Stripe’s Song of the Day: Bruce Willis – Save the Last Dance for Me

The actor makes a surprisingly endearing turn as a balladeer in this cover of an R&B classic

Fabian Hasan Khan
Published : 18 April 2023, 10:30 AM
Updated : 18 April 2023, 10:30 AM

Did you know Bruce Willis sang? Just a year after he Yippee-Ki-Yay-ed around Nakatomi Plaza in Die Hard, the actor released his second album If It Don’t Kill You, It Just Makes You Stronger

The sixth track on that album is a cover of ‘Save the Last Dance for Me’, a rhythm and blues tune originally performed by The Drifters. That 1960 version topped the US pop charts for three weeks and was covered by artists like Dolly Parton and Michael Bublé.

The original is classic 60s stuff, Dolly pushes the emotion and vulnerability, and Bublé puts a big band spin on the tune.

So what makes Willis’s version special?

He keeps the beauty of the original, but his performance is light and bright. Accordion, smooth backing vocals, and guitar add a nostalgic feel too. It’s lovely and makes excellent background music for going about your day and running errands. It almost feels like it’s meant to be played during a romantic scene, doesn’t it?

Well, here’s a confession. I didn’t actually find this song because I’m a devoted fan of the Bruce Willis discography. 

No, I discovered it, as many others have, through the Netflix drama Something in the Rain.

A music video of the song set to scenes from the series has over 3.1 million views on YouTube. And I may have contributed a not-insignificant portion of those views. 

Regardless, I recommend the song and the series too, if Mr Willis’s ballad puts you in a wistful mood.

This article is part of Stripe, bdnews24.com's special publication focusing on culture and society from a youth perspective.