Song Spotlight: "Out of Work" by Gary U.S. Bonds

Hey, Mr. President, I know you got your plans
You're doing all you can now to aid the little man
We got to do our best to whip that inflation down
Maybe you got a job for me just driving you around
- “Out of Work” performed by Gary U.S. Bonds

In spite of the very Springsteen-esque nature of the above lyrics, I only recently learned that Springsteen actually wrote the song “Out of Work,” a catchy toe-tapper and hit single off of Gary U.S. Bonds’ 1982 album On the Line. In fact, Springsteen is credited with writing seven of the 11 tracks on the album.

The lyrics in “Out of Work” feel timeless, and can really be attributed to any era, but the sound is distinctly ‘80s. According to a WCBS article, “Out of Work” filled the dance floors well into the 1990s. I have no way of saying if this is true, but I hope so. When I hear it now, I keep picturing a montage from a weak ‘80s comedy with Dana Carvey applying for odd jobs and bumbling his way through interviews. Sadly, no such movie exists, but for a light comedy with Dana Carvey, I do recommend Opportunity Knocks.

I couldn’t find any versions of Bruce performing the song, and I’m curious to know if he’s ever played it with Bonds publicly. When Bonds does join Bruce on stage as a guest, their usual collaborations are “Quarter to Three,” “Jole Blon,” and “This Little Girl.”

Below is the studio recording followed by a live version of Bonds performing in Queens in 2008 (complete with a jab at President Bush).

Springsteen Video Of The Week: Jole Blon

Like Steve said, Saturday's show at MetLife Stadium was nothing short of stellar.  Truly a "something for everyone" type show.  Unfortunately at one point during the show I wasn't feeling too hot and went to the back to get a bottle of water and escape the madness of the floor.  Even more unfortunate was that I missed this great song.  I shouldn't say "missed", as I was able to hear the song perfectly, but couldn't see it.

Gary U.S. Bonds is someone that I am becoming a huge fan of the more I listen to him.  Especially his 80s material where he collaborates with Springsteen and you can really see how they mutually benefited from this relationship.  Bonds' hit "Quarter To Three" was a staple of the Born To Run Tour and is still a favorite when Bruce plays it now.  And Bonds was able to enjoy a resurgence in popularity when he started working with Bruce.

"Jole Blon" is an old traditional Cajun song that had been popular for decades when Bonds put it on his 1981 album Dedication.  Bruce also recorded his own version that was rumored to be put on The River but instead he decided not to release it and re-recorded it with Bonds for the aforementioned Dedication.  

Even though I didn't get to fully experience this song on the floor, I loved being able to hear it and this great video shows just how much the crowd was getting into it.  But perhaps the two people enjoying it the most are Bruce and Gary Bonds himself.  Two old friends, getting up on stage and singing a song they both love.  It doesn't matter if there are 55,000 or 5 people there.  They would've put the same amount of energy and soul into this.  Their fans know and love them for that very reason