Larry Weiss - Rhinestone Cowboy

First performance: 00/04/2019

Coverinfo

Bruce covered the song only once:
 
 
2019-04-00 Stone Hill Farm, Colts Neck, NJ
 
An invitation-only performance of the full album Western Stars, plus an encore of Glen Campbell's "Rhinestone Cowboy", on Springsteen's farm. The precise date is uncertain, but the show is known to have taken place in late April. 
 
 
 
People on stage were:
Bruce Springsteen
Ben Butler
Barry Danielian
Rachel Drehmann
Charles Giordano
Henry Hey
Lisa Lowell
Rob Mathes
Marc Muller
Gunnar Olsen
Curt Ramm
Kaveh Rastegar
Patti Scialfa
Zohar Schondorf
Vaneese Thomas
Soozie Tyrell
Surrenity XYZ

String section:

Joanna Maurer (Concertmaster)
Maurycy Banaszek
Monica Davis
William Frampton
Maggie Gould
Joyce Hammann
Celia Hatton
Andrew Janss
Elizabeth Lim-Dutton
Laura Lutzke
Maureen McDermott
Annaliesa Place
Alan Stepansky
Emma Sutton
Robin Zeh 
 
 
Premiere of the film:

2019-09-12 - ROY THOMSON HALL, TORONTO
 
The film Western Stars, which premiered in Toronto, features all-new songs of the album Western Stars and a cover of Glen Campbell's "Rhinestone Cowboy", which comes at the film's end. All songs were performed in Bruce's barn at his property featuring Springsteen and his backing band and full orchestra performing the music from the album to a live audience. Warner Bros. Pictures released the film on October 25, 2019. The companion soundtrack for the movie, entitled 'Western Stars: Songs from the Film', were released on the same day by Columbia Records.
 
Bruce explained to E Street Radio: "We knew we weren’t going to tour so I was looking for a way to get some of the music live to an audience and so we figured that was the best way to do it."
 
 
 
 

Songinfo

"Rhinestone Cowboy" is a song written by Larry Weiss and most famously recorded by American country music singer Glen Campbell. Weiss wrote and recorded "Rhinestone Cowboy" in 1974, and it appeared on his 20th Century Records album Black and Blue Suite. It did not, however, have much of a commercial impact as a single. In late 1974, Campbell heard the song on the radio and, during a tour of Australia, decided to learn it. Soon after his return to the United States, Campbell went to Al Coury's office at Capitol Records, where he was approached about "a great new song" – "Rhinestone Cowboy".
 
 
 

Bruce on the artist

Explaining his new album ' Western Stars' , Bruce said he tried to capture the feel of Glen Campbell’s music in his new record. 
 
 
 

Lyrics

I've been walkin' these streets so long
Singin' the same old song
I know every crack in these dirty sidewalks of Broadway
Where hustle's the name of the game
And nice guys get washed away like the snow and the rain
There's been a load of compromisin'
On the road to my horizon
But I'm gonna be where the lights are shinin' on me
Like a rhinestone cowboy
Riding out on a horse in a star-spangled rodeo
Like a rhinestone cowboy
Getting cards and letters from people I don't even know
And offers comin' over the phone
Well, I really don't mind the rain
And a smile can hide all the pain
But you're down when you're ridin' the train that's takin' the long way
And I dream of the things I'll do
With a subway token and a dollar tucked inside my shoe
There'll be a load of compromisin'
On the road to my horizon
But I'm gonna be where the lights are shinin' on me
Like a rhinestone cowboy
Riding out on a horse in a star-spangled rodeo
Rhinestone cowboy
Gettin' cards and letters from people I don't even know
And offers comin' over the phone
Like a rhinestone cowboy
Riding out on a horse in a star-spangled rodeo
Like a rhinestone cowboy
Gettin' card and letters from people I don't even know
Like a rhinestone cowboy
Riding out on a horse in a star-spangled rodeo