Cadillac Ranch (Bruce Springsteen song)

Last updated
"Cadillac Ranch"
Bruce springsteen-cadillac ranch uk.jpg
UK cover
Single by Bruce Springsteen
from the album The River
B-side
ReleasedAugust 1981 [1]
RecordedApril–June 1980
Genre Rock, rockabilly, country rock, heartland rock
Length3:03
Label Columbia
Songwriter(s) Bruce Springsteen
Producer(s) Bruce Springsteen, Jon Landau, Steve Van Zandt
Bruce Springsteen singles chronology
"The River"
(1981)		"Cadillac Ranch"
(1981)		"Point Blank"
(1981)
Music video
"Cadillac Ranch" on YouTube

"Cadillac Ranch" is a song written by Bruce Springsteen that was first released on Springsteen's 1980 album The River . In 1981 it was released as a single in Europe, backed by "Be True" in France and by "Wreck on the Highway" in the UK. [2] Although it was not released as a single in the US, it did reach #48 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. [3] A favorite in concert, a live version was included on Live/1975–85 . [4] [5] A version was also included on the documentary film Blood Brothers. [6]

Contents

Music and lyrics

"Cadillac Ranch" is an exuberant, playful rocker with rockabilly influences. [7] [8] [9] [10] According to music critic Dave Marsh, it "made dinosaurs dance." [11] It is highlighted by Clarence Clemons' saxophone solo. [5] Author June Skinner Sawyers called the song "pure rowdy fun" and listed it as one of Springsteen's ten funniest songs. [12] John Cruz of Sputnik Music called the song "just plain fun," noting its infectious beat. [13] However, the theme of the song is "the transitoriness of all existence" and the inevitability of death. [8] [13] [14] Marsh called the song "one of the smartest songs ever about the inevitability of death". [14] Marsh further noted that although the protagonist of "Cadillac Ranch" seems similar to the protagonists of earlier Springsteen records, in this song he appears naive and vulnerable rather than bold and innocent. [9]

The song's title comes from Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas. [5] [8] Cadillac Ranch is a sculpture showing ten Cadillac automobiles with their hoods buried in the ground. [5] Springsteen used Cadillac Ranch as a metaphor for his theme; that these once elite cars are now expendable. [8]

Burt Reynolds, Junior Johnson, and James Dean are namechecked in the song. [5] [8] [15]

Personnel

According to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon: [16]

Covers

Warren Zevon covered "Cadillac Ranch" during his 1982 tour and the song was featured in an MTV broadcast from the Capitol Theatre in Passaic, New Jersey on October 1, 1982. [17]

Status Quo originally recorded the song for their 1983 album Back to Back , but the song was cut and was later released on the 1999 album Back to the Beginning. [18]

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band covered the song on their 1984 album Plain Dirt Fashion as well as the 1991 live album Live Two Five . [19] [20]

In 1986, Savoy Records (in the UK), released a 12" single, by Lord Horror, which was a cover of Blue Monday (by New Order), but with its lyrics replaced by the lyrics to "Cadillac Ranch" instead. The single didn't chart though, mainly because it wasn't stocked in many record shops, due to its controversial artwork. [21] The track is also available on a Savoy Records compilation album, Savoy Wars, which was released in 1994.

Rick Trevino's version appears on the compilation albums NASCAR: Runnin' Wide Open (1995) [22] and Highway Fever: All Time Greatest Country Road Songs (2006). [23] [24]

Daniel Johnston's song "Funeral Home" takes its melody from "Cadillac Ranch". [25]

In 2023, country music artist Brett Kissel released a cover of "Cadillac Ranch" on his album The Compass Project - South Album . [26]

Related Research Articles

<i>The River</i> (Bruce Springsteen album) 1980 album by Bruce Springsteen

The River is the fifth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released as a double album on October 17, 1980, by Columbia Records. The album was Springsteen's attempt at making a record that captured the E Street Band's live sound. Co-produced by Springsteen, his manager Jon Landau, and bandmate Steven Van Zandt, the recording sessions lasted 18 months in New York City from March 1979 to August 1980. Springsteen originally planned to release a single LP, The Ties That Bind, in late 1979, before deciding it did not fit his vision and scrapped it. Over 50 songs were recorded; outtakes saw release as B-sides and later on compilation albums.

"Growin' Up" is a song by American musician Bruce Springsteen from his 1973 album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J..

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cover Me (Bruce Springsteen song)</span> 1984 single by Bruce Springsteen

"Cover Me" is a song written and performed by American rock singer Bruce Springsteen. It was the second single released from his 1984 album Born in the U.S.A.. Springsteen wrote the song for Donna Summer. However, his manager, Jon Landau, decided the song had hit potential, and so he kept it for the upcoming Springsteen album. It has been certified Gold in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prove It All Night</span> 1978 single by Bruce Springsteen

"Prove It All Night" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, released on May 23, 1978, as the first single from his fourth studio album Darkness on the Edge of Town.

"Bobby Jean" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen, from his 1984 album Born in the U.S.A. Although not released as a single, it reached number 36 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

"Darlington County" is a 1984 song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen. It was released on the album Born in the U.S.A. and has remained a popular concert song for Springsteen and the E Street Band.

"The Ties That Bind" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen. It is the opening song on his fifth album, The River. It was the second song recorded for 'The River', at The Power Station in New York on April 9–11, 1979. The recording engineer was Bob Clearmountain. After Springsteen injured himself driving an ATV, forcing a one-month halt, Neil Dorfsman became the chief engineer when sessions resumed. Springsteen wrote the song during September - October 1978, while on the road during the Darkness Tour. After introducing it on November 1, 1978, it was played every night during the final two months of the tour.

"Ramrod" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen for his fifth album, The River, released in 1980. It was recorded at The Power Station in New York on June 12, 1979. The song was written and originally recorded on September 12, 1977, for Springsteen's Darkness on the Edge of Town album, but that recording was not used for its release on The River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The River (Bruce Springsteen song)</span> 1981 single by Bruce Springsteen

"The River" is a song written and recorded by Bruce Springsteen, accompanied by the E Street Band, in 1979. The title track of his fifth album, it was a hit single in parts of Europe in 1981; reaching No.24 in Ireland, No. 25 in the Netherlands, and the top 10 in both Sweden and Norway. Its B-side was either "Independence Day" or "Ramrod", depending on the country of release.

"Be True" is a song by Bruce Springsteen. It was recorded on July 18, 1979 at The Power Station in New York in one of the early recording sessions for Bruce Springsteen's album The River. It was not released on the album, but in 1981 it was released as the B-side to the single release of "Fade Away", a song taken from The River album. According to Springsteen, "Be True" was left off The River album in favor of the song "Crush on You", a decision he has a hard time understanding in retrospect. Springsteen was already second guessing his decision to exclude "Be True" from The River before the album was even released.

"Independence Day" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen. It was originally released on his fifth album, The River, in 1980. It was recorded at The Power Station in New York, on April 24–25, 1980.

"Wreck on the Highway" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen. It was originally released as the final track on his fifth album, The River. The version released on The River was recorded at The Power Station in New York in March–April 1980. As well as being the last track on The River, it was the last song recorded for the album.

"Out in the Street" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen from the 1980 album The River. It was recorded at The Power Station in New York between March and May 1980, as one of the last songs recorded for the album. Originally, Springsteen was going to keep the song off the album because it was so idealistic.

"Johnny 99" is a song written and recorded by rock musician Bruce Springsteen, which first appeared on Springsteen's 1982 solo album Nebraska.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Step Up</span> 1988 single by Bruce Springsteen

"One Step Up" is a song by Bruce Springsteen from his eighth studio album, Tunnel of Love (1987). It was released as the third single from the album, following "Brilliant Disguise" and the title track. It reached position #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, #3 on the Adult Contemporary chart in the United States, and #23 in Canada. It also reached #2 on the U.S. Album Rock Tracks chart, giving Springsteen three straight top two tracks from the album. The song was only released as a single in America. One of the unreleased songs from 1980's The River, "Roulette", recorded April 3, 1979, was released as the b-side, using an alternate vocal mixed on April 12, 1980, that would also be used in 1998, when it was chosen for Tracks.

"It's Hard to Be a Saint in the City" is a song written and performed by Bruce Springsteen on his debut album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. in 1973. The song talks about a young man growing up on the streets of a city trying to stay good and do what he believes is right. It has been covered by David Bowie. John Sayles included this song in a high school lunchroom scene of his movie Baby It's You.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spirit in the Night</span> 1973 single by Bruce Springsteen

"Spirit in the Night" is a song written and originally recorded by American singer/songwriter Bruce Springsteen for his debut album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. (1973). It was also the second single released from the album. A cover version performed by Manfred Mann's Earth Band using the title "Spirits in the Night" was released on the album Nightingales and Bombers and as a Top 40 single.

"Does This Bus Stop at 82nd Street?" is a song by Bruce Springsteen from the album Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., released in 1973. The song was part of the demo that Springsteen recorded for John Hammond of CBS Records in advance of getting his first recording contract. This demo version was released on Tracks in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Promised Land (Bruce Springsteen song)</span> 1978 single by Bruce Springsteen

"The Promised Land" is a song by the American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen from his 1978 album Darkness on the Edge of Town. It was released as a single in Europe, backed by another song from Darkness on the Edge of Town, "Streets of Fire", the third single from the album after "Badlands" and "Prove It All Night". "The Promised Land" was also included on the compilation album The Essential Bruce Springsteen. The song has been a staple of Springsteen's live shows since 1978, and has been included on several concert albums and videos. The live album Live/1975–85 includes a 1985 performance of "The Promised Land" from a concert in Los Angeles, California. A performance of the song from a 2003 concert in Barcelona is included on the Live in Barcelona video. A June 28, 2009 live performance in London from the Working on a Dream Tour was included on the London Calling: Live in Hyde Park DVD. The box set The Promise contains video of three live performances of "The Promised Land", a 2009 performance from the Paramount Theater in Asbury Park, New Jersey, without an audience, a 1978 performance from a concert in Phoenix, Arizona, and another 1978 performance from a concert in Houston, Texas. Darren Hanlon covered "The Promised Land" on Play Some Pool, Skip Some School, Act Real Cool. Eddie Vedder has also covered this song live.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Point Blank (Bruce Springsteen song)</span> 1981 single by Bruce Springsteen

"Point Blank" is a song written by Bruce Springsteen and first released on Springsteen's 1980 album The River. In Europe, it was also released as a single in 1981, backed by another song from The River, "Ramrod". Although it was not released as a single in the US, it did reach #20 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

References

  1. ↑ "Great Rock Discography". p. 773.
  2. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen: Cadillac Ranch". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 2011-10-30.
  3. ↑ "Bruce Springsteen Charts & Awards". Allmusic . Retrieved 2011-10-30.
  4. ↑ Ruhlmann, W. "Live/1975–85". Allmusic . Retrieved 2011-10-30.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Humphries, P. (1996). The Complete Guide to the Music of Bruce Springsteen. Omnibus Press. p. 30. ISBN   0-7119-5304-X.
  6. ↑ Seibert, P. "Blood Brothers". Allmusic . Retrieved 2011-10-30.
  7. ↑ Kirkpatrick, R. (2007). The Words and Music of Bruce Springsteen. Praeger. pp.  74–75. ISBN   978-0-275-98938-5.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Symynkywicz, J.B. (2008). The Gospel According to Bruce Springsteen. Westminster John Knox Press. pp.  67–68. ISBN   978-0-664-23169-9.
  9. 1 2 Marsh, D. (1981). Born to Run. Dell. pp.  255–256. ISBN   0-440-10694-X.
  10. ↑ Marsh, D. (2004). Bruce Springsteen: two hearts : the definitive biography, 1972-2003. Psychology Press. p. 230. ISBN   978-0-415-96928-4.
  11. ↑ Marsh, D. (1996). Glory Days. Thunder's Mouth Press. pp. 85, 277. ISBN   1-56025-101-8.
  12. ↑ Sawyers, J.S. (2006). Tougher Than the Rest. Omnibus Press. pp. 248, 256. ISBN   0825634709.
  13. 1 2 Cruz, J. "Bruce Springsteen: The River". Sputnik Music. Retrieved 2011-10-30.
  14. 1 2 Marsh, D. (2006). Bruce Springsteen on tour, 1968-2005. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 13. ISBN   978-1-59691-282-3.
  15. ↑ Springsteen, B. "Cadillac Ranch". brucespringsteen.net. Archived from the original on 2011-10-25. Retrieved 2011-10-30.
  16. ↑ Margotin, Philippe; Guesdon, Jean-Michel (2020). Bruce Springsteen All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. London: Cassell Illustrated. p. 170. ISBN   978-1-78472-649-2.
  17. ↑ "Warren Zevon - Live in Passaic NJ, 1982 (The Full Concert)". YouTube . Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  18. ↑ "Cadillac Ranch (from the album Back to Back)". Allmusic . Retrieved 2011-11-01.
  19. ↑ Worbois, J. "Plain Dirt Fashion". Allmusic . Retrieved 2011-11-01.
  20. ↑ Fink, M. "Live Two Five". Allmusic . Retrieved 2011-11-01.
  21. ↑ "Savoy Records: Blue Monday". Savoy.abel.co.uk. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
  22. ↑ "Nascar: Runnin Wide Open". Amazon. 1995. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  23. ↑ "Highway Fever: All-Time Greatest Country Road Songs". Amazon. Retrieved 27 January 2014.
  24. ↑ "Cadillac Ranch: Rick Trevino". Allmusic . Retrieved 2011-11-01.
  25. ↑ "'Devil's' details make musician documentary a worthy DVD". chicagotribune.com. 19 September 2006. Retrieved 22 April 2018.
  26. ↑ Hollabaugh, Lorie (January 10, 2023). "Brett Kissel To Release Four-Part 'The Compass Project'". Music Row Magazine. Retrieved January 13, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.