Bruce Springsteen's autobiography 'Born to Run' will be accompanied by an 18-track set

Bruce Springsteen’s autobiography ‘Born to Run’ will be accompanied by an 18-track set

By Randall Roberts

July 28, 2016 11:25 AM PT

One of 2016’s most eagerly anticipated autobiographies is getting an “audio companion.” Bruce Springsteen’s soon-to-be-published autobiography, “Born to Run,” will arrive accompanied by an 18-track set called “Chapter and Verse,” the boss announced Thursday via his website.

Springsteen quietly started writing his book in 2009 and signed on to issue it with Simon & Schuster. In an excerpt published in February, Springsteen wrote, “Writing about yourself is a funny business. But in a project like this, the writer has made one promise, to show the reader his mind. In these pages, I’ve tried to do this.”

For “Chapter and Verse,” Springsteen will try to show the listener his ear. The music will arrive Sept. 23 through Springsteen’s longtime label, Columbia, four days before his book’s Sept. 27 publication. In announcing the news, Springsteen included the trailer below:

While poring through the 500-page book, those readers who can simultaneously focus on lyrics and prose can use as a soundtrack both previously unreleased and classic recordings spanning five decades.

Track listing for “Chapter and Verse.”

1. Baby I — The Castiles (recorded May 2, 1966, at Mr. Music, Bricktown, N.J.; written by Bruce Springsteen and George Theiss; previously unreleased)

2. You Can’t Judge a Book by the Cover — The Castiles (recorded Sept. 16, 1967, at the Left Foot, Freehold, N.J.; written by Willie Dixon; previously unreleased)

3. He’s Guilty (The Judge Song) — Steel Mill (recorded Feb. 22, 1970, at Pacific Recording Studio, San Mateo, Calif.; previously unreleased)

4. Ballad of Jesse James — The Bruce Springsteen Band (recorded March 14, 1972, at Challenger Eastern Surfboards, Highland, N.J.; previously unreleased)

5. Henry Boy (recorded June 1972, at Mediasound Studios, New York, N.Y.; previously unreleased)

6. Growin’ Up (recorded May 3, 1972, at Columbia Records Recordings Studios, New York, N.Y.; previously appeared on ‘Tracks’)

7. 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) (1973, ‘The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle’)

8. Born to Run (1975, ‘Born to Run’)

9. Badlands (1977, ‘Darkness on the Edge of Town’)

10. The River (1980, ‘The River’)

11. My Father’s House (1982, ‘Nebraska’)

12. Born in the U.S.A. (1984, ‘Born in the U.S.A.’)

13. Brilliant Disguise (1987, ‘Tunnel of Love’)

14. Living Proof (1992, ‘Lucky Town’)

15. The Ghost of Tom Joad (1995, ‘The Ghost of Tom Joad’)

16. The Rising (2002, ‘The Rising’)