A cover of the classic Johnny Cash track, Give My Love to Rose, has been hailed by fans of Bruce Springsteen as one of The Boss’ finest moments.
A performance of Give My Love to Rose from Springsteen was broadcast on a TNT special in 2009. Said live showcase has since been uploaded to YouTube, where fans have shared their love for the fantastic version The Boss performed at the Hammerstein Ballroom in Manhattan, New York. One person wrote: “Great cover. Thanks, Bruce and Johnny. Brought tears to my eyes.” Though Cash and Springsteen never met, their love of one another’s work was clear. Cash would cover two Springsteen songs, Highway Patrolman and Johnny 99, for his album, Johnny 99. Springsteen has often covered the likes of Cash, Bob Dylan, and other early career influences on stage.
During his 2025 UK and European tour, Springsteen ended most shows with a cover of Dylan’s Chimes of Freedom. Springsteen’s praise for Dylan would go one step further than covering his work, declaring it one of his favourite autobiographies.
He said: “I’m not familiar with the musician/novelist, but as far as memoirs, it’s hard to beat Keith Richards’s love of music that shines through in Life. I also found Eric Clapton’s autobiography to be surprisingly revealing and very moving. Of course, I loved Bob Dylan’s Chronicles. It made me proud to be a musician.”
The Boss would later recall a moment shared with Dylan at a Kennedy Centre Honours event dedicated to the Like a Rolling Stone performer. Springsteen recalled: “I had the opportunity to sing The Times They Are A-Changin’ for Bob when he received the Kennedy Centre Honours.
“We were alone together for a brief moment walking down a back stairwell when he thanked me for being there and said, ‘If there’s anything I can ever do for you…’ I thought, ‘Are you kidding me?’ and answered, ‘It’s already been done.’”
Springsteen holds Dylan in high regard, not just for his writing but his influence on music. A statement released by Springsteen shortly after Dylan was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature praised the Mr. Tambourine Man songwriter, calling him the “father of my country”.
Springsteen wrote: “Bob Dylan is the father of my country. Highway 61 Revisited and Bringing It All Back Home were not only great records, but they were the first time I can remember being exposed to a truthful vision of the place I lived.
“The darkness and light were all there, the veil of illusion and deception ripped aside. He put his boot on the stultifying politeness and daily routine that covered corruption and decay. The world he described was all on view, in my little town, and spread out over the television that beamed into our isolated homes, but it went uncommented on and silently tolerated. He inspired me and gave me hope.”
Springsteen seemed equally influenced by Cash, though has not said in interviews what the I Walk the Line hitmaker did for him. A cover of Cash’s Give My Love to Rose can be found below.
