Roll of the Dice: Henry Boy

Had “Henry Boy” made it onto Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J., Rosie might never have come out.

In 1972, when Bruce Springsteen was furiously writing and recording candidates for his upcoming debut album, “Henry Boy” seemed like one of the more promising ones. Bruce certainly seemed to think so–he included the song in an early potential album sequence,

He even recorded a demo for publishing purposes, to encourage other artists to record covers of it.

Sure, Bruce’s “Henry Boy” lyrics were cryptic and trip-tic, but so was pretty much everything Bruce was writing during that period. The melody, though… now there was a hook. Take a listen:

“Henry Boy” is clearly the musical ancestor of two of Bruce’s most well-known songs. He would repurpose the verse melody eight months later for “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight),” and he’d upcycle the bridge even sooner–it would appear in “Blinded by the Light” within three months.

Lyrically, Bruce was already in “Blinded” mode, rhyming dictionary at the ready and internal rhymes (a favorite early writing device) in full flair.

In his only known live performance–captured by Barry Rebo on video below–Bruce coyly introduced it as “a song about being new in town”… before slyly adding an “I think” under his breath.

Henry may have been new in town, but there’s a bit more going on in the song than that.

They broke your toys this morning, Henry, rode your board right into dust
Surrounded you with strangers who you could not trust
And then they had the gall
To write your name up on the girl’s room wall
And send you out to Maria who spoke of babies and all
And wanted to shoot your joy
It’s a hard world when you’re the new kid in town, ain’t it, Henry Boy

Bruce implies that Henry is a young adult, high school age, and perhaps a bit too much of a pretty boy for his own good. He’s bullied by the boys and popular with the girls–popular enough to earn a bit of a reputation and an ensuing lecture.

With nowhere to turn to, Henry is turned out to the streets, where he’s unable to find his tribe even among the huddles of hustlers and sex worker sects.

Well the north side is for diamond-studded women subtly selling their wares
And the west side is for debutantes and would-be millionaires
The east side is for lost boys who know their moves too well
The south side is for gamblers, Henry, the train stops once for hell
It’s a hard world when they’re forcing you to live your life out on Broadway
But Henry I’m sure you’re gonna like it well

Henry’s alone, but he’s got at least one friend: the omniscient narrator cum drug dealer who hooks him up with needles and syringes (“doctor’s appendages”) and some “magic” to carry him through.

The constellation she points to gate eleven, that’s where you got your connections
Let me take a look inside my magic book, I don’t think you’re beyond my inventions
These doctor’s appendages I’m giving you for wings, I’m sure they will meet the occasion
I’m gonna mix you some magic, you’ll be spitting sparks and ready for the invasion

Even high, Henry’s overwhelmed, paranoid, and constantly in danger. He retreats to the safety of his street corner waiting for the coast to clear.

The Milky Way’s a trip for dippers, they saw you coming a mile away
In the amusement park you’ll get clipped by rippers hiding behind candy canes
In the alleyway you’ll get ripped by strippers all who know your name
In the stalls sit the soldier-boy kissers on leave for just a day
And Henry can’t take it, he’s gonna be a submariner riding underground for the Pope
Gonna stand on the corner of Broadway, and scream “Up ‘scope”

Like much of Bruce’s contemporaneous material, “Henry Boy” is more of a character sketch than a story, and a pretty thin sketch at that. We learn next to nothing about our protagonist, yet Bruce is still able to elicit some sympathy from us if we’re able to penetrate the dense lyrics and feel the pathos in Bruce’s vocals.

In the end, “Henry Boy” gave way to better, more enduring songs, but its DNA is present in E Street Band concerts to this day.

In 2016, Bruce released his original 1972 demo on his Chapter and Verse album, finally freeing Henry after 44 long years from his lonely Broadway street corner.

Henry Boy
Recorded: June 1972
Released: Chapter and Verse (2016)
First performed: August 10, 1972 (New York City, NY)
Last performed: August 10, 1972 (New York City, NY)

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