“Satan’s Jeweled Crown” & Bruce Springsteen (Cover of the Day)

In 1993, Bruce Springsteen performed moving renditions of the Louvin Brothers song “Satan’s Jeweled Crown” at several concerts before he stopped playing the song.

Springsteen Satan's Jeweled Crown

Although I love Bruce Springsteen’s work with The E Street Band, my heart also has a soft spot for the different directions Springsteen took in the 1990s. In addition to some amazing solo work that decade, he released two albums on the same day in 1992 with a band that was not the E Street Band. Subsequently, he toured with a new band.

As Springsteen sought rejuvenation by temporarily surrounding himself with (mostly) new backing musicians, he often tried different directions. For example, at a handful of stops on his tour with the band, Springteen chose an unusual cover, the Louvin Brothers’ song “Satan’s Jeweled Crown.”

Springseen has only performed “Satan’s Jeweled Crown” six times, all while touring in 1993. Below, Springsteen performs “Satan’s Jeweled Crown” backed by several vocalists.

The YouFube video states that the performance is from Stockholm Olympic Stadium in 1993, but the song is not on the setlist from that show and more likely from shows around the same time in England, Germany, or Ireland. Check it out.

The Louvin Brothers

“Satan’s Jeweled Crown” is a cover of The Louvin Brothers song that appeared on their 1959 album Satan is Real. Songwriter Edgar L. Eden wrote “Satan’s Jeweled Crown” as a religious song, where the singer rejects the temptations of Satan with the help of God.

There is not much about songwriter Edgar Eden on the Internet, with his name only coming up as the writer of “Satan’s Jeweled Crown.” So it is unclear if he wrote anything else. Yet, even if all he left us is “Satan’s Jeweled Crown,” it is a beautiful work. The chorus of the song recounts the casting off of the jeweled crown given by Satan:

Satan’s jeweled crown, I’ve worn it so long;
But God, for my soul, has reached down;
His love set me free, He made me His own
And helped me cast off Satan’s jeweled crown.

Springsteen’s Version

As most Springsteen fans know, the characters in the Boss’s songs have a complicated relationship with religion, and rarely are conflicts so clear. Perhaps that is why Springsteen made some small changes to the lyrics of his version of “Satan’s Jeweled Crown.”

For example, Springsteen begins with the first verse instead of the above chorus that begins the version by The Louvin Brothers. So, Springsteen instead begins with: “If I could be king and ruler of nations . . . I’d rather know that I have salvation. . . ” Whether intentionally or not, this opening takes a Springsteen fan back to “Badlands,” where Springsteen sang about people not finding happiness in being rich or being a king (“a king ain’t satisfied / ‘Til he rules everything”).

After the opening verse of “Satan’s Jeweled Crown,” Springsteen changes the words in the Louvin Brothers’ chorus to replace the reference to “God” with “you” (or “You”): “Then You, for my soul reached down / Your love set me free, You made me your own.”

One may then interpret that the singer is singing about a lover who saved them. Or the “You” could still be God or a reference for whatever religion one practices. It is a tweak to the words that does not undermine the song in many ways and perhaps makes it more inclusive at the same time.

Springsteen also tweaked the second verse, changing the description of the singer’s life from “reckless and evil” to “wasteful and sinful.” He also changes the Louvin Brothers’ “drinking and running around” to eliminate the drinking part: “Yeah, I just keep moving around.”

Springsteen may have learned the song from Emmylou Harris’s recording of the song, which she entitled with a slight alteration, “Satan’s Jewel Crown.” Her version appeared on her 1975 album Elite Hotel. Either way, he clearly was aware of her version.

Like Springsteen, Harris begins the song with the verse instead of the chorus (changing “if I were king” to “if I were queen”). The changes that Springsteen made to the Louvin Brothers’ second verse also are similar to changes earlier made by Harris to that verse. Still, he made some alterations to Harris’s version too, using “wasteful and sinful” versus Harris’s “sinful and needless” (in contrast to the Louvin Brothers’ “reckless and evil”).

There is one big difference between Harris’s version and Springsteen’s. Harris kept the reference specifically to “God” in the chorus. So Springsteen’s change to “You” likely was original to him.

Many Rivers to Cross

Springsteen and the same singers during the May 28, 1994 Stockholm concert did perform Jimmy Cliff’s “Many Rivers to Cross.” (You also can see that Springsteen is in a different outfit for this performance, confirming that the “Satan’s Jeweled Crown” video is not from the same show.

Yet, it is another amazing and somewhat unusual Springsteen concert performance.

These covers show one side of the many sides of Bruce Springsteen. While his albums have gone in a variety of musical directions, he has never released a gospel album. Such a gospel album project was in the works as recently as 2008, but never released. These performances above, however, show what a treat it would be if Springsteen were to ever release an album devoted to gospel music.

Leave your two cents in the comments.

  • 10 Thoughts on Bruce Springsteen’s “Only the Strong Survive”
  • Local News Coverage of Bruce Springsteen in 1978
  • Belgians Reach Out to Bruce Springsteen With “Waiting on a Sunny Day”
  • Mary Chapin Carpenter and Emmylou Harris Pay Tribute to Joan Baez
  • I’ll See You In My Dreams: Goodbye 2020, Hello 2021
  • Springsteen Releasing “Letter to You”
  • ( Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)

    Mary Chapin Carpenter and Emmylou Harris Pay Tribute to Joan Baez

    Emmylou Harris and Mary Chapin Carpenter performed three songs in honor of Joan Baez at the 43rd Kennedy Center Honors ceremony.

    The 43rd Kennedy Center Honors paid tribute to Garth Brooks, Joan Baez, Dick Van Dyke, Debbie Allen, and Midori. CBS broadcast this year’s ceremonies, which were recorded during several weeks at outdoor events in light of the ongoing pandemic. But, after the event was completely cancelled last year, the show gave us a little hope for the future.

    Among several highlights (and one of the hopeful moments), Mary Chapin Carpenter and Emmylou Harris appeared together to perform in honor of legendary folksinger and activist Joan Baez. The two sang  “Diamonds & Rust,” “God is God”( written by Steve Earle), and “We Shall Overcome.” Check it out below.

    What was your favorite performance at the Kennedy Center Honors? Leave your two cents in the comments.

  • The Music Is You, John Denver
  • “Satan’s Jeweled Crown” & Bruce Springsteen (Cover of the Day)
  • Why “GUY”? (Steve Earle album review)
  • Song of the Day: “Boulder to Birmingham”
  • Emmylou Harris: “If I Needed You”
  • Joan Baez in Concert
  • ( Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)

    Why “GUY”? (Steve Earle album review)

    Steve Earle has released a wonderful tribute to one of his mentors, Guy Clark, with his album GUY. Yet, the album is a bit of a surprise. Earle has long been outspoken on important issues, incorporating political messages into many of his songs. So, one may wonder why, during a crazy period of American political history, Earle’s new music is largely silent on the issues of the day. The question about why Earle is doing this album at this time is further complicated by the fact that there is already an outstanding multi-artist tribute to Clark. So, why GUY?

    During the George W. Bush administration, Earle released the album Just an American Boy (2003), along with a documentary by the same name. The album featured songs criticizing the war, and Earle provoked controversy with his song humanizing “enemy combatant” John Walker Lindh (“John Walker’s Blues”). When Bill Clinton was in the White House, Earle called for Woody Guthrie and other activists to “come back” in “Christmas in Washington.” When Barack Obama was president, Earle sang about a “City of Immigrants.” Going back to the beginning of his career, Earle was never afraid to take on important issues, recording several songs about capital punishment.

    But now, as the current occupant sits in the White House, Steve Earle gives us a tribute album for his friend? Really?

    What “GUY” Is

    Let’s start with the fact that GUY is one of Earle’s best albums in recent years, perhaps since 2004’s The Revolution Starts Now. As a starting point, Guy Clark was one of the great American songwriters, so Earle had a great group of songs from which to choose.

    And Earle and the Dukes sound great. Earle and the Dukes, for the most part, do not change a lot in their interpretations of the songs. There are a few exceptions, like a more rocking version of “Out in the Parking Lot.” While Earle does not radically rework “Dublin Blues,” Earle and the band highlight the boasts in the song (“I’ll stand up and be counted”). While Clark’s voice emphasized the sadness in the lyrics.

    Throughout the album, the Dukes give new energy to the songs, and the band’s work is a large reason to get this album. The Dukes include Kelley Looney (bass), Ricky Ray Jackson (pedal steel guitar), Eleanor Whitmore (fiddle and mandolin), Chris Masterson (guitar), and Brad Pemberton (drums).

    And the world can always use another version of “L.A. Freeway.” It is one of the best songs ever written about leaving somewhere.

    GUY is a personal album for Earle. Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt were two important mentors to Earle. Earle has jokingly explained that the reason he made GUY was that he had already created a tribute album of Van Zandt’s songs, Townes(2009). So, he feared meeting Clark in the afterlife and having to explain why he made an album for Van Zandt but not for Clark.

    It is a funny story, but perhaps there is a sense of obligation that helps explain why Earle made GUY. And it gives Earle a reason to gather together friends like Rodney Crowell, Jerry Jeff Walker, and Emmylou Harris to sing Clark’s song, “Old Friends.”

    So Come Back Steve Earle, Come Back To Us Now

    So, why GUY? Well, Earle crafted a beautiful album of wonderful songs played with energy by the Dukes. And even in troubled times, we need to affirm personal values and our own lives and bonds. Like Earle, who recently saw the ending of his marriage to singer-songwriter Allison Moorer, all of us must trudge on with our own real lives.

    So, singing songs about friends, fathers (“Randall Knife”), broken hearts (“Dublin Blues”), old men (“Desperados Waiting for a Train”), and other personal connections is needed in troubled times, perhaps even more than other times. We need to remember our departed friends, as Earle is remembering Guy Clark. We all need sanctuary from the evening news and our lives.

    So if you do not have this album, which is one of Earle’s best, get it. He will get around to the political message songs. Earle says he has already been working on such a political album. He plans to release it in time for the 2020 election.

    What is your favorite Steve Earle song? Leave your two cents in the comments.

  • Tribute to Guy Clark CD is “Stuff That Works”
  • Nanci Griffith’s Superstars on Letterman: “Desperados Waiting for a Train”
  • Steve Earle’s “Ghosts of West Virgina” (album review)
  • Steve Earle: “Dublin Blues”
  • The Life and Songs of Emmylou Harris
  • New Documentary About Guy Clark
  • ( Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)


    Song of the Day: “Boulder to Birmingham”

    One of the most beautiful songs ever written about someone’s death is Emmylou Harris’s tribute to Gram Parsons, “Boulder to Birmingham.”

    Emmylou Harris

     While many grieved the death of the brilliant singer-songwriter Gram Parsons on September 19, 1973, nobody created as much beauty out of the tragedy as Emmylou Harris. Her song about Parson, “Boulder to Birmingham,” is one of the most beautiful country songs lamenting the loss of someone.

    The Songwriters

     Harris had been close to Parsons, who helped  her career and featured her on his 1973 album GP.  Harris, known more for her incredible voice and talent for interpreting songs, mined her heartbreak over the loss of a friend and mentor to co-write a wonderful lament.

    Bill Danoff co-wrote “Boulder to Birmingham” with Parsons.  Danoff, as part of the Starlight Vocal Band, later wrote and recorded the hit song, “Afternoon Delight,” a catchy pop song miles distant from the heartfelt lament in “Bolder to Birmingham.” 

    Danoff also recorded “Boulder to Birmingham” with Starlight Vocal Band in a version much softer than you might expect if you only know the band’s “Afternoon Delight.” Danoff knew how to craft songs, as he earlier co-write John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” as well as “I Guess He’d Rather Be in Colorado.”

    The Song “Boulder to Birmingham”
    I would rock my soul in the bosom of Abraham;
    I would hold my life in his saving grace;
    I would walk all the way from Boulder to Birmingham,
    If I thought I could see, I could see your face.
     

    The most recognizable, and maybe the best, part of “Boulder to Birmingham” is the chorus (above).  But the line that breaks my heart every time is: “Well you really got me this time;/ And the hardest part is knowing I’ll survive.” There’s great wisdom about loss in that line.  In most cases of loss, we do survive somehow, but even knowing that does not make it easy.

    Below, Emmylou Harris sings “Boulder to Birmingham” in 1975.  In the background, you can see a young Rodney Crowell in singing backup (while “Boulder to Birmingham” followed a beautiful heartbreak song Crowell wrote, “‘Til I Gain Control Again”).  At the time of the show, Harris was around twenty-eight years old, having lost Parsons around two  years earlier.

    “Boulder to Birmingham” originally appeared on Harris’s album Pieces of the Sky (1975). Since then, it has been covered by The Hollies, Dolly Parton, The Wailin’ Jennys, and Joan Baez, among others.

    Leave your two cents in the comments.

  • Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell Discuss New CD
  • The Body of Gram Parsons and The Streets of Baltimore
  • Great Song, Bad Name: Hot Burrito #1
  • “Satan’s Jeweled Crown” & Bruce Springsteen (Cover of the Day)
  • Mary Chapin Carpenter and Emmylou Harris Pay Tribute to Joan Baez
  • Gospel Medley With Dolly Parton, Donna Summer, Tom Jones, and Mac Davis
  • (Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)

    Emmylou Harris: “If I Needed You”

    If I Needed You

    Emmylou Harris was born on April 2, 1947 in Birmingham, Alabama. Later, she graduated from high school as class valedictorian and earned a drama scholarship, but fortunately for us she has devoted her career to music.

    Below, Harris sings Towne Van Zandt’s beautiful song, “If I Needed You” in 1982. Barry Tashian provides the backing vocals. Check it out.



    What is your favorite Emmylou Harris recording? Leave your two cents in the comments.

  • The Love Story of Joey + Rory: “If I Needed You”
  • Townes Van Zandt Covered an Elvis Song About a Shrimp?
  • “Satan’s Jeweled Crown” & Bruce Springsteen (Cover of the Day)
  • Mary Chapin Carpenter and Emmylou Harris Pay Tribute to Joan Baez
  • You’ll Miss The Time You Waste
  • New Documentary About Guy Clark
  • (Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)