Dropkick Murphys "Peg O My Heart"

When a band cites Bruce Springsteen as an influence, it's most likely a songwriting thing--either lyrical or instrumental.

There are those artists who want to write like Bruce Springsteen. Epic street fables or working-class paeans. And that's a great height to aspire to.

And there are those artists who want to sound like Bruce Springsteen. Wide palettes. Pianos and saxophone and accordions, with multi-part movements. Part Phil Spector, part Motown, part Rock N Roll straight from its stem-cells.

But I appreciate it when artists who don't necessarily aspire to sound like Bruce in their writing or their instrumentation, aspire to Bruce's most appealing quality: his passion.

There isn't much about the general style/genre/sound of The Dropkick Murphy's Irish Punk that makes you think they'd been listening to "Born To Run" while making, say, "Shipping Up To Boston."

But it's the delivery of that tune that allows you to draw a straight line between their hark-back hardcore, and Springsteen.

So ultimately, it's surprisingly fitting when Springsteen adds his voice to the new song "Peg O My Heart."

His voice, his spirit, his passion---they were already there.


See the video on Youtube.


See the video on Youtube.


See the video on Youtube.