Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits And More Come Together For Shane McGowan Tribute Album

Bruce Springsteen covers “A Rainy Night In Soho” for 20th Century Paddy — The Songs of Shane MacGowan.

Legendary Irish singer and songwriter Shane MacGowan may have passed away in 2023 at the relatively young yet utterly predictable age of 65, but his legend is immortal. And now that legend is being added to with the upcoming release of the tribute album 20th Century Paddy — The Songs of Shane MacGowan.

A genuinely impressive roster of artists have come together to cover the songs of the late Pogues frontman, including the Boss himself. Bruce Springsteen‘s cover of “A Rainy Night in Soho” will be the first single off the album. Personal favourite, that one.

In addition to Springsteen, Tom Waits, The Pogues, Hozier and Jessie Buckley, Johnny Depp and Imelda May, David Gray, Dropkick Murphys, Glen Hansard, the Jesus & Mary Chain, Kate Moss, Primal Scream, Steve Earle, the Libertines, the High Kings, Johnny Mac and the Faithful, Picture This, Pinch of Snuff, Amble, the Murder Capital, and more will be contributing covers.

Due out on November 13 through Rubyworks, the project was initiated by MacGowan’s long time partner, Victoria Mary Clarke.

Writing for the album announcement, Springsteen said of MacGowan, “Great art is by nature lawless. We do not get to choose our obsessions. We do not get to dictate our blessings or our transgressions. It’s a little joke the gods play on us. Shane’s voice was so deeply real, profane and honest, his writing so flashing, alive and historically rich its genesis appeared as a mystery to all including, I believe, its creator. The dangerous joy, the glee and courage, the humor in the face of fate, the wild ramble of a life driven towards the artistic heavens and the daily balm of self obliteration. Shane was all naked bottomless humanity. Threatening to force us to ask ourselves if we were living deeply, authentically. He was raw, hilarious, no apologies and profound. His soul was filled with the transgressive and ecstatic properties of the saints.”

You can pre-order the album here.