| JAMES LINCOLN DEER - V1 | 4:14 | LMEC2 / HNWB |
| JIM DEER - V2 | 3:10 | TRACKSII |
Note: "Jim Deer" aka "James Lincoln Deer(e)" or "James Lincoln Dear" was worked on at four sessions over the period of twelve months. V1 is an acoustic demo first recorded around March 1982 at Colts Neck. Contains lyrics later used in "My Hometown": "Man said, "These jobs are goin' boys / And they ain't comin' back." Springsteen returned to the song on January 20, 1983, with more work following on February 15 and 17, and March 12, 1983, all at Thrill Hill Recording, Hollywood Hills, California. It is likely one of these 1983 dates that is officially released on Tracks II, now re-arranged and re-written with new lyrics. By late April however, Springsteen renamed his protagonist and re-worked the lyrics once again before recording "Richfield Whistle".