Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle” has got to be one of the most covered songs in pop history. It’s the go-to for angsty uncertainty, perhaps a bit tired at this point – but Caroline Spence’s stark, plaintive rendition is a jolt of electricity. Stripping away the pop-punk exterior of the 2001 original, the Americana singer-songwriter cuts deep with lyrics that seem eerily even more relevant these days.
“It just takes some time / Little girl you’re in the middle of the ride,” she spins her voice around the lyrics like decorative yarn. There’s a tremendous amount of melancholy, as she pours her own journey, as a woman, into the framework, but it remains bright and hopeful.
“Everything, everything will be just fine / Everything, everything will be alright,” she sings. Her voice is soothing, and we might get through this yet.
Listen to “The Middle” below.