Harry's Place

Album: High Hopes (2014)
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Songfacts®:

  • A snapshot of gangsters hanging out at a drug and drinks den, this song was recorded in 2002 with the E Street Band for The Rising but didn't make the final cut for the album. Speaking with Ted Koppel, Springsteen explained that he didn't believe that the track's subject matter fitted thematically with the rest of the record. The version that was included on High Hopes features virtually the same lyrics.
  • The song features a Clarence Clemons saxophone solo. Known on stage as "The Big Man," Clemons' sax playing was an important part of many Springsteen songs from the time he joined the band in 1972 until his death from a stroke on June 11, 2011.

    High Hopes producer Ron Aniello told Rolling Stone it was an emotional experience to hear Clemons' horn playing through the speakers. "It's like the moment when we made 'Wrecking Ball,'" he said, "and we listened to Clarence's solo. I'll never forget playing that for Bruce."

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