Okay, I think we’ve given enough spotlight to Bruce’s pop hits of late, so let’s give “I’m on Fire” and “Dancing in the Dark” a rest and listen to some great deep cut covers for a bit.
And cuts don’t get much deeper than “Wages of Sin,” Bruce’s haunting Born in the U.S.A. outtake that finally saw official release in 1998.
There aren’t many covers of this song out there. In fact, I only know of one: this gorgeous version by Seattle singer-songwriter Damien Jurado and Rosie Thomas.
Heck, even the cover is a deep cut: it’s a bonus track on a Nebraska tribute compilation released by Sub Pop at the turn of the century. (Yeah, I know the original was recorded post-Nebraska, but Bruce wrote and demoed it during his Nebraska period, so we can give it a pass.)
I’ve always thought that “Wages of Sin” felt like a dance between two wary lovers, circling each other across a widening gulf of emotional distance and distrust. Damien and Rosie’s duet dials directly into that sentiment, their interwoven vocals drawing us into their heartache more potently than a single voice can accomplish, even when that voice is Bruce’s.
It’s a beautiful cover of a undeservedly overlooked song.
