Listen to the forgotten song that Bruce Springsteen created for ‘Harry Potter’
Over five decades and 20 classic albums, Bruce Springsteen has more than earned a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of fame. During his induction speech, U2’s Bono said of Springsteen: “We call him ‘The Boss’. Well, that’s a bunch of crap. He’s not the Boss. He works for us. More than a boss, he’s the owner. Because more than anyone else, Bruce Springsteen owns America’s heart.”
What sets Springsteen apart from his peers is his unique ability to weave poetic realism into his music, often carrying a tangible narrative. For this reason, it would appear strange that The Boss should associate with Britain’s mystical underworld of witchcraft, wizardry and whomping willows.
Alas, in the early 2000s, just as Chris Columbus was preparing to bring life to J.K. Rowling’s books with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, Springsteen approached the director with a hopeful musical contribution to the film’s soundtrack, titled ‘I’ll Stand By You Always’.
Sadly, Warner Bros turned down Springsteen’s offering, and it was regretfully filed away, left unreleased in The Boss’ dusty vaults. Fortunately, Springsteen’s vaults aren’t guarded by the fastidious goblins of Gringotts and thanks to an ardent Springsteen fan known online as ‘Uber Collector’, the track was leaked in 2017.
The fan’s unofficial 13-song collection of previously unreleased tapes understandably drew much attention from Harry Potter and Springsteen fans alike. In 2016, Springsteen told the BBC of the track, “It’s pretty good. At some point, I’d like to get it into a children’s movie of some sort.”
In 2019, the song was finally let off the lead as part of Springsteen’s extensive contribution to Gurinder Chadha’s Blinded By The Light. The film follows the story of Javed, a Pakistani teenager living in England who finds himself cast under the spell of Bruce Springsteen’s music. Inspired, the boy pursues poetry and writing despite his father’s reservations.
Listen to Bruce Springsteen’s ‘I’ll Stand By You (Always)’ below.
