring rocker, too. Waking from a dream (he thinks), he creeps downstairs in the middle of the night to find the spirit of Elvis Presley in full regalia in his living room.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, they jam.<\/p>\n<p>But the silly set-up is just that: a set-up for a surprisingly sweet second half. Elvis warns Joe to be careful what he wishes for&#8211;success doesn&#8217;t necessarily bring happiness, and it almost certainly brings its own problems.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 40px;\"><em>You better be careful or you&#8217;ll lose everything<\/em><br \/>\n<em>It ain&#8217;t no fun being a king<\/em><br \/>\n<em>You make me mad when you start to complain<\/em><br \/>\n<em>You should be glad nobody who knows your name<\/em><br \/>\n<em>You got two lovely kids and a wife at home<\/em><br \/>\n<em>And I died alone on my throne<\/em><br \/>\n<em>Sometimes I think I sold my soul<\/em><br \/>\n<em>To become the king of rock and roll<\/em><\/p>\n<p>At its big heart, &#8220;Talking to the King&#8221; is a song of acceptance and appreciation of a good life, with only a good-natured nod to what might have been.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Talking to the King&#8221; is a terrific song, and it&#8217;s obvious why it became a mainstay of Joe&#8217;s sets. It&#8217;s also easy to see why it would appeal to Bruce, which is probably why he and Joe have played it together an astonishing 28 times in the last 25 years. (There are a lot of Springsteen originals that Bruce hasn&#8217;t performed anywhere near that often.)<\/p>\n<p>We&#8217;ll leave aside the irony of Joe performing a &#8220;Thank goodness I didn&#8217;t make it big and end up like Elvis&#8221; song with a man who made it big but ended up just fine, because Bruce is the very definition of an edge case.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, let&#8217;s just enjoy these longtime friends playing &#8220;Talking to the King&#8221; in one of their earliest performances together, back on the October Assault mini-tour for <em>American Babylon<\/em> in 1995.<\/p>\n<div id=\"v-a5fl9cA4-1\" class=\"video-player\"><iframe title='VideoPress Video Player' aria-label='VideoPress Video Player' width='758' height='426' src='https:\/\/videopress.com\/embed\/a5fl9cA4?hd=1&amp;cover=1&amp;loop=0&amp;autoPlay=0&amp;permalink=1&amp;muted=0&amp;controls=1&amp;playsinline=0&amp;useAverageColor=0&amp;preloadContent=metadata' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen data-resize-to-parent=\"true\" allow='clipboard-write'><\/iframe><script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" src='https:\/\/s0.wp.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/video\/assets\/js\/next\/videopress-iframe.js'><\/script><\/div>\n<p>Following their handful of performances on the American Babylon Tour, Bruce and Joe could be counted on to play &#8220;Talking to the King&#8221; pretty much any time they played together&#8211;and they played together often.<\/p>\n<p>You&#8217;d need to be in one of their stomping grounds to catch them, though: every one of their 22 performances in the past 22 years has been either on the Jersey Shore or Joe&#8217;s native Pittsburgh. Here&#8217;s Bruce, Joe, and the Houserockers performing &#8220;Talking to the King&#8221; at Light of Day 2011 in Asbury Park, and you can see how much Bruce enjoys playing Joe&#8217;s song.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"758\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/sPrkW8y9IdA?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p>There&#8217;s no reason to expect Bruce and Joe will ever stop performing together, and no reason to expect that &#8220;Talking to the King&#8221; won&#8217;t always be part of their sets.<\/p>\n<p>It was even one of the very last songs Bruce performed live before the great pandemic of 2020.<\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;ll leave you with Bruce and Joe performing &#8220;Talking to the King&#8221; at Light of Day 20, Bruce&#8217;s last public performance to date.<\/p>\n<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"758\" height=\"427\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/JnFv1WiWmeo?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/div>\n<p><strong>Talking to the King<br \/>\nFirst performed:<\/strong> October 17, 1995 (Asbury Park, NJ)<br \/>\n<strong>Last performed:<\/strong> January 18, 2020 (Asbury Park, NJ)<\/p>\n<p>\u00a9 June 12, 2020<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Talking to the King&#8221; is a sweet, count-your-blessings rocker and a ton of fun in concert. No wonder Joe and Bruce have played it together 28 times. Check out some of the best inside.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18317,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4,3609,5],"tags":[2613,2751],"class_list":["post-18166","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cover-me","category-little-help","category-meeting-across-the-river","tag-joe-grushecky-and-the-houserockers","tag-talking-to-the-king"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/talkingking.jpg?fit=1000%2C1000&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9w3Lk-4J0","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":25187,"url":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/2021\/03\/12\/rotd-matr-joe-grushecky-and-bruce-springsteen-idiots-delight\/","url_meta":{"origin":18166,"position":0},"title":"RotD\/MatR: Joe Grushecky and Bruce Springsteen: Idiot&#8217;s Delight","author":"Ken","date":"March 12, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Bruce and Joe Grushecky wrote this under-the-radar song together in the summer of '95; it keeps popping up in new forms ever since.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Roll of the Dice&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Roll of the Dice","link":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/category\/roll-of-the-dice\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/idiot.jpg?fit=1200%2C933&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/idiot.jpg?fit=1200%2C933&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/idiot.jpg?fit=1200%2C933&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/idiot.jpg?fit=1200%2C933&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/idiot.jpg?fit=1200%2C933&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":8428,"url":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/1988\/01\/03\/matr-bruce-springsteen-and-joe-grushecky-true-companion\/","url_meta":{"origin":18166,"position":1},"title":"True Companion","author":"Ken","date":"January 3, 1988","format":false,"excerpt":"One time only: Bruce joins Joe Grushecky on stage at a benefit show in Pittsburgh for a blistering guitar solo and backing vocals on Joe's \"True Companion.\"","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Cover Me&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Cover Me","link":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/category\/cover-me\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Joe_Grushecky_y_The_Houserockers-True_Companion-Frontal.jpg?fit=953%2C953&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Joe_Grushecky_y_The_Houserockers-True_Companion-Frontal.jpg?fit=953%2C953&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Joe_Grushecky_y_The_Houserockers-True_Companion-Frontal.jpg?fit=953%2C953&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/04\/Joe_Grushecky_y_The_Houserockers-True_Companion-Frontal.jpg?fit=953%2C953&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15195,"url":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/2020\/01\/11\/spare-parts-joe-grushecky-and-the-houserockers-cheap-motel\/","url_meta":{"origin":18166,"position":2},"title":"Spare Parts: Cheap Motel","author":"Ken","date":"January 11, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Co-written but never performed by Bruce, Joe Grushecky's \"Cheap Motel\" sure *sounds* like a Bruce song. Take a listen inside.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Spare Parts&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Spare Parts","link":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/category\/spare-parts\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/cheapmotel.jpg?fit=500%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":27712,"url":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/2021\/08\/26\/matr-rotd-joe-grushecky-and-bruce-springsteen-1945\/","url_meta":{"origin":18166,"position":3},"title":"MatR\/RotD: Joe Grushecky and Bruce Springsteen: 1945","author":"Ken","date":"August 26, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Bruce's musical assist helped Joe Grushecky preserve his parents' story in this sweet, romantic and true ballad.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Meeting Across the River&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Meeting Across the River","link":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/category\/meeting-across-the-river\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/1945.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/1945.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/1945.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/1945.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/1945.jpg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1410,"url":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/1988\/07\/06\/meeting-across-the-river-joe-grushecky-and-bruce-springsteen-never-be-enough-time\/","url_meta":{"origin":18166,"position":4},"title":"Never Be Enough Time","author":"Ken","date":"July 6, 1988","format":false,"excerpt":"\"Never Be Enough Time\" is a standout track from a stellar album, and a joyous collaboration between Joe Grushecky and Bruce.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Great&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Great","link":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/category\/great\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/image3A37425_Glitch3.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/image3A37425_Glitch3.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/image3A37425_Glitch3.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/image3A37425_Glitch3.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/estreetshuffle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/image3A37425_Glitch3.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1759,"url":"https:\/\/estreetshuffle.com\/index.php\/1988\/04\/02\/matr-joe-grushecky-and-bruce-springsteen-i-still-look-good-for-sixty\/","url_meta":{"origin":18166,"position":5},"title":"I Still Look Good (for Sixty)","author":"Ken","date":"April 2, 1988","format":false,"excerpt":"Yes they do.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Cover Me&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Cover 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