I have Lorde’s seminal album Pure Heroine on my list for a Throwback Thursday retrospective. In the meantime, I wanted to share a fun cover of her most famous song. The Boss did his own version a few years ago, and there’s lots to unpack.
At first glance, Springsteen doesn’t seem to pair that well with Lorde. Many of his songs are blue collar in nature; see Born in the U.S.A. or Thunder Road. Meanwhile, Lorde’s aesthetic is a slightly darker side of pop. Give the cover another listen, though, and The Boss is a better fit for a cover than you might assume. “I’ve never seen a diamond in the flesh…/And I’m not proud of my address/In a torn-up town, no postcode envy.” Doesn’t that sound like an echo of “Born to Run”? “In the day, we sweat it out on the streets of a runaway American dream/At night, we ride through mansions of glory/In suicide machines.” Let’s go back to Lorde: “We count our dollars on the train to the party.” Springsteen peoples his albums with “tramps like us” and shell-shocked veterans; in “Royals,” Lorde is also looking in from the outside.
Vocally, Springsteen is also a good match. Lorde stands out from her teen idol peers because her voice is so much lower. The Boss’s voice more grizzled now than when Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. came out, carries the cover without sounding strained or awkward.
I also like hearing Springsteen say “You can call me King B.” In the audio, there are a few laughs in the audience at the line. He’s completely unselfconscious, and the vibe extends to the casual, even country-esque vibes that his cover has. (That harmonica alone!)
In terms of comparing cover to original, I’ll definitely go for Lorde’s version. But again, as with so many of my “Covers Corner” posts, I love seeing what other artists bring to the table when they try their hand at recording something completely different. And in this case, it’s a rock’n’roll institution singing a teenage pop song.
It has to be heard to be believed:
And here’s Lorde’s original, just in case you haven’t heard it in awhile: