Roll of the Dice: When You Need Me

Ask a fan or a critic about Bruce Springsteen’s Tunnel of Love album, and odds are pretty good you’ll hear the term “divorce album.”

At the very least, we tend to characterize the album as an anthology of love gone wrong, infected by doubt, insecurity, shame, and secrets.

But it didn’t start out that way.

When Bruce sat down in his home studio on January 20, 1987 to start recording songs for his next album, he recorded three songs on that first day: “Walk Like a Man,” a tribute to his father; “Spare Parts,” a song about self-love and -respect; and “When You Need Me,” which may hold the distinction of being the most syrupy song Bruce ever wrote.

Only as the recording sessions progressed did Bruce’s marital dissatisfaction work its way to the surface through songs like “Brilliant Disguise,” “Two Faces,” and “One Step Up.”

In its final form, Tunnel of Love is actually more balanced than most fans give it credit for: its first three tracks are true-blue love songs, as is the gorgeous, underrated “Valentine’s Day.”

But whereas “Ain’t Got You” had its humble-brag humor, and “Tougher Than the Rest” had its machismo-dipped vulnerability, “When You Need Me” had… well, it had syrup.

There’s not much to write home about in “When You Need Me.” I’m probably going to get some comments from affronted readers who chose it as their wedding song (I apologize in advance), but if you’re looking for a wedding song in Bruce Springsteen’s catalog, there are better choices out there than this one.

Lyrically, there’s not a lot of artistry on display–no symbolism or layered meaning–just a straightforward profession of love and fidelity.

When you need me call my name
‘Cause without you my life just wouldn’t be the same
If you want me come sunny skies or rain
When you need me just call my name

If you miss me, I’ll be there
To brush the sunlight from your hair

Okay, let’s pause for a second: why in the world would Bruce promised to brush the sunlight from his love’s hair? That makes no sense taken either literally or metaphorically, and it’s always bugged me about this song.

Sorry. Let’s continue.

I’ll be there to guide you when trouble walks beside you
If you need me I’ll be there
And when this dirty world has been cold to you
I got two strong arms waitin’ to hold you
And when those mean days come along
We’ll stand together and we’ll take ’em on
So if you need me just call my name

When you need me call my name
‘Cause without you my life just isn’t the same
‘Cause when this world kicked me around
Baby you picked me up off the ground
So if you need me I’ll be there

I really want to find some substance to break down and analyze (I don’t feel like I’m doing my job otherwise), but what we hear is pretty much all we get.

Even musically, Bruce made some questionable decisions. At the beginning, and underneath throughout, we hear a lovely, modest backing track that’s 100% Bruce, but when Bruce dusted off the track for his Tracks box set a decade after recording it, he felt the need to add drums. The song is not the better for it.

When the time came to assemble the final album, Bruce wisely chose to keep “When You Need Me” off of it. Even the more straightforward love songs on Tunnel of Love have some complexity to them–the pure poppiness of “When You Need Me” would have stood out by comparison.

If it seems like I’m hating on “When You Need Me,” I’m not. It’s hard to take issue with a song this light and sweet, but that’s sort of the problem with it: it’s just okay. There’s nothing to particularly admire or especially hate, and as a result the song is essentially forgettable.

Which is exactly how Bruce seems to have treated it: “When You Need Me” has never received a concert outing and probably won’t barring a fan’s sign request (which isn’t likely to happen, either). Very probably, “When You Need Me” will remain an inoffensive, largely forgotten outtake.

Update #1: Astute reader Yoli Clavero noted that while Bruce hasn’t performed “When You Need Me” in concert, he did rehearse it way back on March 30, 1993. Here’s that recording below. Gracias, Yoli!

Update #2: I’m humbled today by how sharp my readers are–Magnus Lauglo noticed that in the last verse, the tense shifts to the present: “’cause without you my life just isn’t the same.” That implies that “When You Need Me” is more than just a sweet love song; it’s a song about the bond that persists even after a relationship ends. It deepens the song considerably, and I may have to upgrade my opinion of the song as a result. Thanks, Magnus!

When You Need Me
Recorded: January 10, 1987
Released: Tracks (1998)
Never performed

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