Roll of the Dice: Want Me

In December 2013, a previously unknown page of original Bruce Springsteen lyrics appeared on an auction site.

Entitled “Want Me,” the song lyrics are written in pencil on a notebook page. The page is undated but almost certainly stems from his pre-Columbia Records days.

The lyrics are a bit tough to make out, but my best guess is below:

You want me, yes, you want me
I can see it all over your face
I wish I could help you
But I’ve already found my place

You see I have this thing to do
And I can’t be in one woman’s arms
But I’m not a bronc, so don’t act thrown
Cause sometimes I get so alone
And that’s when you’re good for me

You mean it, yes, you mean it
You mean every damn word you say
I hear you, I hear you
Telling me every day

You see I’m not the man who you want me to be
I’m not even sure who he is
So see first things first, babe and that sure ain’t you
You see the good, this big thing to do
But sometimes I get lonely and you’re good to me

It’s the song of a (very) young man, that’s for sure. If it’s rooted in real life, it’s almost certainly a reflection of Bruce’s determination to succeed as a musician and not be tied down by a romantic interest. (See “Turn Around” for another early example of Bruce working through his tug-of-war between professional aspiration and romantic entanglement.

Maddeningly, that’s all we get–there’s a “(cont)” at the bottom of the page, but if there’s any more to the song, it’s been lost to history.

Want Me
Never recorded
Never released

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