The pairing was first heard last fall on the album’s lead single, “Wasted Days”, and Springsteen also appears on the project’s closing track, “A Life Full Of Rain.”
"Bruce came to Indiana and stayed at my house,” Mellencamp tells USA Today. “I have a studio (nearby). He stayed for four or five days. Bruce is a good guy. He’s a sweet guy, and I think the world of him. We come from very similar backgrounds – small towns.
"Bruce and I have known each other since we were kids, but I was always kind of considered the poor man’s Springsteen. That didn’t bother me. I thought it was just lazy journalism. But Bruce and I have grown to be almost brothers, and I love the guy. He’s been an inspiration and I told him, you made me work harder, I’ve gotta compete with that. Bruce was a blessing to me all along. Maybe I didn’t see it that way, but I do now."
The 2022 album marks Mellencamp’s 25th studio release and first since the 2018 covers project, “Other’s People’s Stuff.”
You can stream “Strictly A One-Eyed Jack” in full here.
See also:
John Mellencamp streams new album Strictly A One-Eyed Jack
John Mellencamp previews new album Strictly A One-Eyed Jack
John Mellencamp releases new single featuring Bruce Springsteen
Man arrested for breaking into Indiana home of John Mellencamp
Search John Mellencamp at hennemusic
