UNSATISFIED HEART

Official studio version

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Sir I am a pilgrim and a stranger in this land
Once I had a home here and my salvation was at hand
I lived in a house of gold, yeah on a far hillside
I had two beautiful children and a kind and loving wife

Can you live with an unsatisfied heart
Can you live with an unsatisfied heart
Can you live with an unsatisfied heart
Can you live with an unsatisfied heart

One day a man came to town with nothing and nowhere to go
He came to me and he mentioned something I'd done a long time ago
I allowed him into my home on his vow our secret never see the light
At night I lay awake in my wife's arms, she'd sigh, "Joe, you alright?"

Can you live with unsatisfied heart
Can you live with an unsatisfied heart
Can you live with unsatisfied heart
Can you live with unsatisfied heart

The life I built so carefully, it fell before my sin
My home became my prison, my truth hidden deep within
One night I woke up and as my wife did sleep
I got dressed in the darkness and I fled into the street

Can you live with unsatisfied heart
Can you live with unsatisfied heart
Can you live with unsatisfied heart
Can you live with unsatisfied heart

Well night after night the same dream keeps coming 'round
I'm standing high in the green hills on the outskirts of town
The night air fills my lungs, the wind rustles my shirt
I can see the house where we lived, the building where I used to work
As I draw near the town's on fire, lit by a red summer moon
Still feel your arms around me, I wake up in this room

Can you live with unsatisfied heart
Can you live with an unsatisfied heart
Can you live with unsatisfied heart
Can you live with unsatisfied heart
Can you live with unsatisfied heart
Can you live with unsatisfied heart
Can you live with unsatisfied heart
Can you live with unsatisfied heart
Can you live with unsatisfied heart
Can you live with unsatisfied heart
Can you live with unsatisfied heart
Can you live with unsatisfied heart

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Info

UNSATISFIED HEART is a song written by Bruce Springsteen and released on the Tracks II: The Lost Albums box set in 2025. The above lyrics are for Bruce Springsteen's official studio version of UNSATISFIED HEART as released in 2025.

The official studio version of UNSATISFIED HEART was included on the Lost And Found: Selections From The Lost Albums compilation in 2025.

The song appeared in a 2022 filing at the United States Copyright Office. See the "Copyright Filings" section below for more details.

Writing and Recording

FUGITIVE'S DREAM, UNSATISFIED HEART, and FUGITIVE'S DREAM (BALLAD) share a lot in common. They are different stages of evolution of basically the same song and all three were included on the Tracks II: The Lost Albums box set in 2025. The title "Fugitive's Dream (Ballad)" is what box set's track list uses to distinguish the two variants of "Fugitive's Dream"; this website uses the same identification.

Based on the lyrics, it seems that FUGITIVE'S DREAM (BALLAD) evolved into FUGITIVE'S DREAM which evolved into UNSATISFIED HEART.

According to Sony's logs of Bruce Springsteen's studio sessions, FUGITIVE'S DREAM / FUGITIVE'S DREAM (BALLAD) was recorded on 20 Jan 1983 and 24 Mar 1983 at Thrill Hill West, Springsteen's home studio in Los Angeles, CA. UNSATISFIED HEART was recorded on 24 Mar 1983 and 16 Apr 1983 at Thrill Hill West and on 13 Jun 1983 at The Hit Factory in New York City, NY. Only one take of UNSATISFIED HEART was recorded at The Hit Factory, with a 5:38 running time.

In his 2012 book E Street Shuffle: The Glory Days of Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Clinton Heylin wrote: "There is a distinct possibility that the transition from 'Fugitive Dream' to 'Unsatisfied Heart' occurred between takes on March 24."

Based on the above, a most likely scenario is that Springsteen recorded FUGITIVE'S DREAM (BALLAD) 20 Jan 1983. He then rewrote the song and recorded it on 24 Mar 1983. The new incarnation, FUGITIVE'S DREAM, features different music and rewritten lyrics (mostly the second half of the song). The ending also uses some lyrics that appear in DOWNBOUND TRAIN.

That same day, on 24 Mar 1983, he also recorded what can be considered a new song, which uses almost the same lyrics as FUGITIVE'S DREAM but different music, and with the added "Can you live with unsatisfied heart" chorus that gave the new song its title: "Unsatisfied Heart". Two different takes of UNSATISFIED HEART have been (officially and unofficially) released: the official studio version and the unofficial studio version. The two versions have some slight lyrical variations, mostly in the third verse. It remains unclear if they were cut during the 24 Mar 1983 session or the 16 Apr 1983 session. It is probable that they were both cut on 24 Mar 1983, but overdubs, including drums and synthesizer, were added to the official studio version during the 16 Apr 1983 session. As for the single take listed under the 13 Jun 1983 at The Hit Factory, it may simply be the mix of the unofficial studio version being completed.

Springsteen recorded more than an album's worth of songs by himself during this period. He played all the instruments himself, with the help of a drum machine only, and overdubbing was used to create the final product.

Track credits:

Bruce Springsteen: vocals, drum programming, all instruments
Mike Batlan: drum programming

Bruce Springsteen: producer
Ron Aniello: producer
Mike Batlan: recording engineer, mixing engineer
Bob Ludwig: mastering engineer
Rob Lebret: mastering engineer, additional engineering

The lyrics "One day a man came to town with nothing and nowhere to go / He came to me and he mentioned something I'd done a long time ago" were also used in HIGH SIERRA (and FUGITIVE'S DREAM and FUGITIVE'S DREAM (BALLAD)).

Copyright Filings

In 2022, a "Recorded Document" consisting of 539 Bruce Springsteen "musical works" was filed at the United States Copyright Office. The two filings are related to Springsteen's late 2021 deal with Sony Music in which he sold the masters of his entire catalog and the coinciding music publishing rights. They show the transfer of the songs from Bruce Springsteen to Thrill Hill Music LLC and then from Thrill Hill Music LLC to Sony Music Publishing (US) LLC and Asbury Boss LLC. Thrill Hill Music LLC and Asbury Boss LLC are limited liability companies incorporated in September 2021 and October 2021 respectively and likely created for the deal.

Copyright entry #1:
Type of Work: Recorded Document
Document Number: V15007D317
Date of Recordation: 2022-05-13
Entire Copyright Document: V15007 D317 P1-13
Date of Execution: 01Nov21; 01Mar22
Title: 100 Miles From Jackson & 538 other titles; Musical Work.
Notes: Assignment.
Party 1: Bruce Springsteen
Party 2: Thrill Hill Music LLC
Links: List of titles
Names: Springsteen, Bruce | Thrill Hill Music LLC

Copyright entry #2:
Type of Work: Recorded Document
Document Number: V15007D318
Date of Recordation: 2022-05-13
Entire Copyright Document: V15007 D318 P1-14
Date of Execution: 22Nov21; 22Nov21
Title: 100 Miles From Jackson & 538 other titles; Musical Work.
Notes: Exhibit 10.1 Assignment
Party 1: Thrill Hill Music LLC
Party 2: Sony Music Publishing (US) LLC; Asbury Boss, LLC
Links: List of titles
Names: Thrill Hill Music LLC | Sony Music Publishing (US) LLC | Asbury Boss, LLC

Tracks II: The Lost Albums

Tracks II: The Lost Albums is Bruce Springsteen's follow-up to his 1998 box set Tracks, released on 27 Jun 2025. The box set consists of seven "lost albums" recoded between 1983 and 2018, totaling 83 songs, of which 74 have never been officially released in any form. The seven albums are: L.A. Garage Sessions '83, Streets Of Philadelphia Sessions, Faithless, Somewhere North Of Nashville, Inyo, Twilight Hours, and Perfect World.

Tracks II: The Lost Albums, along with its companion Lost And Found: Selections From The Lost Albums, was officially announced on 03 Apr 2025 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time (1:00 p.m. GMT). The announcement was accompanied by a "trailer" for the upcoming set, posted on Bruce Springsteen's YouTube channel and other online services. The previous day, Springsteen released a teaser on his social media accounts, linking to a new website, lostalbums.net, created for the two upcoming releases.

The box set is available in limited edition as a seven-disc CD set and a nine-disc LP set, as well as digital download and streaming. The physical releases will include original packaging for each of the previously unreleased records, with a 100-page cloth-bound, hardcover book featuring rare archival photos, liner notes on each lost album from essayist Erik Flannigan and a personal introduction on the project from Springsteen himself.

Lost And Found: Selections From The Lost Albums

Lost And Found: Selections From The Lost Albums is a curated collection of 20 previously unreleased songs from the Tracks II: The Lost Albums box set, released on 27 Jun 2025.

Lost And Found: Selections From The Lost Albums, along with the Tracks II: The Lost Albums box set, was officially announced on 03 Apr 2025 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time (1:00 p.m. GMT).

The album is available as a one-disc CD album or two-disc LP set, as well as digital download and streaming. The physical releases will include a personal introduction from Springsteen himself.

Live History

As far as it's known, Bruce Springsteen has never performed UNSATISFIED HEART live.

Covers

At least on artist has recorded and released Bruce Springsteen's UNSATISFIED HEART.

Request

If you have any corrections , additions, or comments, please contact me via the below form or by email: .

Available Versions

List of available versions of UNSATISFIED HEART on this website:

UNSATISFIED HEART [Official studio version]
UNSATISFIED HEART [Unofficial studio version]

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Page last updated: 17 Jul 2025