Bruce Springsteen’s diehard fans know his work inside and out. They can even tell you which live versions of their favorites are best. But we’re here to help casual fans dig into the deep corners of his catalog to find some gems.
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We stuck to only the studio albums here, and we tried to spread the love out across the decades. With that in mind, here are five deep cuts from The Boss that should make their way onto your next playlist.
“For You” from ‘Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J.’ (1973)
Bruce Springsteen’s debut album was uneven, as he struggled a bit to find a style that was truly his (and not Bob Dylan’s or Van Morrison’s). On top of that, even the good songs suffered from murky recordings. Yet “For You” rises above all those qualms. For one, it stands out as a rare Springsteen song from his early career that takes a deep look at a romantic relationship. And the one profiled here is quite turbulent. The narrator does his best to hang onto the wild ride but finds himself left behind in the end anyway.
“Walk Like A Man” from ‘Tunnel Of Love’ (1987)
Tunnel Of Love featured Bruce Springsteen doing his best to make sense of the difficulties of love. Even though “Walk Like A Man” is set at a series of weddings, Springsteen here is instead looking at the father-son relationship, one of his favorite topics. “Walk Like A Man” speaks eloquently and movingly about how that relationship evolves with the passage of time and major life events. Unlike other Springsteen songs that struggled to come to terms with his father, this one ends on a note of understanding and empathy.
“Straight Time” from ‘The Ghost Of Tom Joad’ (1995)
Bruce Springsteen released only three studio albums in the 90s. Two of them (Human Touch and Lucky Town) found him coming as close to autobiography in his writing as ever. Perhaps that’s why he decided on The Ghost Of Tom Joad to focus on character sketches, getting inside the heads of people from all walks of life. The brooding “Straight Time” studies an ex-con who is trying in vain to live an honest life. Circumstances and temptations keep pushing him back to his old wayward ways. The coiled tension of this track leaves a lasting impact.
“Your Own Worst Enemy” from ‘Magic’ (2007)
In 2019, Bruce Springsteen released the excellent Western Stars, which featured arrangements owing a lot to lush pop productions of the 60s. Consider “Your Own Worst Enemy” a dry run for that effort. Because he dropped it in the middle of the otherwise rock-heavy Magic, the song feels a bit strange in the running order. But “Your Own Worst Enemy” shines nonetheless. Springsteen sings about self-deception in no uncertain tones. Meanwhile, the florid music seems to play into the theme by making everything sound pillowy and safe.
“We Are Alive” from ‘Wrecking Ball’ (2012)
Wrecking Ball stood out as a bold piece of work. With its lyrics, it fearlessly confronted what Bruce Springsteen felt were social injustices. Meanwhile, the music somehow both hearkened back to antiquated eras and bravely forged a path into the future. The closing track featured Springsteen borrowing the rhythmic thrust from Johnny Cash’s “Ring Of Fire”. Onto that, he grafted a tale about the unlucky dead rising up to form an army. They labor to ensure that the living learn from their examples and diligently fight for what is right.
Photo by Richard E. Aaron/Redferns
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