Steve Van Zandt – Until The Good Is Gone

I listened to some tracks of Van Zandt, Miami Steve, or Little Steven… any of his monickers gives you heartfelt Americana soul music. One band he always pushes is The Rascals, and I can see why. You hear that influence in his music, along with the Jersey Shore sound he helped create. This song is so tuneful, and some tasty guitar licks are going on, especially in the intro. Listening to this album was a pleasure, song after song. His passion really comes through his voice in this one.

This song came from Little Steven’s 1982 album Men Without Women. At that point, Steven Van Zandt was still a major part of the E Street Band, but he wanted something of his own. He grew up loving soul records, girl groups, and the Phil Spector sound. Those influences were all over this album. The sessions took place at the Power Station in New York. Van Zandt wanted the record to sound alive. Not polished to death. He wanted horns, echoes, and emotion.

The recording is hard into soul music. The horns punch through the mix while the guitars and rhythm section keep it grounded in rock and roll. Van Zandt and horns have a great history, like Sixteenth Avenue Freeze Out. There are stories that Springsteen added backing vocals during parts of the sessions, which gave the album even more of that Asbury Park spirit without turning it into an E Street record.

A lot of the material on Men Without Women had been around since the Southside Johnny days. Van Zandt was writing constantly then. Songs moved around between projects depending on where they fit best. This song ended up fitting perfectly on this album because it captured that mix of street soul and rock-and-roll. The record did not become a massive commercial hit, but over the years fans have come back to it. The song still sounds real today. It feels like musicians in a room, playing for the song rather than for the charts.

Until The Good Is Gone

Hmm-hmm hmm-hmm hmm-hmm hmm

Yeah, we always stood on the same block way back then
Waiting to find out where in the world we fit in
Then something on the radio changed everything we’d been
Ever since, I need it, over and over again

Where it comes from baby, I don’t know
That same old something just won’t let me go
It’s too late baby, it’s been too long
Don’t try to stop me ’till the good is gone

Now listen, it seems like only yesterday I could hear big mama call, (yes)
Get the boys and meet me down at the union hall, (yes)
And always in the background even after everybody’s gone
It was something on the radio saying, “Come on, come on”

Where it comes from baby, I don’t know, no no
That same old something ain’t gonna let me go
Oh it’s too late baby, it’s been too long
Don’t try to stop me ’till the good is gone

Let me hear you now
Say yeah, yeah, alright
Come on

Oh, yeah yeah yeah
Now baby
Oh
Woah

So many others never beat the city line
They weren’t so different, they just ran out of time
You need something in your soul baby that’s gonna keep you strong
Oh that kind of good never ever ever never gonna go wrong

Where it comes from baby I don’t know, don’t know
That same old something just won’t let me go
Oh it’s too late baby, it’s been too long
Don’t try to stop me ’till the good is gone
Say one more time
Don’t try to stop me ’till the good is gone
One more time
Don’t try to stop me ’till the good is gone
Oh let me hear you say it
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Let me hear you say it
Say yeah, yeah, yeah
One more time
Yeah, yeah, yeah, oh yeah honey
Oh yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah yeah), sing
Say yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah), say everybody say
Yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah), yeah (yeah)
Say one more time
Yeah (yeah)…