Joe Ely - Odds of the Blues

First performance: no live dates

Coverinfo

Bruce provides vocals for this Joe Ely track. No live performances so far.

Songinfo

Bruce and Joe Ely finally team up for an original song. The song is taken from Joe Ely's new album Driven to Drive (2nd of august 2024). The leadoff single is "Odds of the Blues" The song was inspired by Ely’s time at the late-night bar TV’s in Lubbock, Texas. "There was always a dice game in the back room, the pool table had a bad lean, and the jukebox mainly played old blues songs," he said in a statement. "I wrote the song later when I put my studio together in Austin. I asked Bruce recently if he would like to sing with me on this song and he said he’d love to."

 
  

Other cover versions

Bruce on the artist

Joe Ely (born February 9, 1947, Amarillo, TX) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist whose music touches on honky-tonk, Texas Country, Tex-Mex and rock and roll. He has had a genre-crossing career, performing with Bruce Springsteen, Uncle Tupelo, Los Super Seven, The Clancy Brothers and James McMurtry in addition to his early work with The Clash and more recent acoustic tours with Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, and Guy Clark.
 
In 1995, Bruce contributed to Joe Ely's album Letter to Laredo, providing back-up vocals. He sang on two songs, "All Just to Get to You" and "I'm a Thousand Miles from Home." Springsteen travelled to Austin around spring 1995 and joined Ely in studio to record his parts.
       
       
       
       
      Bruce had 16 live performances with Joe Ely: 
       
      2014-05-06 Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston, TX
      2012-03-15 Moody Theater, Austin, TX
      2012-03-14 Austin Music Hall, Austin, TX
      2008-04-14 Toyota Center, Houston, TX
       
      2003-03-02 Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX
      "Gonna bring out my good friend Joe Ely down and play with us, come on up....out of a great city of songwriters, the talent that´s come out of Texas, Joe´s one of my very favorites, man.."

      2001-10-19 Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ
      2001-10-18 Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ
      2000-04-17 Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX
      1996-09-29 Severance Hall, Cleveland, OH
      1996-03-17 Mean Fiddler (The), Dublin, Ireland
      1996-01-25 Austin Music Hall, Austin, TX
      1995-09-14 Viper Room (The), West Hollywood, CA
      1993-06-26 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
      1993-06-24 Brendan Byrne Arena, East Rutherford, NJ

      1993-05-20 RDS Arena, Dublin, Ireland
      Joe Ely was also on stage with Bruce on May 20, 1993. singing together in Dublin, Ireland, when they got on stage with Jerry Lee Lewis and Shane MacGowan and sang 'Great Balls of Fire.' During an extended encore, Ely appeared to perform his 1988 tune "Settle for Love" with Springsteen, and then returned to the stage a bit later with Lewis for "Great Balls of Fire" and "Whole Lotta’ Shakin’ Goin’ On."

      1993-05-19 National Stadium, Dublin, Ireland
        

      Lyrics

      Well love is a game
      Takes two to play
      It's a give and take everyday
      if you gamble on the take
      your just asking to lose
      thats the breaks ,
      thats the odds of the blues

      Lady luck is for horses and dice
      She has no heart
      She's cold as ice
      If you favor the chances your just asking to lose
      Thats the breaks
      thats the odds of the blues

      Thats the breaks
      thats the odds
      Lady luck never nods
      Thats the breaks
      thats the odds of the blues

      It's a fever
      It's a mean ole chill
      It's a cold rain on a window sill
      Call it heads
      Call it tails
      It's your style to choose
      Thats the breaks
      Thats the odds of the blues

      Thats the breaks