Bruce Springsteen has enjoyed a career on the same epic scale as one of his live performances. The Boss has taken us from the bold folk-rock of his 1972 debut Greetings From Asbury Park, N.J. to the cinematic country arrangements of 2019’s Western Stars, stopping off at bombastic arena rock, acoustic introspection, and synthy pop tunes along the way.
That career has spawned several tracks that will be remembered as some of the finest pieces of songwriting, such as ‘Born to Run’, ‘Jungleland’, and ‘The River’ to name just three. When you’re as prolific as The Boss, it’s inevitable that there are some stellar tracks that don’t make it to an album. Here’s a look at three tracks that most artists would be happy to call one of their best songs, but failed to make the grade for a Springsteen studio album.
Take ‘Em As They Come
Springsteen’s recording sessions for the 1980 album The River are evidence of the sheer songwriting stamina of the man. He curated a 20-track double album that would become one of his most acclaimed, but there is plenty of top-notch material that didn’t quite fit into the sequencing. 2015’s The Ties That Bind collection brought together 52 tracks from the recording sessions, with ‘Take ‘Em As They Come’ one of the songs that immediately stands out among The River cast-offs.
‘Take ‘Em As They Come’ propels forward with a pop-rock simplicity that we didn’t hear too often from Springsteen until some of his 21st-century releases, which is perhaps why Jimmy Eat World opted to cover this particular B-side. The infectious vocal call and response gives the song its high replay value and its uplifting melodies belie the darkness of the verses’ lyrical content, which refers to guns and switchblades.
Roulette
‘Roulette’ is another one from those marathon recording sessions from The River. As with ‘Take ‘Em As They Come’, fans were able to get to know ‘Roulette’ better on the 1998 66-song Tracks box set, the ultimate collection of Springsteen B-sides and demos. ‘Roulette’ sees The Boss venturing into new sonic territory, with Max Weinberg’s powerful drums driving the high-octane track that took Springsteen the closest he had been to punk music since his early career.
Springsteen’s use of a roulette metaphor is fascinating, given that the lyrics tell the tale of a family displaced by a nuclear emergency. The term ‘roulette’ most commonly has connotations with the casino game, with the unpredictability of the game making it a suitable comparison to this scenario. Your fate is completely reliant on the randomness of the wheel at the roulette table, which mirrors the lack of control this family must have felt. Springsteen raises the stakes by alluding to the idea of Russian roulette, a game with very different consequences that fits with the severity of this situation.
Shut Out the Light
The 1984 album Born in the USA solidified Springsteen’s superstardom status, spawning massive hits in the form of ‘Dancing in the Dark’ and the title track. The album may have seen Springsteen deliver more electronic flourishes and classic rock-and-roll moments than in the past, but his lyrics remain as potent as ever. The title track is one notable example, but the B-side to that single’s release is arguably even more devastating in its lyrical content.
‘Shut Out the Light’ provided the perfect counterpoint to the single’s A-side, its stripped-back instrumentation in stark contrast to ‘Born in the USA”s grand, anthemic qualities. The lyrics detail the struggles that a veteran faced on his return home from war, with Vietnam the unspoken context. The track ends with vintage Springsteen poignancy: “He stares across the lights of the city and dreams of where he’s been”.
It was difficult not to include the endearing poppiness of ‘My Love Will Not Let You Down’, the carefree rocker ‘Where The Bands Are’, or the massive hook of ‘Because The Night’ (Patti Smith would instead release this track she co-wrote with Springsteen). It feels bad to leave out tracks of that quality, but it gives an insight into how Springsteen must have felt as he gave great songs the B-side treatment.
