We were baffled last October to learn that Bruce Springsteen wrote a song for Harry Potter And The Sorcerer’s Stone, and even more baffled that the film’s studio, WB, turned it down. Sixteen years later, the song is finally available for listening, and it’s a little more understandable why it was never used.
It’s a nice song—Hypable reports that Springsteen wrote it for his son after they read The Sorcerer’s Stone together—but it doesn’t exactly fit with John Williams’ tinkling-magic score for the films, nor does it address anything specific to the story’s plot. Instead, it feels like a message of friendship and support for someone going through hard times—a message Ron and Hermione communicate to Harry consistently through the series—or a parental figure like Dumbledore or Sirius Black telling Harry he’s not alone.
The song sees the light of day thanks to the Springsteen-specific torrent site Jungleland, which released 12 other songs, mostly from concert sound checks. The Odds And Sods compilation also gives us an early version of “Kitty’s Back” and “Devils & Dust.” You’ll need to register with Jungleland to torrent the full compilation.