I was singing in rock bands and playing in bars when I was 12. I had a motorcycle, my dad was vice president of an electrical firm, I never wanted for money. I think I had it a little easier than Bruce as a kid.
We come from very similar backgrounds – small towns. He’s a sweet guy, and I think the world of him. Mellencamp: Bruce came to Indiana and stayed at my house. Q: Where did you record these three songs? Maybe I didn’t see it that way, but I do now. He’s been an inspiration and I told him, you made me work harder, I’ve gotta compete with that. But Bruce and I have grown to be almost brothers, and I love the guy.
Mellencamp: Bruce and I have known each other since we were kids, but I was always kind of considered the poor man’s Springsteen. What took so long for this collaboration to happen? Question: There is being much made of you and Bruce singing together on a record for the first time, but you’ve known each other for decades. In his conversation with USA TODAY, Mellencamp, who recently canceled his tour because of COVID-19 obstacles (“for the third time,” he says with a sigh), delves into his long relationship with Springsteen, the portentous themes on the new album and the history of the everlasting “Jack & Diane.”
The duo romp a little more on the easy swinging “Did You Say Such a Thing,” but also warn “the forecast is severe” on the piano and accordion-laden “A Life Full of Rain.” The album’s first single, “Wasted Days,” finds the pair in a reflective state (“Who’s counting now, these last remaining years / How many minutes do we have here?”). He also enlisted an old friend for a trio of songs, a kindred spirit in wistful storytelling: Bruce Springsteen. On Friday, Mellencamp unveils his first album in five years. “Strictly a One-Eyed Jack” features a dozen songs packed with themes of mortality and dense lyrics, guided by the album’s protagonist, “a dangerous old man” (i.e., the one-eyed Jack, which Mellencamp will further explain).