But, listen to Springsteen’s song The River (“Then I got Mary pregnant and, man, that is all she wrote. And for my 19th birthday I got a union card and a wedding coat. We went down to the courthouse and the judge put it all to rest. No wedding day smiles no walk down the aisle, no flowers, no wedding dress”), about working class American kids that is the story of so many people and that is a snapshot of real life….in New Jersey, the south, California, Wales — everywhere in the world.

Or, perhaps, listen to My City of Ruins, a song he wrote about his hometown of Asbury Park, NJ, with which he opened the Concert for New York right after 9/11 After that, it became an anthem for my favorite city. And, then, he wrote The Rising, about a New York firefighter on that awful day. And one cannot forget 41 Shots, the story of the tragic shooting of Amadou Diallo in New York City in 1999.

Then, of course, there are the exuberant songs that helped define a generation (Born to Run)) and the story songs like The Hitter…I’ve gone on long enough. Like Dylan (Bob, not Thomas), Springsteen writes epic American story songs very closely identified with only him. And, as we said elsewhere, it takes a brave singer to cover them. In fact, at first quick look, we could find only five people who have dared to cover Bruce and all of them covered Born to Run.

Tom Jones doesn’t cover singers. He covers songs. And, apparently he and his producers possess the insight to see how he could make The Hitter his own. I’m just so thrilled he did.

—Ellen

The 24 Hours Live clip in color is WAY better than the the black and white “hey, let’s be dramatic and use a fog machine and two spot lights” video, but I still can’t handle it. Tom Jones standing still and not grabbing his microphone and letting loose is not for me unless he’s singing a National Anthem at boxing match.

THIS SITE IS ABSOLUTELY THE GIFT THAT KEEPS GIVING!!! THANK YOU!!!