Road diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band immerses fans in the vibrant world of rock’s most iconic legend. Combining concert footage with intimate interviews, the documentary showcases Springsteen’s music and the energy of live performance. Describing his vision as a chance to launch”the biggest party“post-COVID, Springsteen invites audiences to experience the joy that live music brings. Directed by Thom Zimny, the film features personal reflections, archival footage and candid essays, creating a rich tapestry of sound and emotion.
As the band embarks on their first tour in six years, the documentary captures their resilience and evolution. Questions about how to reclaim its original spark and integrate new members are among the biggest revelations in the Bruce Springsteen documentary, showing the band at a critical juncture. Every song in road diary the soundtrack plays a fundamental role, highlighting the track’s lasting legacy. For fans eager to explore this musical journey, each song featured on road diary reveals the magic that continues to captivate audiences around the world.
Song |
Resource type |
---|---|
“Ghosts” |
Live |
“She’s the only one” |
Band practice off stage |
“Spirit of the Night” |
Soundtrack |
“Out on the Street” |
Band practice off stage |
“Kitten is back” |
Band rehearsal on stage in an empty arena |
“Thunder Road” |
Soundtrack |
“No Surrender” |
Live |
“Taste all night” |
Live |
“Letter to you” |
Transition between live show and off-stage band rehearsal |
“Thunder” |
Old band tapes |
“Fire” |
Live |
“Rosalita (Come out tonight)” |
Live |
“My love won’t let you down” |
Live |
“Night Shift” |
Live |
“Mary’s Place” |
Live concert fragments |
“Mustang Sally” |
Live concert fragments |
“The Promised Land” |
Live |
“The Last Man Standing” |
Live |
“side streets” |
Live |
“Born in the USA” |
Live concert fragments |
“Dancing in the Dark” |
Live concert fragments |
“Born to Run” |
Live concert fragments |
“I’ll see you in my dreams” |
Springsteen live guitar solo |
“Freezing Tenth Avenue” |
End credits soundtrack |
When every song from Bruce Springsteen’s Road Diary soundtrack is played in the documentary
Road Diary is a journey through the discography of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
“Ghosts” – The documentary opens with a live performance of “Ghosts,” with Springsteen discussing his intention to release “the biggest party“after lockdown, highlighting the band’s eagerness to return to live shows after a long hiatus. Springsteen mentions how playing live has been a deep and lasting part of who he is and why the first tour after COVID-19 is increasingly special to him.
“She’s the only one” – This track is played during a band rehearsal session, where the group rehearses for their post-COVID tour. The song is arranged as a slow ballad, which challenges the musicians; they mention that the slow tempo makes it unusually difficult to perform. They played fast-paced rock songs before the pandemic, and it was difficult for each of the bandmates to synchronize their tones after a long break.
“Spirit in the Night” – This song plays in the background as the band members talk about their early days with Springsteen and the formation of the E Street Band. Each member reflects on Springsteen’s impact on their careers and lives.
“Out on the Street” – Presented in yet another rehearsal session, the band works on structuring this song for the tour after the COVID break, with the aim of capturing the best way to engage a live audience once again.
“Kitten is back” – During tour rehearsals, Springsteen and the band rehearsed on stage in an empty arena, capturing the raw essence of their music without an audience. They worked on a few songs, balancing spontaneity with notes from the tour director, fine-tuning the spirit and intensity of the performance so the audience could experience it.
“Thunder Road” – As this track plays in the background, Steven Van Zandt, a core member of the band, expresses his concerns about the potential audience and critical perception of the band as “elderly people going through the motions.“As musical director, he aimed to create a mind-blowing experience, synchronizing the band more than ever before. Although some felt pressure, Springsteen’s calm and confident approach kept the spirit light, ensuring the performance remained genuine and sincere.
“No Surrender” – This is the first song on the live tour setlist. After the performance, the bandmates discuss how the intensity of the tour and the audience’s energy increase significantly as the set progresses.
“Taste all night” – Vocalist Michelle Moore recalls a moving moment during her first post-COVID-19 show in Tampa, Florida. When she caught the attention of a fan in the audience, the warm response left her emotional, feeling the relief and excitement shared between the band and fans after a long period apart.
“Letter to you” – The documentary switches from a live version of this song to footage of the band rehearsing. The band members reflect on the intentional structure of the set list, emphasizing that the song selection reveals Springsteen’s identity and connection to his work. Max Weinburg, the drummer, talks about the album Letter to you and its meaning for Springsteen.
“Thunder” – Archival footage shows old tapes of the band playing in small cafes, interspersed with current interviews where former bandmates recall the early tours, describing them as a series of shows at various local venues.
“Fire” – Patti Scialfa reflects on her 40-year journey with the E Street Band and the joy of being back on stage after the band’s inactive period. She spoke about the challenges of her immune system, highlighting her resilience and dedication to touring despite health obstacles, making her return to the stage a personally triumphant moment.
“Rosalita (Come out tonight)” – Jon Landau, the band’s producer, recalls the wild energy of the 31 US tours, highlighting the intensity and personal experiences that Springsteen had on each night. Each performance was a journey in itself, filled with unbridled enthusiasm and audience connection.
“My love won’t let you down” – While touring Europe, Bruce and the band reflect on their immense popularity abroad, with European audiences demonstrating unparalleled warmth and enthusiasm. Fans also describe the Springsteen community as close-knit, feeling more like a family than a typical fan base, which adds a special, heartfelt energy to each performance.
“Night Shift” – A live performance of this track is featured with Springsteen extending the ending of the song while the band adds their unique melodic touches to lengthen the piece for the audience.
“Mary’s Place” – Following “Nightshift”, in the band’s live concert, “Mary’s Place” becomes the continuation of an electrifying live performance, embodying the band’s unwavering energy and keeping the audience fully engaged in the magic of their music and presence.
“Mustang Sally” – This is the only cover song by The Commitments and Andrew Strong that the band E-street sings in one of their live shows, including some fragments of the track right after “Mary’s Place”.
“The Promised Land” – At the show in Ferrara, Italy, on May 18, 2023, the documentary features fragments of the band playing “The Promised Land”. Through this song, Springsteen reflects on his life’s journey and his belief in an eternal “promised land” or sky, symbolizing a sense of accomplishment and readiness for what lies beyond.
“The Last Man Standing” – Van Zandt discusses the inspiration behind Springsteen writing this song, shortly after the passing of his friend George. The documentary transitions between scenes of Springsteen playing live, telling the story, and Van Zandt elaborating on the song’s emotional depth.
“side streets” – This song is played with varying high and low tempos. Springsteen connects this to “The Last Man Standing”, offering a reflective monologue about George, touching his chest and stating that he will “upload everything here,“receiving a wave of applause from the crowd. His voice falters briefly before he regains his rhythm to finish the outro. Band members describe “Backstreets” as the “start of the roller coaster climb” which defines the rest of the show.
“Born in the USA” – At the show in Ferrara, Italy, Springsteen and the band played “Born in the USA” right after dark tracks like “The Last Man Standing” and “Backstreets”, switching to a more uplifting tone. This change lightens the atmosphere after the emotionally heavy songs.
“Dancing in the Dark” – Before starting this song, Springsteen shares a fun conversation with Van Zandt, joking: “If Stevie doesn’t want to go home, no one will.” The band then launches into this spirited track, echoing Springstten’s struggle for meaning and his search for human connection, a theme running through many of his songs.
“Born to Run” – After “Dancing in the Dark”, Springsteen sings “Born to Run”, remembering his youth and his first ambitions. This performance adds a nostalgic layer, channeling the restless drive of his youth and energizing the audience with a timeless sense of freedom.
“I’ll see you in my dreams” – Springsteen concludes the show with this guitar piece, alone on stage. As the final notes fade, he respectfully acknowledges each band member, shaking hands, hugging and patting them, ending the concert on a note of camaraderie and appreciation.
“Freezing Tenth Avenue” – This track marks the final, high-energy number of the show, where the bandmates say goodbye to the audience; it is also the song that is playing in the background while the end credits are shown.
Where to listen to Bruce Springsteen’s Road Diary soundtrack
The Road Diary soundtrack is available on several music streaming platforms
The documentary, Road diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street BandNow streaming on Hulu and Disney+, it has a soundtrack that offers fans an immersive concert experience. The soundtrack, Road diary: musicis a curated playlist of 25 live tracks from Springsteen’s recent 2023-24 world tour, available on nugs.net, Spotify and other major streaming platforms. Key performances include Tampa’s “No Surrender” and “Ghosts,” Atlanta’s “Letter to You” and Ferrara’s “The Promised Land,” capturing the range and energy of Springsteen’s recent shows.
For those wanting more classic hits, road diary also features beloved songs like “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)” and “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out” from Newark, “Glory Days” from Rome, and “Dancing in the Dark” and “Born in the USA” from Barcelona. Fans can listen to these live versions and new versions of songs like “Prove It All Night” and “Backstreets” on Apple Music and Spotify. As Springsteen prepares to begin his Canadian tour Road diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band provides the definitive soundtrack to relive their unparalleled energy and legacy in live rock performances.