What Bruce Song Is This? “Sugarland”?

Written By Mike Greenblatt
Cole Gallagher The Confluence EP

“Sugarland”?

Los Angeles Singer-Songwriter Cole Gallagher has recorded a cover version of perhaps Springsteen’s least known song. It’s on his new The Confluence EP. The song, “Sugarland,” was recorded by the E Street Band in ’83. It had a shot to be included on ‘84’s Born In The USA but didn’t make the cut. According to Jay Lustig at njarts.net, Bruce and the boys performed it twice on tour in ’84—once in Iowa and once in Nebraska—and then never again. It wasn’t even on Tracks, the ’98 box of songs left off albums.

The song tells the tale of a down-on-his-luck farmer contemplating arson. “I know you got a lot of the farmers out here, particularly the family farmers, having a hard time,” he said to his two heartland audiences as an intro.

(Advertisement)

Mike Greenblatt

MIKE GREENBLATT has been writing for Goldmine magazine and New Jersey's Aquarian Weekly for more than 35 years. His writing subjects fill the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

He's interviewed Joe Cocker, Graham Nash, David Crosby, Carlos Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Johnny Cash, and members of The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. He was 18 when he attended Woodstock in 1969.

In addition to writing about music, Greenblatt has worked on publicity campaigns for The Animals, Pat Benatar, Johnny Winter, Tommy James and Richard Branson, among others. He is currently the editor of The Jersey Sound.

Previous

Rebuilding Historic Turf Club Venue
Next

Garden State Parkway Adds Whitney Houston