This early River-era home demo was a dead end, but it’s melody pointed the way to an officially released Born in the U.S.A. outtake.
Category: Roll of the Dice
For a young Jersey Shore songwriter fascinated with American westerns, undersea cowboys is as high concept as it gets.
Keep your room clean, kids.
It’s one of the great Springsteen mysteries: what exactly makes “I’m on Fire” so freaking popular?
“Southern Sun” is one of the original Hammond demos Bruce never committed to disc, and while there are elements to admire, that’s probably a good thing.
Inspired by a haunting expose of inner city poverty and his fascination with the American West, Bruce crafted a harrowing but redemptive story of a devoted mother and son.
With a sly hat tip to a 1955 blues classic, “Ain’t Got You” signaled a turning point in Bruce’s songwriting and love life.
Almost certainly a holdover from the Steel Mill era, the heavy “Do It With Feeling” is ill-suited for the light-on-its-feet Bruce Springsteen Band.
Bruce’s musical assist helped Joe Grushecky preserve his parents’ story in this sweet, romantic and true ballad.
Beneath this two-minute trifle lurks dark and complex inspiration.