THE PROMISE

Official 1999 studio version

Johnny works in a factory, Billy works downtown
Terry works in a rock and roll band lookin' for that million-dollar sound
I got a job down in Darlington but some nights I don't go
Some nights I go to the drive-in and some nights I stay home
I followed that dream just like those guys do up on the screen
I drove my Challenger down Route 9 through the dead ends and all the bad scenes
And the promise was broken, I cashed in a few of my own dreams

Well now I built that Challenger by myself, but I needed money and so I sold it
I lived a secret I should'a kept to myself, but I got drunk one night and I told it
All my life I fought that fight, a fight that you can never win
Every day it just gets harder to live a dream you're believing in
Thunder Road, oh baby you were so right
Thunder Road, there's something dyin' down on the highway tonight

Well I won big once and I hit the coast, hey but I paid the big cost
Inside I felt like I was carryin' broken spirits of all the other ones who lost
When the promise is broken you go on living, but it steals something from down in your soul
Like when the truth is spoken and it don't make no difference, something in your heart runs cold
I followed that dream through the southwestern tracks, that dead ends in two-bit bars
When the promise was broken I was far away from home sleepin' in the backseat of a borrowed car
Thunder Road, here's for the lost lovers and all the fixed games
Thunder Road, here's for the tires rushing by in the rain
Thunder Road, remember Billy what we'd always say
Thunder Road, we were gonna take it all then throw it all away

Page last updated: 07 Nov 2010

Intro

The above lyrics are for a 1999 studio version of THE PROMISE that was released on 18 Tracks in April of that year.

Studio Recording

According to interview comments made by engineer Toby Scott (Springsteen's audio archivist and recording engineer), it was in February 1998 during solo sessions being conducted at Thrill Hill Recording (Springsteen's home studio) in Colts Neck, NJ, that Springsteen told Scott that the time was right to proceed with the long-anticipated box set of archived, unreleased studio takes. THE PROMISE was going to be included on the box set in 1998, but Springsteen said that he didn't have a version that he liked enough to release. He rejected it opting to record a new version in 1999 that would be issued on 18 Tracks. Apparently, it is the unofficial Sep-Oct 1977 studio version that Bruce rejected for the Tracks box set, though he later released it in an edited form on The Promise in 2010 (official 1977 studio version).

The lyrics on the 18 Tracks booklet reflect the unofficial Sep-Oct 1977 studio version much more than those of this official 1999 studio version. This supports the claim that it is that Sep-Oct 1977 studio take that was first considered to be included on the Tracks box set before Bruce rejecting it and re-recording a solo piano version in 1999.

Although the Tracks project dominated activities during the remainder of 1998 Springsteen also recorded numerous new songs at his home studio during the between Feb 1998 and Feb 1999, although little has been released. THE PROMISE was recorded on 12 Feb 1999 at Thrill Hill Recording (Springsteen's home studio) in Colts Neck, NJ. The song is produced by Springsteen alone, and features him solo on vocals and piano. Toby Scott is credited for recording and mixing the track. The song was specifically recorded for its inclusion on the 18 Tracks compilation album which was released on 13 Apr 1999. It was one of the three "bonus" tracks on 18 Tracks that were not originally included on Tracks.

The 18 Tracks Sampler

18 Tracks is a sampler album compiling 15 tracks from the Tracks box set, in addition to 3 previously unreleased recordings. This release was intended for the more casual fans who didn't purchase the pricey 4-disc box set. It also served the purpose as a promotional tie-in for the E Street Band's The Reunion Tour that was announced at the same time of the sampler's release.

[Click thumbnail to enlarge/reduce artwork]

18 Tracks was released on 13 Apr 1999 on Columbia Records. It features 18 Springsteen compositions and clocks at 71:12. The was released on CD, cassette tape, and as a vinyl record.

18 Tracks track listing:

1.GROWIN' UPRecorded at CBS Studios, New York City, NY, on 03 May 1972
2.SEASIDE BAR SONGRecorded at 914 Sound Studios, Blauvelt, NY, on 28 Jun 1973
3.RENDEZVOUSRecorded live at Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY, on 31 Dec 1980
4.HEARTS OF STONERecorded at Record Plant, New York City, NY, on 14 Oct 1977
5.WHERE THE BANDS ARERecorded at The Power Station, New York City, NY, on 09 Oct 1979
6.LOOSE ENDSRecorded at The Power Station, New York City, NY, on 18 Jul 1979
7.I WANNA BE WITH YOURecorded at The Power Station, New York City, NY, on 31 May 1979
8.BORN IN THE USARecorded at Thrill Hill Recording, Colts Neck, NJ, in Jan 1982
9.MY LOVE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWNRecorded at The Hit Factory, New York City, NY, on 05 May 1982
10.LION'S DENRecorded at The Power Station, New York City, NY, on 25 Jan 1982
11.PINK CADILLACRecorded at The Hit Factory, New York City, NY, on 31 May 1983
12.JANEY DON'T YOU LOSE HEARTRecorded at The Hit Factory, New York City, NY, on 16 Jun 1983
13.SAD EYESRecorded at Soundworks West, Los Angeles, CA, on 25 Jan 1990
14.PART MAN, PART MONKEYRecorded at Soundworks West, Los Angeles, CA, in Jan 1990
15.TROUBLE RIVERRecorded at Soundworks West, Los Angeles, CA, on 06 Apr 1990
16.BROTHERS UNDER THE BRIDGERecorded at Thrill Hill Recording, Beverly Hills, CA, on 22 May 1995
17.THE FEVERRecorded at 914 Sound Studios, Blauvelt, NY, on 16 May 1973
18.THE PROMISERecorded at at Thrill Hill Recording, Colts Neck, NJ, on 12 Feb 1999

Other Official Releases

Besides its release on 18 Tracks, the official 1999 studio version of THE PROMISE was included on "SAD EYES - THE FEVER - THE PROMISE", a rare 1999 Argentina-only promotional single tying with the release of 18 Tracks. The single was reportedly limited to 100 copies. The disc comes in a plain PVC sleeve and has catalogue # COL 2-000510.

Awards

THE PROMISE [official 1999 studio version] was nominated for two 1999 Grammy Awards: "Best Rock Song" and "Best Male Rock Vocal Performance". It lost for the Red Hot Chili Peppers' SCAR TISSUE and Lenny Kravitz's AMERICAN WOMAN respectively. Springsteen did not attend the award ceremonies which took place on 23 Feb 2000 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, CA.

Appearance in Movies

THE PROMISE [official 1999 studio version] was used in the Erik Skjoldbjærg directed 2001 film Prozac Nation; no soundtrack album was released for this film. At the beginning of the movie, Christina Ricci's character Elizabeth remembers when she was sitting on the floor in her school's lockers room, holding a cassette player to her ear and listening to Springsteen's THE PROMISE. Elizabeth obviously is a Springsteen fan. A little later in the movie she goes to Harvard and says to herself, "[...] Harvard, a place where I would finally be surrounded by people I had something in common with. I'm not gonna ask for much – they don't have to be a Springsteen fan." When she gets to her new dorm room, she starts unpacking and Springsteen's Dancing In The Dark 12-inch single and Darkness On The Edge Of Town and The River LPs are among the records she's holding on her lap. The Tunnel Of Love LP is seen later on the wall behind her bed. THE PROMISE appears again in the movie, playing in the background while Elizabeth is writing a novel. She writes, "Springsteen's like this garage mechanic poet. You can feel the sweat in his voice, the grime in his guitar. I see steamy streets, lovers groping hands, busted Fenders, the dirt is under his nails and the clairvoyance in his eyes..." Strangely, the Born To Run album is seen turning on a record player during the montage.

The film is set in 1985 when Elizabeth is 19 and goes to Harvard, but Tunnel Of Love wasn't released until two years later. It was no later than the late seventies when she was in school listening to THE PROMISE. The song hadn't been released until 1999, and it couldn't have been a bootleg recording of one of the 1977 studio takes because she was listening to the version that was re-recorded in 1999.


Plot: When talented young writer Elizabeth Wurtzel (Christina Ricci) earns a scholarship to Harvard, she sees it as her chance to escape the pressures of her working-class background and concentrate on her true talent. But what starts out so promising leads to self-destructive behavior and paralyzing depression that reflects an entire generation's struggle to navigate the effects of divorce, drugs, sex, and high expectations.

Starring: Christina Ricci, Jessica Lange, Michelle Williams, Jason Biggs, Anne Heche
Directed by: Erik Skjoldbjærg
Produced by: R. Paul Miller et al.
Written by: Galt Niederhoffer, Elizabeth Wurtzel, Frank Deasy, Larry Gross
Distributed by: Miramax Films
Release date: 08 Sep 2001

Available Versions

List of available versions of THE PROMISE on this website:

Credits / References

Some of the above info about the studio sessions is taken from Brucebase. Scans and info for the above Argentina promo single are taken from Lost In The Flood.
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