The List

4 Songs That Bruce Springsteen Never Played Live

Bruce Springsteenโ€™s career has spanned decades, and heโ€™s been on stage pretty consistently throughout that career. That being said, The Boss hasnโ€™t performed every single song in his discography live. Letโ€™s look at just a few examples of tracks he missed! Though, itโ€™s worth noting that Bruce Springsteen never played quite a few songs live, and a few could have easily made this list. Weโ€™re just fond of these four tracks, in particular.

1. โ€œOne Minute Youโ€™re Hereโ€

This track comes from Springsteenโ€™s 20th studio album, Letter To You. Released back in 2020, it was Springsteenโ€™s first album with the E Street Band since the 2014 record High Hopes.

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The album was critically acclaimed, with critics praising Springsteenโ€™s artistry and treatment of aging and mortality. โ€œOne Minute Youโ€™re Hereโ€ is a stunning song from that album, and itโ€™s a little surprising that Springsteen hasnโ€™t whipped it out in the last few years. However, The Boss couldnโ€™t tour shortly after the albumโ€™s release because of a certain pandemic, so that might be why.

2. โ€œBring On The Nightโ€

Tracks is one of several box sets from Springsteen, and itโ€™s a favorite release among fans. The four-disc collection was released back in 1998 and contains quite a few then-unreleased songs and outtakes that any fan of The Boss would love.

One outtake is โ€œBring On The Nightโ€, which was once famously (and unofficially) released as a bootleg. The track was originally an outtake from The River circa 1979. 

3. โ€œTomorrow Never Knowsโ€

Nope, this isnโ€™t a Beatles cover. Bruce Springsteen never played โ€œTomorrow Never Knowsโ€ live, and itโ€™s a bit of a bummer. Itโ€™s a genuinely sweet, well-produced song from Working On A Dream. Itโ€™s not abundantly clear why Springsteen never whipped this one out during his tours in the last decade or so, but thereโ€™s still hope!

4. โ€œCity Of Nightโ€

Weโ€™re going to be bold and say โ€œCity Of Nightโ€ is one of the most underrated tracks from The Boss ever. There isnโ€™t another song on this planet better suited for sitting in the back of a taxi at two oโ€™clock in the morning. The guitar, that sax, Springsteenโ€™s crooning vocalsโ€ฆ Itโ€™s a gorgeous yet obscure tune. Bruce Springsteen never played this stunning little gem from The Promise live, unfortunately.

Photo by Ross Marino/Getty Images

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