John Mellencamp's album version
| John Mellencamp: | How many summers still remain |
| How many days are lost in vain | |
| Who's counting now these last remaining years | |
| How many minutes do we have here | |
| Mellencamp and Springsteen: | Wasted days, wasted days |
| We watch our lives just fade away to more wasted days | |
| Bruce Springsteen: | How much sorrow is there left to climb |
| How many promises are worth a dime | |
| And who on earth is worth our time | |
| Is there a heart here that I can call mine | |
| Mellencamp and Springsteen: | Wasted days, wasted days |
| We watch our lives just fade away to more wasted days | |
| John Mellencamp: | How can a man watch his life go down the drain |
| How many moments has he lost today | |
| Bruce Springsteen: | And who among us could ever see clear |
| The end is coming, it's almost here | |
| Mellencamp and Springsteen: | Wasted days, wasted days |
| We watch our lives just fade away to more wasted days | |
| Wasted days, wasted days | |
| We watch our lives just fade away to more wasted days | |
| Wasted days, more wasted days | |
| We watch our lives just slip away to more wasted days |
WASTED DAYS is a song written by John Mellencamp and released on his 2022 album Strictly A One-Eyed Jack. The above lyrics are for John Mellencamp's album version of WASTED DAYS as released in 2022.
WASTED DAYS features a guest appearance by Bruce Springsteen on electric guitar and vocals. Springsteen trades lead vocals with Mellencamp on the verses and the two join in on the chorus.
Track credits:
Composer: John Mellencamp
Lyricist: John Mellencamp
Producer: John Mellencamp
Recording engineer: David Leonard
Mixing engineer: David Leonard
Assistant recording engineer: Scott Davis
Mastering engineer: Bob Ludwig
Engineer: Michael Stucker
John Mellencamp: vocals
Andy York: acoustic guitar, electric guitar, electric bass, background vocals
Troye Kinnett: accordion, keyboards
Miriam Sturm: violin
Mike Wanchic: background vocals
Dane Clark: drums
Bruce Springsteen: electric guitar, vocals
WASTED DAYS was first released on 29 Sep 2021 as the lead single from John Mellencamp's then upcoming album.
A music video for WASTED DAYS was released on John Mellencamp's YouTube channel on 29 Sep 2021 to coincide with the single release. John Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen appear together in the video, singing their parts and playing guitar throughout. The shoot, directed by Thom Zimny, took place in New jersey earlier that month ― Mellencamp and Springsteen were sighted together on 17 Sep 2021 in Bay Head, NJ.
Strictly A One-Eyed Jack is John Mellencamp's 25th studio album. It features a guest appearance by Bruce Springsteen on three tracks: DID YOU SAY SUCH A THING, WASTED DAYS, and A LIFE FULL OF RAIN. Springsteen and Mellencamp recorded the three songs together at Belmont Mall Studio (Mellencamp's personal recording studio) in Belmont, IN ― the two were sighted together on 11 Apr 2021 in Bloomington, IN.
On 15 May 2021, during part two of Clive Davis's exclusive and virtual pre-Grammy gala, John Mellencamp revealed that he had teamed up with Springsteen in the studio. "Bruce is singing on the new record and is playing guitar," Mellencamp told Billboard. "I finished the record a week ago today."
During the 09 Jun 2021 episode of his From My Home To Yours show on Sirius XM's E Street Radio channel, just before playing John Mellencamp's DON'T NEED THIS BODY, Springsteen mentioned that he collaborated with his "good friend" Mellencamp. "I've played on a few of Johnny's tracks on his upcoming record," he said. "We had a great time out there in Bloomington, Indiana."
The following day, during a phone call with host Jim Rotolo on Sirius XM's E Street Radio channel, Springsteen elaborated more. "I worked on three songs on John [Mellencamp]'s album, and I spent some time in Indiana with him," he told Rotolo. "I love John a lot and he's a great songwriter, and we've actually become very close. And I've had a lot of fun with him. So I sang a little bit on his, his music... he's got a terrific record that I think is coming out in the fall, I think, you know, I'm not exactly sure."
Strictly A One-Eyed Jack was released on 21 Jan 2022 on Republic Records. The album was produced by John Mellencamp, recorded by David Leonard assisted by Scott Davis and Michael Stucker at Belmont Mall Studios, mixed by David Leonard assisted by Scott Davis and Michael Stucker at Belmont Mall Studios, and mastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering Studios.
Bruce Springsteen has been performing on almost all the annual Stand Up for Heroes benefits since 2007. WASTED DAYS was performed during the seventeenth (2023) annual benefit. Bruce Springsteen joined John Mellencamp and his band during their set, sharing lead vocals with Mellencamp.
List of available versions of WASTED DAYS on this website:
WASTED DAYS [John Mellencamp's album version]
