The 27th show in Bruce Springsteen’s DJ series on SiriusXM satellite radio featured some of The Boss’ favorite love songs.
Bruce Springsteen’s 27th DJ show on SiriusXM satellite radio, titled “Going to the Chapel,” debuted Sept. 1 on the network’s E Street Radio channel (channel 20). Heavy on classic R&B and country, it featured music by Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, The Dixie Cups, Sam & Dave, The Roches, Springsteen himself (“I Wanna Marry You,” live from 2016, complete with a false start) and others. And as its title implies, the songs were mostly not just about love, but about marriage, too.
Springsteen included some songs about love gone wrong, as well, including Tammy Wynette’s “D-I-V-O-R-C-E,” Bob Dylan’s “I Threw It All Away” and The Drifters’ “Mexican Divorce.”
The show was part of Springsteen’s “From My Home to Yours” series. You can see an index of all songs previously played (with links to what he said and videos for the songs), here.
Here is today’s transcript and videos. In some cases, a version of the song may have been played that is different from what is embedded in this post.
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Hello, lovers, brothers, sisters, newlyweds, divorcees from sea to shining sea. Welcome to Vol. 27 of “From My Home to Yours,” titled “Going to the Chapel.”
“You Never Can Tell,” Chuck Berry
“They had a HiFi phono/Boy, did they let it blast/Seven hundred little records/All rock, rhythm and jazz/But when the sun went down/The rapid tempo of the music fell/’C’est la vie’ ” — “such is life” — “say the old folks/It goes to show you never can tell.” Our master American storyteller, our Mark Twain of rock ‘n’ roll, the genius of Chuck Berry with “You Never Can Tell.”
And this is Major Lance.
“Gonna Get Married,” Major Lance
“Gonna Get Married.” That was Major Lance, out of Winterville, Miss., a Northern Soul pioneer, father of Atlanta mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. He was one of 12 children, he attended Wells High School along with Curtis Mayfield and Jerry Butler — what a class! — in Chicago. “Monkey Time.” “Hey Little Girl.” “Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um.” All written by Curtis Mayfield and bearing a singular sound and rhythm that was a signature of Mayfield’s music. What a great groove on those records.
This is Lloyd Price, with “I’m Gonna Get Married.”
“I’m Gonna Get Married,” Lloyd Price
“Chapel of Love,” The Dixie Cups
The Dixie Cups, with one of the most classic wedding songs of all time, “Chapel of Love.” Written by Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich and Phil Spector. Originally recorded by Darlene Love but turned into a hit that spent three weeks at No. 1 by The Dixie Cups in 1964, knocking The Beatles out of the top chart spot. And that wasn’t easy to do.
Coming Up, “I Wanna Marry You,” live from The River Tour.
“I Wanna Marry You,” Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band (live, 1/27/16, New York)
That was “I Wanna Marry You,” written for The River in a Ben E. King via Manfred Mann’s Paul Jones vocal style, borrowing a little soul, mixing it with a little doo wop, and sequenced on the album just before “The River.” It was meant to rub against “The River” and highlight the contradictions of the two songs, and of marriage itself. One, a utopian dream. And one, social realism. They created a tension and a conflict that was at the center of the River album, really the first album where I wrote about relationships between men and women.
This is The Drifters, with “Mexican Divorce.”
“Mexican Divorce,” The Drifters
“I Threw It All Away,” Bob Dylan
That was Bob Dylan, with “I Threw It All Away.” And oh yes, we have, a few times. From the lovely album, Nashville Skyline. One of the most playable albums in Bob’s stable of incredible records.
Here come The Roches, with a great, great song, one of my favorites, “The Married Men.”
“The Married Men,” The Roches
And that, “The Married Men,” is one of a kind. There is no other song dealing with the ins and outs (and) complications of marriage, anything like that one. Great song, I believe written by Maggie Roche, if I am correct. I’m not sure about that. But they were incredible songwriters and an amazing vocal group. Really the kind of vocals that can only come from blood. The Beach Boys have it also, of course. The Everly Brothers had it also, of course. It’s just a unique feature of genetics, the way those voices blend.
And now, Tammy Wynette singing about something she knows a little something about. “D-I-V-O-R-C-E.”
“D-I-V-O-R-C-E,” Tammy Wynette
“On the Other Hand,” Randy Travis
And that was the fabulous “On the Other Hand,” by Randy Travis. Singer of 16 No. 1 singles on the Billboard country charts. He was born in Marshville, N.C., had a bit of a troubled youth — and adulthood — but generally mended his way and dedicated himself to his music and was just one of the loveliest voices of a certain part of country that was sort of, somewhat post-traditional and yet certainly pre- the modern country that we hear today. And “On the Other Hand,” what a great song. What a great, great song.
Here’s my friends John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band, with a Buddy Holly-ish cut called “The Customary Thing.”
“Customary Thing,” John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band
That was John Cafferty. Now here comes “I Knew the Bride.” C’mon, Dave!
“I Knew the Bride,” Dave Edmunds
That was Dave Edmunds, of course, with “I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock ‘n’ Roll).”
“Stand by Your Man,” Tammy Wynette
That is classic Tammy Wynette. Women, stand by your man, and men, stand by your woman.
“When Something Is Wrong With My Baby,” Sam & Dave
Yes, that was Sam & Dave, back in the days when they were speaking to one another, with “When Something Is Wrong With My Baby (Something Is Wrong With Me).” I’ve seen them perform that, live in Philadelphia. Also at the Satellite Lounge in Fort Dix, N.J. And at The Fastlane: That’s right, The Fastlane in Asbury Park. I saw Sam & Dave three times while they were still playing together. And, literally, every time, they brought me to tears. And certainly with this song. They were just one of the most powerful, incredible duos of all time. And when I saw them at The Fastlane, it was heartbreaking, because it was a relatively small crowd there, and they simply sang their hearts out. And I can tell you, I stood in the back of the room and wept at seeing this great, great, great talent, later in the day of their performing together, bringing in, really, quite a small audience, and it was just so undeserved, and they were so epic and so profound that it touched me incredibly deeply.
And that about says it all. Almost. Here’s Charlie Rich, with “Life Has Its Little Ups and Downs.”
“Life’s Little Ups and Downs,” Charlie Rich
And that’s about our show for today. I want you to stay hard, stay hunger, stay alive, and stay in love. Go in peace.
“Can’t Help Falling in Love,” Elvis Presley
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Springsteen has been doing “From My Home to Yours” shows since April of 2020. Click here for an index of all the songs played in the series, as well as links to videos for the songs and transcripts for each show.
The shows have lasted from about 45 minutes to about two hours each, with repeats and on-demand availability following the initial broadcasts. Rebroadcasts of “Going to the Chapel” will take place Sept. 1 at 6 p.m., Sept. 2 at noon, Sept. 3 at 6 a.m. and 4 p.m., Sept. 4 at 2 p.m., Sept. 5 at 10 p.m., and Sept. 6 at 7 a.m. and midnight.
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