Bruce Springsteen Performs ‘Jungleland’ for the First Time Since Clarence Clemons’ Death

Of all the songs in Bruce Springsteen‘s extensive catalog, the one that could have expected to be permanently retired following the death of Clarence Clemons was ‘Jungleland.’ Its defining characteristic –  a two-minute, 20-second saxophone solo — was Clemons’ career highlight, capturing all the characters’ emotions as it headed into the finale.

While Springsteen had turned ‘Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,’ which was about the friendship between the two, into a nightly celebration of the Big Man’s legacy, ‘Jungleland’ remained unplayed through the first 51 concerts of the ‘Wrecking Ball’ tour. However, it made its debut Saturday (July 28) in Gothenberg, Sweden, with Jake Clemons taking center stage to repeat his uncle’s greatest moment.

Sweden may seem like an out-of-the-way place for an American rocker to break out such an important song, but Clemons’ first wife was Swedish, and, as Springsteen says in the introduction, the country was a special place for him. Springsteen then dedicated the song to Clarence, and to the people of Sweden “for giving him a home for quite a few years.”

Following the solo, Springsteen hugged Jake, who then raised his horn and looked up to the sky in tribute. When the song ended, Springsteen brought Clemons back to center stage for bow and a long hug to a huge ovation.

Watch Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Perform ‘Jungleland’