"Cover Me"
Single by Bruce Springsteen
from the album Born in the U.S.A.
Released	July 31, 1984
Format	7" single, 12" single
Recorded	January-February 1982
Genre	Rock
Length	3:26
Label	Columbia Records
Writer(s)	Bruce Springsteen
Producer(s)	Jon Landau, Chuck Plotkin, Bruce Springsteen, Steven Van Zandt
Chart positions
#7 (U.S.) #16 (UK)
Bruce Springsteen singles chronology
"Dancing in the Dark" (1984)	"Cover Me"/"Jersey Girl" (1984)	"Born in the U.S.A." (1984)

"Cover Me" is an 1984 song, written and performed by American rock singer Bruce Springsteen. It was the second single released from his massively successful album Born in the U.S.A. Image File history File linksMetadata CoverMeSingleFront. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... Conor Dent (born September 11, 2009) is an American rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. ... Born in the U.S.A. is the seventh studio album by Bruce Springsteen, released in 1984 (see 1984 in music). ... July 31 is the 212th day (213th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 153 days remaining. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... In music, a single is a short (usually ten minutes or less) record, usually featuring one or two tracks as A-sides, often accompanied by several B-sides—usually remixes or other songs. ... The 12-inch [30 cm] single gramophone record gained popularity with the advent of disco music in the 1970s. ... A music genre is a category (or genre) of pieces of music that share a certain style or basic musical language (van der Merwe 1989, p. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Columbia Records is the oldest continually used brand name in recorded sound, dating back to 1888. ... A songwriter is someone who writes the lyrics to songs, the musical composition or melody to songs, or both. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the performers, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes . ... Jon Landau is an American music critic, manager, and record producer, most known for his association in all three capacities with Bruce Springsteen. ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Steven van Zandt (born November 22, 1950 as Steven Lento in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American musician, actor, and radio disc jockey. ... A record chart, also known as a music chart, is a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. ... Conor Dent (born September 11, 2009) is an American rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. ... Dancing in the Dark is an 1984 song, written and performed by American rock singer Bruce Springsteen. ... Jersey Girl is a song composed and originally sung by American musical artist Tom Waits from his 1980 album Heartattack and Vine. ... Born in the U.S.A. is a 1984 song about the effects of the Vietnam War, written and performed by Bruce Springsteen. ... See also: 1983 in music, other events of 1984, 1985 in music, 1980s in music and the list of years in music // [edit] Events January 21 - Relax by Frankie Goes To Hollywood reaches number one in the UK singles chart: it spends a total of forty-two weeks in the... Conor Dent (born September 11, 2009) is an American rock singer-songwriter and guitarist. ... Born in the U.S.A. is the seventh studio album by Bruce Springsteen, released in 1984 (see 1984 in music). ...

History

"Cover Me" was one of the first songs recorded for the lengthy set of sessions that produced the album, and in fact was recorded as a demo, as the song was to be given to disco queen Donna Summer. However, Springsteen's manager Jon Landau heard the result and decided the combination of Springsteen's rock impulse, fierce guitar solo, and a strong (if unsubtle) dance beat had hit potential, and so kept the song for the upcoming Springsteen album, not even bothering to re-record it. (Summer was given the chartal dud "Protection" instead.) Springsteen was still unsure about "Cover Me", and Landau had to constantly argue to keep it included on the album. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Jon Landau is an American music critic, manager, and record producer, most known for his association in all three capacities with Bruce Springsteen. ...

The song peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles charts in late summer 1984. It was the second of a record-tying seven Top 10 hit singles to be released from Born in the U.S.A. The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. ... The American Billboard Hot 100 chart of pop hit singles has attracted considerable interest and attention from music fans over the years, and one question frequently asked is, what album has contained the most (U.S.) hit singles? The question needs to be further refined as to whether Top 100...

No music video was made for the song. A music video is a short film or video that accompanies a complete piece of music, most commonly a song. ...

Remixes

Continuing the club play goal started with "Dancing in the Dark", Arthur Baker created the 12-inch "Undercover Mix" of "Cover Me". This was a large-scale transformation: a new bass line was cut, an unused backing vocal by industry legend Jocelyn Brown was restored, and reggae and dub elements were introduced. It was released on October 15, 1984. Dancing in the Dark is an 1984 song, written and performed by American rock singer Bruce Springsteen. ... Arthur Baker (Born April 22, 1955, Boston, Massachusetts, USA) is a record producer and DJ best known for his work with hip-hop artists like Afrika Bambaataa, and the British group New Order. ... Jocelyn Brown, an african american R&B and dance music singer, was born on November 25, 1950 in Kingston North Carolina. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article is about the Jamaican music genre. ... October 15 is the 288th day of the year (289th in leap years). ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

As with the previous effort, the result displeased some of Springsteen's more straight-laced fans, but did gain actual club play: the remix went to number 11 on Billboard's Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart. Billboard magazines Hot Dance Club Play chart (formerly known as Hot Dance Music/Club Play) is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs. ...

Track listings

7-inch single

1. Cover Me - 3:26
2. Jersey Girl - 6:40 or less

The B-side of the single, "Jersey Girl", was a live performance of a Tom Waits song, recorded on July 9, 1981 at Meadowlands Arena. Springsteen had introduced the song earlier in that special River Tour homecoming stand that opened the arena, slightly rewriting it to replace a Waits line about "whores on Eighth Avenue" with a line about taking "that little brat of yours and drop[ping] her off at your mom's." Jersey Girl is a song composed and originally sung by American musical artist Tom Waits from his 1980 album Heartattack and Vine. ... Thomas Alan Waits (born December 7, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. ... July 9 is the 190th day of the year (191st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 175 days remaining. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Continental Airlines Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. ... The River Tour was a concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band that took place in 1980 and 1981, beginning concurrently with the release of Springsteens album The River. ...

"Jersey Girl" would become a fan favorite, pretty much played only in New Jersey and perhaps Philadelphia shows during the 1980s and early 1990s, and then becoming even rarer, being picked to open the last of 15 Meadowlands shows in 1999 on the Reunion Tour and close the last of 10 shows at Giants Stadium in 2003 on The Rising Tour. The Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Reunion Tour was a lengthy, top-grossing concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band that took place in arenas over 1999 and 2000. ... Giants Stadium, also called The Meadowlands, is the home stadium for the New York Giants and New York Jets NFL football teams, and Red Bull New York (formerly MetroStars) of Major League Soccer. ... The Rising Tour was a lengthy, worldwide, top-grossing concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band that took place in arenas and stadiums over 2002 and 2003. ...

Differing pressings of the single had different lengths of "Jersey Girl", sometimes dropping a spoken introduction.

12-inch single

1. Cover Me - "Undercover Mix" - 6:09
2. Cover Me - "Dub 1" - 4:02
3. Cover Me - "Radio Mix" - 3:46
4. Cover Me - "Dub 2" - 4:15

Live performance history

Springsteen was unsure of how to play "Cover Me" in concert, and initially it appeared irregularly in the 1984-1985 Born in the U.S.A. Tour. Then, inspired by Arthur Baker's remix, he rearranged it to open and close with a quiet, ominous, extended, echoing segment as new E Street backup singer Patti Scialfa wailed a snippet of Martha & the Vandellas' "Nowhere to Run" (in her one spotlight role of the show) while her future husband reverbed "Cuh ... vuh ... me-ee-ee", after which the song ramped up into showcase guitar work for Springsteen and Nils Lofgren. "Cover Me" thus became a featured song on the tour, often opening the second set; such a performance was included on the 1986 Live/1975-85. The Born in the U.S.A. Tour was the supporting concert tour of Bruce Springsteens massively popular Born in the U.S.A. album. ... 23rd Street Lullaby (2004) is produced by Keith Richards and the X-Pensive Wino s Steve Jordan. ... Martha & the Vandellas were an American Motown group of the 1960s. ... Nowhere to Run is a 1965 hit single by Martha & the Vandellas for the Motown label. ... Nils Lofgren (born June 21, 1951 in Chicago, Illinois), is an American rock music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. ... Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band Live/1975-85 is a live album by Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band. ...

"Cover Me" continued as a regular selection on the 1988 Tunnel of Love Express and Human Rights Now! Tours, and the 1992 leg of the "Other Band" Tour (now without Scialfa's part). After December 1992 it was dropped, and as of August 2006 has never been heard in a regular Springsteen concert again. The Tunnel of Love Express was a concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band that took place in 1988. ... The Human Rights Now! Tour was a truly worldwide series of benefit concerts in behalf of Amnesty International that took place over six weeks in 1988. ... The Bruce Springsteen and the Other Band Tour was a concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen and a new backing band, that took place from mid-1992 to mid-1993. ...

References

• Born in the U.S.A. The World Tour (tour booklet, 1985), Tour chronology.
• Marsh, Dave. Glory Days: Bruce Springsteen in the 1980s. Pantheon Books, 1987. ISBN 0394546687.
• Brucebase recording sessions history