Over the past few weeks, a number of critics have pointed out that Ryan Adams’ latest gem, Prisoner, shares a sound with some of Bruce Springsteen’s ’80s works, namely 1984’s Born in the U.S.A. and 1987’s Tunnel of Love. So, it’s not very surprising to see the singer-songwriter trek a few years ahead and tackle one of The Boss’ greatest songs in “Streets of Philadelphia”.
Nevertheless, there’s a reason: BBC Radio’s 6 Music is celebrating 1994 this Friday, March 3rd, and seeing that Springsteen’s moody ballad for 1993’s Philadelphia won an Oscar in 1994, it makes sense why Adams would revisit the anthem. Naturally, the guy nails the song with ease, doing away with the synths for a bare-bones rendition that’s all acoustic and vocals.
Watch the performance below and revisit the original shortly after.
