Unofficial studio version
A-one, a-two, a-, three
One, two, three
One, two, keyboard down, three, four
Sir I am a pilgrim, a stranger in this land
Once I had a home here, 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 unsatisfied heart
Can you live with unsatisfied heart
Can you live with unsatisfied heart
Can you live with 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 that secret wouldn't see the light
At night I'd lay awake in my wife's arms, she'd sigh, "George, you alright?"
Can you live with unsatisfied heart
Can you live with unsatisfied heart
Can you live with unsatisfied heart
Can you live with unsatisfied heart
Day after day, time, yeah time passed on by
But I could feel myself changing, yeah changing deep inside
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
Night air fills my lungs and 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 lit by a red summer moon
I feel your arms around me, I wake up in this room
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
Can you live with unsatisfied heart
Can you live with unsatisfied heart
Can you live with unsatisfied heart
Can you live with unsatisfied heart
UNSATISFIED HEART is an unreleased song written by Bruce Springsteen. The above lyrics are for the only studio take of UNSATISFIED HEART in circulation.
The song appeared in a 2022 filing at the United States Copyright Office. See the "Copyright Filings" section below form more details.
According to Sony's logs of Bruce Springsteen's studio sessions, UNSATISFIED HEART was recorded on 24 Mar 1983 and 16 Apr 1983 at Thrill Hill West, Springsteen's home studio in Los Angeles, CA, and on 13 Jun 1983 at The Hit Factory in New York City, NY. The studio take in circulation was most probably cut during one of two sessions at Thrill Hill West. Only one take was recorded at The Hit Factory, with a 5:38 running time.
UNSATISFIED HEART shares some lyrics with another outtake from the same period, FUGITIVE'S DREAM. 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."
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.
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
This version of UNSATISFIED HEART can be found on several bootlegs, including The Lost Masters Vol. 17 (Labour Of Love) [track 16] and The Lost Masters Essential Collection Vol. 1 (Labour Of Love) [disc 2, track 09].
As far as it's known, Bruce Springsteen has never performed UNSATISFIED HEART live.
At least one artist has recorded and released Bruce Springsteen's UNSATISFIED HEART.
Thanks Serge Zehnder for the lyrics help.
If you have any corrections, additions, or comments, please contact me via the below form or by email: .
List of available versions of UNSATISFIED HEART on this website:
UNSATISFIED HEART [Unofficial studio version]
