When Bruce Springsteen, nicknamed “The Boss,” played an old work song called “Pay Me My Money Down” at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, it made fans everywhere smile and dance. This happened back in 2006, and he shared the video on YouTube on May 4, 2019. People loved it so much that they’ve watched it 29.5 million times!
Bruce sang the song with a big grin, strumming his acoustic guitar and moving around the stage. His voice was strong and happy, and the simple words made it easy for the crowd to sing along. But the real stars were the big group of folk musicians playing with him. They had cool instruments like fiddles, an accordion, and brass horns. Each musician took turns playing loud, fun solos while Bruce cheered on the crowd. Many people say this is one of his best live shows ever!
Fans on YouTube left happy comments like, “This makes my 92-year-old grandpa dance around the room!” and “If this doesn’t make you smile, nothing will!” The video’s good vibes spread fast. At that festival, Bruce also showed off his new band, The Sessions Band, which hadn’t played together in years. He performed other great songs like “O Mary Don’t You Weep,” but “Pay Me My Money Down” stole the show.
This song started long ago with Black dockworkers in the Georgia Sea Islands who sang it while they worked. The tune is even older and has been used in lots of traditional songs. A group called The Weavers made it famous in the 1950s at their big concerts. Bruce made his own version for his 2006 album We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions, and it became a hit. On his tour that year, he usually ended his main show with this song, letting his band play lots of solos while he got the crowd excited.
Bruce is known for modern music, but his take on this old song proves he’s amazing at any kind of tune!
