If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you know (if you didn’t already) that Bruce’s lyrics cross-pollinate through his catalog. Identical lines (or nearly so) show up in multiple songs, sometimes across a period of several years.
But here’s an example that’s extreme even by Bruce’s standards.
In May of 1966, Bruce Springsteen was only sixteen years old. He was already in his first band, though–a combo called the Castiles.
Not only was Bruce in a band, he was also ready to start songwriting. On the way to his very first-ever studio session, he and bandmate George Theiss co-wrote two songs in the car on the way to the session. The first, “Baby I” would eventually be released a full half-century later on Chapter and Verse. The latter, however, still hasn’t seen the light of day.
That second song was called “That’s What You Get,” and while it may not have been officially released, we’re lucky enough to have a leaked version of it from a surviving acetate. In the clip below, George Theiss sings lead vocals (as he did on “Baby I” as well), but Bruce is very much in the mix.
The fidelity isn’t exactly high–I can’t even make out all the lyrics–but we can hear enough of “That’s What You Get” to register a shockingly early example of one of Bruce’s songwriting trademarks: seriously dark lyrics paired with uptempo–almost pop–backing tracks.
In fact, we learn in the very first verse that the singer’s girl is dead, and that it’s his fault–but she should have known better anyway:
The moonlight dances on her face
I got my lips ???
I’m living the life of a lie
It was for me, for me that she died
That’s what you get for loving me
But it’s the second verse that rings with familiarity for Springsteen fans–listen to it again if you missed it the first time:
True love, unhappiness
I fall down on my knees and I cry
It’s my way of saying goodbye
It would take another eighteen years, but that middle line would eventually make it (in slightly modified form) to an official release via “Downbound Train.”
It’s believed that Bruce and The Castiles likely played “That’s What You Get” live throughout 1966 and 1967, but no document survives to confirm that. Not only does this recording stand as the only confirmed performance of one of Bruce’s earliest songs, it’s tied with “Baby I” as the earliest known recording of a Bruce Springsteen performance.
That’s What You Get
Recorded: May 18, 1966
Never released
First performed: unconfirmed
Last performed: unconfirmed
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