Nebraska '82: Expanded Edition

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Commercially Released: October 24, 2025
Label: Columbia
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Table of Contents

Overview

Released

Additional Information

Overview

Nebraska '82 is the expanded edition of Nebraska. The box contains 4 CDs (or 4 LPs) and a Blu-ray. The set consists of a newly remastered version of the original acoustic album, Electric Nebraska, a disc with outtakes, and the audio from the blu-ray.

Nebraska Outtakes
The outtakes disc contains nine tracks. Bruce recorded more songs in his bedroom in Colts Neck that didn't end up on Nebraska. Several of these outtakes had already found their way to bootleg recordings: "Born In The U.S.A.", "Losin' Kind", "Downbound Train", "Child Bride", "Pink Cadillac", "The Big Payback", and "Working On The Highway". Bruce recorded two of the included songs, "On the Prowl" and "Gun In Every Home", in 1982, not in his bedroom but solo in the studio. The acoustic version of "Born In The U.S.A." was previously released on Tracks in 1998, while "The Big Payback" was used as the B-side of the 1982 "Open All Night" single and included on The Essential Bruce Springsteen bonus disc in 2003.

Electric Nebraska
After recording the demos solo acoustically in his Colts Neck bedroom in late December 1981 and early January 1982, Bruce recorded several songs at the Power Station in New York in April 1982 with several members of the E Street Band (Garry Tallent, Max Weinberg, Danny Federici, Roy Bittan, and Steven Van Zandt). Ultimately, he decided to release the demo versions on record, and the studio recordings disappeared into the vault. Springsteen seemed to have forgotten the existence of these recordings, as he regularly denied the existence of "Electric Nebraska," as these recordings became known, in interviews. In 2025, though, he revisited this in a follow-up to a Rolling Stone interview, confirming that he had found the recordings in the vault.

Nebraska (Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank)
The Blu-ray contains video of a performance of the original album recorded in April 2025 at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ. This performance took place with additional musicians Larry Campbell and Charles Giordano. The third CD/LP disc is the audio from this performance.
"I think in playing these songs to be filmed, their weight impressed on me. I've written a lot of other narrative records, but there's just something about that batch of songs on Nebraska that holds some sort of magic." – Bruce Springsteen

Released

#	Song Title	Running Time	Release
1.	BORN IN THE U.S.A.	3:10	NEBRASKA82: OUTTAKES
2.	LOSIN' KIND	5:00	NEBRASKA82: OUTTAKES
3.	DOWNBOUND TRAIN	2:33	NEBRASKA82: OUTTAKES
4.	CHILD BRIDE	5:32	NEBRASKA82: OUTTAKES
5.	PINK CADILLAC	4:33	NEBRASKA82: OUTTAKES
6.	THE BIG PAYBACK	1:59	NEBRASKA82: OUTTAKES
7.	WORKING ON THE HIGHWAY	3:21	NEBRASKA82: OUTTAKES
8.	ON THE PROWL	2:58	NEBRASKA82: OUTTAKES
9.	GUN IN EVERY HOME	2:30	NEBRASKA82: OUTTAKES

^{Total Running Time: 31:38}

#	Song Title	Running Time	Release
1.	NEBRASKA	4:45	NEBRASKA82: ELECTRIC
2.	ATLANTIC CITY	4:46	NEBRASKA82: ELECTRIC
3.	MANSION ON THE HILL	4:13	NEBRASKA82: ELECTRIC
4.	JOHNNY 99	4:09	NEBRASKA82: ELECTRIC
5.	DOWNBOUND TRAIN	2:22	NEBRASKA82: ELECTRIC
6.	OPEN ALL NIGHT	3:17	NEBRASKA82: ELECTRIC
7.	BORN IN THE U.S.A.	3:30	NEBRASKA82: ELECTRIC / 2025 single
8.	REASON TO BELIEVE	3:36	NEBRASKA82: ELECTRIC

#	Song Title	Running Time	Release
1.	NEBRASKA	4:28	NEBRASKA82: LIVE
2.	ATLANTIC CITY	4:00	NEBRASKA82: LIVE
3.	MANSION ON THE HILL	3:55	NEBRASKA82: LIVE
4.	JOHNNY 99	4:12	NEBRASKA82: LIVE
5.	HIGHWAY PATROLMAN	4:50	NEBRASKA82: LIVE
6.	STATE TROOPER	3:05	NEBRASKA82: LIVE
7.	USED CARS	3:13	NEBRASKA82: LIVE
8.	OPEN ALL NIGHT	3:11	NEBRASKA82: LIVE
9.	MY FATHER'S HOUSE	5:13	NEBRASKA82: LIVE
10.	REASON TO BELIEVE	4:05	NEBRASKA82: LIVE

#	Song Title	Running Time	Release
1.	NEBRASKA	4:31	NEBRASKA82
2.	ATLANTIC CITY	4:00	NEBRASKA82
3.	MANSION ON THE HILL	4:08	NEBRASKA82
4.	JOHNNY 99	3:42	NEBRASKA82
5.	HIGHWAY PATROLMAN	5:40	NEBRASKA82
6.	STATE TROOPER	3:16	NEBRASKA82
7.	USED CARS	3:10	NEBRASKA82
8.	OPEN ALL NIGHT	2:58	NEBRASKA82
9.	MY FATHER'S HOUSE	5:07	NEBRASKA82
10.	REASON TO BELIEVE	4:10	NEBRASKA82

#	Song Title	Running Time	Release
1.	NEBRASKA	4:28	NEBRASKA82: LIVE
2.	ATLANTIC CITY	4:00	NEBRASKA82: LIVE
3.	MANSION ON THE HILL	3:55	NEBRASKA82: LIVE
4.	JOHNNY 99	4:12	NEBRASKA82: LIVE
5.	HIGHWAY PATROLMAN	4:50	NEBRASKA82: LIVE
6.	STATE TROOPER	3:05	NEBRASKA82: LIVE
7.	USED CARS	3:13	NEBRASKA82: LIVE
8.	OPEN ALL NIGHT	3:11	NEBRASKA82: LIVE
9.	MY FATHER'S HOUSE	5:13	NEBRASKA82: LIVE
10.	REASON TO BELIEVE	4:05	NEBRASKA82: LIVE

Additional Information

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FIST FULL OF DOLLARS - V1	3:44	FFOD / HNWB / MT2
FIST FULL OF DOLLARS - V2	2:24	FFOD / HNWB
ATLANTIC CITY - V3	1:40	FFOD / HNWB
ATLANTIC CITY - V4 take 1		uncirculating
ATLANTIC CITY - V5 - take 4	4:00	LM-1
ATLANTIC CITY - V6a - take 3	3:56	NEBRASKA / GREATEST / ESSENTIAL / BESTOF
ATLANTIC CITY - V6b - take 3 - stereo mix	3:43	NEBRASKA
ATLANTIC CITY - V7	4:46	NEBRASKA82: ELECTRIC

Note: Two demos (V1 and V2) were recorded in April 1981, under the title "Fist Full Of Dollars", but they also had quite a few verses written, all about Atlantic City. You can hear him turning pages of his notebook as he worked on them. Some lyrics would remain for "Atlantic City", including the opening lines "Well they blew up the chicken man in Philly last night / Now that town sets in for a fight."

The story continues in late 1981, at Springsteen's Colts Neck home with V3. The lyrics are getting into shape; the rest is Bruce trying variations of the chorus. V4, V5, and V6 were recorded on his Portastudio at Colts Neck during a two-week period, December 17 to January 3, 1982, with V6 take 3 chosen for Nebraska. Take 1, V4 is the only known outtake from this session. In a letter to Jon Landau, Springsteen noted that "this song should probably be done with the whole band really rockin' out." And indeed, Bruce went into the studio for two weeks from late April 1982 and spent the first day working on "Atlantic City", and a number of takes were cut at the Power Station over three days on April 26–28, 1982. The result is officially released in October 2025 on Electric Nebraska in an arrangement very similar to that played live for many years with some lyrical variation, particularly in the closing verses. The released take was recorded on April 27.

BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V1	2:22	FFOD / HNWB / MT2
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V2	0:30	FFOD / HNWB
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V3	4:45	FFOD / HNWB
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V4	3:10	FFOD / HNWB
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V5	2:55	FFOD / HNWB
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V6	4:00	FFOD / HNWB
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V7a (take 1)	3:06	LM-1 / HNWB
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V7b (take 1 mix 2)	3:06	TRACKS / NEBRASKA82: OUTTAKES
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V8 (take 2)	3:32	NEBRASKA82: ELECTRIC
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V9 (take 3)		private
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V10 (take 4)		private
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V11 (takes 5-8)		uncirculating
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V12a (take 9)	8:09	THLBB / UH / GS / BUERM / MI
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V12b (take 9 edit 1)	4:34	BITUSA / GREATEST / ESSENTIAL / GREATEST: 2009 / CHAPTER / BESTOF
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V12c (take 9 edit 2)	4:52	LM-19 / THLBP
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V13 (take 10)		uncirculating
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V14a freedom mix	7:20	1984 EP
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V14b radio mix	6:10	1984 EP
BORN IN THE U.S.A. - V14c dub mix	7:36	1984 EP

Note: Writing and recording began at Springsteen's house in Colts Neck, NJ during the fall of 1981 with a set of acoustic demos. V1 evolved, both musically and lyrically, from the bluesy demo "Vietnam". V1 includes the chorus "born in the USA" that Springsteen lifted from the title of a script of a Paul Schrader movie given to him by Jon Landau, as well as many lyrical elements that would remain in the final released version. The demo begins its transition with V2, a brief snippet of the "Born In The U.S.A." riff, the opening verse, and then the sardonic chorus "Born baby in the USA / I believe in the American way". V3-V6 were all recorded soon after, and see Springsteen developing the lyrics with every take. V7 was recorded between December 17, 1981 and January 3, 1982 on the TEAC Portastudio that Mike Batlan had set up in Bruce's home, and was included on the demo cassette tape sent to Jon Landau. In his notes to Landau, Bruce described the song as "a little ditty. should be done very hard rockin." A copy leaked to bootleggers via Batlan and was pressed on 'Lost Masters I' in 1996, before V7b was mixed in 1998 and officially released on Tracks.

When Bruce and the E Street Band entered Power Station on April 26, 1982, the aim was to re-record the songs on his demo tape in a professional studio environment. Logs indicate that work on "Born In The U.S.A." began on the second day, and continued on April 28 and May 3. What work was done on what day is unclear, but it appears that the bulk of the song was recorded across ten takes on a single night, most likely May 3. A Power Station mixsheet dated to May 3 exists, which supports this position. We know that Springsteen initially attempted to re-record his demo tape alone, which may have occurred on April 27 and 28.

On April 27, 1982, Springsteen and the band cut a number of takes of a rocking electric reimagining of that original acoustic demo. In take 2 Bruce sung the first verse over his electric guitar, before bass and drum joined in. This take was officially released to streaming services on September 4, 2025 as the opening single for the Nebraska '82 box set. Take 3 sees Max accompanying Bruce right from the opening, yet the famous organ riff is nowhere to be found. Take 4 begins with Springsteen singing the first verse a cappella, before the band and his guitar join in. We now skip ahead a few days to May 3 and take 9, where the riff is now in place alongside other new elements, some of which did not make the final track. Brief audio of the opening verse of takes 2, 3, 4, and the multitracks of take 9 first emerged in April 2022, played by Toby Scott at a public event in Mexico City.

Recollections vary as to the origin of the iconic organ riff; Roy Bittan remembers Springsteen demonstrating the song on acoustic guitar before he improvised the riff on a new Yamaha CS-80 synth, and the first take evolved from there. Max Weinberg, however, recalls the first recording was as "a country trio" with a country beat (Max may have been referring to the arrangement found in takes 2-4 above), and the main riff came from Springsteen's guitar. Weinberg doesn't dispute Bittan's memories though.

The eight minute V12a is the full length of take 9. With some edits, including using all or parts of take 10 (V13) for the ending, this take eventually became the first song on side one of Born In The U.S.A (V12b). V12c continues where V12b fades out with an extended synthesizer ending. Toby Scott recalls a total of eight to ten takes, with take six (or nine, recollections seem to vary) as the master. V14a-V14c are 12" dance remixes by Arthur Baker that were recorded at Shakedown Studios in New York City in September 1984. Toby Scott was the recording engineer for the remixes (which include additional vocals by The Latin Rascals), and all were mixed by Bob Clearmountain. The remixes were first released in December 1984. Baker utilized several aspects of the original mixes that were removed for the final album take.

CHILD BRIDE

5:32

NEBRASKA82: OUTTAKES / LM-1 / HNWB / MT2 / GT / MTQ

Note: The only recording known is from a Portastudio session at Colts Neck, from between December 17, 1981 and January 3, 1982. It is often incorrectly noted as being an alternate title for "Working On The Highway" - they are, in fact, separate songs that bear no common melody. In his notes to Jon Landau, Springsteen wrote "in which the protagonist violates the Mann Act and is left to ponder his fate. This is a work in progress, or more like a work without progress. I worked a real long time on this song and could never quite get it right. I spent so much time on it I thought I'd include it to see what you think." As such, Bruce would later set it to an up-beat backing, dispose of the entire original ending and re-invent the song as "Working On the Highway". This take was officially released in October 2025 on Nebraska Outtakes.

DOWNBOUND TRAIN - V1	1:11	FFOD / HNWB
DOWNBOUND TRAIN - V2	0.34	LM-10
DOWNBOUND TRAIN - V3 take 3	2:33	NEBRASKA82: OUTTAKES / LM-1 / HNWB / MT2 / ESR
DOWNBOUND TRAIN - V4	2:22	NEBRASKA82: ELECTRIC
DOWNBOUND TRAIN - V5a	3:17	THLRR / BUERM / TDB / LM-19 / GS
DOWNBOUND TRAIN - V5b	3:29	BITUSA
DOWNBOUND TRAIN - V6		uncirculating

Note: V1 and V2 are brief acoustic demos that were recorded at Springsteen's home in Colts Neck, NJ in late 1981. V1 includes the closing line used in both the Nebraska take and the final Born In The U.S.A. album version: "don't it feel like you're a rider [baby], on a downbound train." V2 is just harmonies, with no lyrical content. A demo was recorded and dubbed to a cassette tape on December 2, 1981 - nothing else is known about this particular recording, but it may be related to V3, a full acoustic run-through of the song recorded at some point between mid-December 1981 and January 3, 1982, with the patented Nebraska ending. Described by Springsteen in his notes to Jon Landau as an "uptempo rocker for full effect / needs band / could be exciting."

Power Station logs show sessions took place on April 27 and 28 and May 3, 5 and 6, 1982. On April 27 and 28 the band attempted a new arrangement of the acoustic recording, but it's a recording from May 3, 1982 that is officially released on the Electric Nebraska CD of Nebraska '82: Expanded Edition in an outrageous arrangement that could perhaps be described as manic punk. Apparently unsatisfied, Springsteen re-arranged the song and returned to the studio on May 5 and 6, sessions that provided the base track of the album version, V5. V5a features Springsteen's count-in, a small lyrical variation in the first verse left over from the acoustic demo ("laid off down at the auto yard" rather than "lumber yard"), some vocal howls in the mid-section, more up-front acoustic guitar over the final verse, and a shorter fade-out. Nearly a year later Bruce returned to "Downbound Train" on February 3, 1983 (V6) at Thrill Hill West, his Hollywood Hills garage studio. However, it was the 1982 cut that was issued on Born In The U.S.A. in 1984.

GUN IN EVERY HOME - V1 (false start)		uncirculating
GUN IN EVERY HOME - V2	2:30	NEBRASKA82: OUTTAKES
GUN IN EVERY HOME - V3		uncirculating

Note: According to studio logs recorded at Power Station on April 30 and May 6, 1982. The song opened the April 30 session, with two takes cut (one complete take and one false start). V2, the complete version from this date is officially released in October 2025 as the final track of Nebraska Outtakes. It is not known if the May 6 recording (listed here as V3) is solo or with the E Street Band.

DEPUTY - V1		uncirculating
DEPUTY - V2		uncirculating
DEPUTY - V3		uncirculating
DEPUTY - V4a	5:30	LM-1 / HNWB
HIGHWAY PATROLMAN - V4b	5:36	NEBRASKA
HIGHWAY PATROLMAN - V4c stereo mix	5:37	NEBRASKA
HIGHWAY PATROLMAN - V5		uncirculating

Note: Four different takes were recorded - the three variants of V4 are merely alternate mixes. The original title was "Deputy". In a letter to Jon Landau, Bruce said he "worked very long on this and always had the feeling I was comin up short. Not really finished but is about as good as I can get it at the time. Don't think the ending was quite strong enough." Logs show one single take at the Power Station on April 30, 1982, performed by Springsteen alone, designated V5. If any band takes were attempted, presumably they were either incomplete or unsatisfactory.

JOHNNY 99 - V1	3:50	FFOD / HNWB
JOHNNY 99 - V2	3:26	FFOD / HNWB
JOHNNY 99 - V3		uncirculating
JOHNNY 99 - V4 take 1		uncirculating
JOHNNY 99 - V5a take 2	3:30	LM-1
JOHNNY 99 - V5b take 2	3:36	NEBRASKA / ESSENTIAL: 2015
JOHNNY 99 - V5c take 2 stereo mix	3:36	NEBRASKA
JOHNNY 99 - V6 take 3		uncirculating
JOHNNY 99 - V7	4:09	NEBRASKA82: ELECTRIC

Note: V1 is similar to the released version, with some lyrical variations. V2 is closer still. Both are acoustic demos recorded at Springsteen's home in Colts Neck, NJ from mid-September to December 1981. Three different, complete, recordings were made during the Portastudio sessions (December 17, 1981–January 3, 1982), but only one has surfaced (V5), in three alternative mixes. One of the recordings has a different ending verse. In late April 1982 Bruce recorded takes at the Power Station on April 27–28 and May 3, 1982. These cuts are probably all with the band. A recording from April 27 is officially released in October 2025 on Electric Nebraska.

THE ANSWER - V1	1:56	FFOD / HNWB / MT2
THE ANSWER - V2	3:17	FFOD / HNWB / MT2
LOSIN' KIND - V3 (take 1)		uncirculating
LOSIN' KIND - V4 (take 2)	5:00	NEBRASKA82: OUTTAKES / LM-1 / HNWB / MTQ / MT2
LOSIN' KIND - V5 (take 3)		uncirculating
LOSIN' KIND - V6		uncirculating
LOSIN' KIND - V7		uncirculating

Note: "The Answer" is an early work-in-progress version of "Losin' Kind". Two (unusually polished) incomplete takes circulate (V1 and V2) that were recorded consecutively between September and December, 1981. V1 is just the fourth (final) verse, while V2 consists of the third and fourth verses. Both demos are combined into the same track on the bootlegs 'Fistfull Of Dollars', 'How Nebraska Was Born', and 'Missing Tracks Vol. Two'.

At least three takes of "Losin' Kind" were recorded during the December 17, 1981–January 3, 1982 Portastudio sessions, one of the fifteen demos that Springsteen put on a tape and sent to Jon Landau. He wrote to Landau, "Searched and searched for a better title, spent many hours on this task but no good. I like the verses but I can't seem to find a better punchline. Kind of like a James M. Cain story. Could be done with more of a band arrangement." Springsteen's hunt for an ending can be seen in the development between "The Answer" and "Losin' Kind" - Frank barely survives in the former, while his escape in the latter adds an ironic punch. Three takes were included on this tape, each with slight lyrical changes in the first and last verses; take two is the commonly circulated recording, officially released on Nebraska '82: Nebraska Outtakes in 2025 and first heard on Volume 1 of the 'Lost Masters' in 1998. "Losin' Kind" shares DNA with several other songs, most notably "Highway Patrolman" and "Highway 29", which is essentially a re-write of this song.

V6 was a solo take recorded at the Power Station on April 30, 1982; in the Nebraska '82 liner notes, Erik Flannigan calls this version "solid, but without the unique elements that made the home recording so compelling." A total of three takes were attempted; two false starts and a single complete take. Subsequently a take of "Losin' Kind" (with "Pink Cadillac") was transferred to four-track half-inch tape on June 10, 1982 - presumably this was the original demo, not the re-recording. A year later Bruce would make one more attempt to record "Losin' Kind", this time at Thrill Hill West, his Hollywood Hills studio, on March 12, 1983 (V7). This potential re-work was copied to a 24-track "mix" reel alongside "Don't Back Down", "James Lincoln Deer" (as "Jim Deer") and "Johnny Go Down". Evidently all this effort was without reward, because it's the original take 2 that was selected for official release in 2025 on Nebraska Outtakes, notably a substantial audio upgrade over anything heard previously.

Note that the Nebraska Outtakes liner notes state that "Losin' Kind" was recorded by Toby Scott, assisted by Jeff Hendrickson. If accurate, this would mean that the track was recorded at the Power Station, not at Springsteen's home. But given Flannigan's statement in his essay and the sound of the track itself, this is certainly an error.

MANSION ON THE HILL - V1a (mix 1)		uncirculating
MANSION ON THE HILL - V1b (mix 2)	4:00	LM-1
MANSION ON THE HILL - V1c (mix 3)	4:01	NEBRASKA
MANSION ON THE HILL - V1c stereo mix	3:55	NEBRASKA
MANSION ON THE HILL - V2	4:13	NEBRASKA82: ELECTRIC
MANSION ON THE HILL - V3		uncirculating

Note: Written by Springsteen during the River Tour, although the themes found in the song were explored prior to this, during the Darkness sessions. For example, the lyric "there's a palace on the edge of town / risin' from the factories and railroad shacks" can be found in the Darkness box set facsimile book, which is very similar to a lyric found in "Mansion On The Hill". The first song completed for Nebraska, and only one recording was made - the four variants above are merely alternate mixes. Bruce's demo tape included three mixes, two described as "a little dirty", and the third as "best recording quality". It can be assumed that the third mix was selected for the album. Springsteen recorded multiple takes at Power Station on April 27, 28, and 30, 1982 either solo (Springsteen would re-record the Nebraska tracks around this time in a failed attempt to reproduce his demos in a professional environment) or with the band. In all likelihood, the takes from April 27 and 28 are with the band, and April 30 are solo. A band rendition recorded on April 27 is officially released in 2025 on Electric Nebraska, in an arrangement very similar to that played live on the Born In The U.S.A. Tour.

MY FATHER'S HOUSE - V1		uncirculating
MY FATHER'S HOUSE - V2a		uncirculating
MY FATHER'S HOUSE - V2b stereo mix	5:35	NEBRASKA / SFEM / HNWB
MY FATHER'S HOUSE - V2c	5:07	NEBRASKA / CHAPTER

Note: Two different, complete, recordings on separate cassettes were made on May 25, 1982, over five months after the vast majority of the Nebraska tracks were cut. Only one take has surfaced (three mixes). V1 and V2a do not include any synthesizer (the synthesizer was likely added at The Power Station). V2b includes an additional 28 seconds of synthesizer at the end that was cut from the official release. The master tape for this longer version was accidentally sent to Japan in 1985 and released on the first-ever CD print run of the album, as well as a second pressing of the Japanese CD in 1986/87. The long version was also utilized on original 1986/87 export editions of the Japanese CD sent to Europe and the USA. The mistake was eventually corrected on all versions. The long version has not been officially available anywhere since 1995. Some early promotional copies of the album sent to press and radio stations (certainly in the UK, and perhaps worldwide) also included the synth coda.

STARKWEATHER - V1	1:09	LM-1⁽¹⁷⁾ / HNWB
STARKWEATHER - V2	1:05	LM-1⁽¹⁸⁾ / HNWB
STARKWEATHER - V3 take 1		uncirculating
STARKWEATHER - V4 take 2		uncirculating
STARKWEATHER - V5 take 3		uncirculating
STARKWEATHER - V6a take 4 m	4:25	LM-1⁽¹⁾
NEBRASKA - V6b take 4 mix 1	4:25	NEBRASKA / ESSENTIAL: 2003
NEBRASKA - V6c take 4 mix 2 early fade	4:25	uncirculating
NEBRASKA - V6d take 4 mix 3 bad harp	4:25	uncirculating
NEBRASKA - V6e take 4 mix 4 glock	4:25	uncirculating
NEBRASKA - V6f stereo mix	4:16	NEBRASKA
NEBRASKA - V7	4:45	NEBRASKA82: ELECTRIC

Note: The first song recorded, and the first song in the final running order, for Nebraska. Listed as "Starkweather" in an early song line-up, the song is about the Charles Starkweather murder spree in the 1950s. V1 and V2 are takes of the introduction and first two lines, recorded in late 1981 at Springsteen's home in Colts Neck, NJ. Six takes were recorded during the Portastudio sessions December 17, 1981–January 3, 1982, including V6b take 4, the title track of the album. V6 above are alternate mixes. Mix #1 is complete, with a 12-string guitar. #2 fades early, #3 is noted as "bad harp no good". Take #4 is with glock. "Nebraska" was later recorded over three days at Power Station on April 27, 28 and 30, 1982; at least some of these recordings feature E Street Band accompaniment. V7 was recorded with the band on April 27, 1982 and officially released on Electric Nebraska.

ON THE PROWL

2:58

NEBRASKA82: OUTTAKES

Note: A solo acoustic recording from the Power Station on April 30, 1982, recorded, engineered, and mixed by Toby Scott from a single take and officially released in October 2025 on Nebraska Outtakes. Described by Springsteen as a "psycho-gothic Jerry Lee Lewis tune". Bruce performed part of the song (mixing it into Little Richard's "Lucille") at the Stone Pony in August 1982. However the only known complete, stand-alone performance of the song (i.e. with all its verses) was during a guest appearance at the same venue with Cats On A Smooth Surface on October 3, 1982. Recorded prior to the live performances, not after, as once thought.

OPEN ALL NIGHT - V1	1:24	FFOD / HNWB
WANDA (OPEN ALL NIGHT) - V2 take 1		uncirculating
WANDA (OPEN ALL NIGHT) - V3a take 2 mix 1	2:50	LM-1
OPEN ALL NIGHT - V3b take 2 mix 2	2:51	NEBRASKA
OPEN ALL NIGHT - V3c take 2 mix 3 stereo mix	2:48	NEBRASKA
OPEN ALL NIGHT - V4	3:17	NEBRASKA 82: ELECTRIC

Note: In early 1981, Springsteen took the storyline and lyrics from 1979 River outtake "Living On The Edge Of The World" to create a new composition, "Open All Night". The first audio we have is a curious solo acoustic demo that was recorded at Springsteen's home in Colts Neck, NJ during a gap in the River Tour in late March or early April 1981. The opening verses of this demo are lifted from "Living On The Edge Of The World", while the third is from another Born In The U.S.A. outtake, "This Hard Land". Two takes were included on Springsteen's demo tape, V2 and V3. Both were recorded between December 17, 1981 and January 3, 1982, also at Colts Neck; only V3 has surfaced, in three different mixes. The only song on Nebraska with electric guitar accompaniment. Springsteen used the title "Wanda (Open All Night)" in an early song line-up. A number of takes were recorded by Springsteen at the Power Station on April 27, 1982. These takes are all likely with the band, and one result is officially released on Electric Nebraska in October 2025.

PINK CADILLAC - V1 (take 1)		uncirculating
PINK CADILLAC - V2a (take 2)	5:21	LM-1 / HNWB / MT2
PINK CADILLAC - V2b (take 2)	4:34	NEBRASKA82: OUTTAKES
PINK CADILLAC - V3a	3:45	BUERM / 1984AC
PINK CADILLAC - V3b	4:21	private cdr
PINK CADILLAC - V3c	3:33	1984 b-side
PINK CADILLAC - V3d	3:33	TRACKS / 1984 b-side / CAST
PINK CADILLAC - V4	3:55	GUEST: STANDING

Note: Two acoustic takes of "Pink Cadillac" were recorded between December 17, 1981 and January 3, 1982 at Springsteen's home in Colts Neck, NJ. V2b was officially issued in October 2025 on the Nebraska Outtakes CD of Nebraska '82: Expanded Edition. The released version was edited, removing just under a minute from the end of the original recording.

"Pink Cadillac" was one of the few songs from the acoustic Nebraska not to be recorded with the band in the May 1982 sessions at the Power Station, but V3 was recorded on May 31, 1983 at The Hit Factory in New York and officially released in May 1984 as the b-side to "Dancing In The Dark". V3b has the complete ending, V3c is a mono mix that for some reason was only issued on the Japanese single. Included on a 1984 album artwork prototype, in place of both "No Surrender" and "I'm Goin' Down". The January 1982 acoustic recording was considered for Tracks, as it was included on a June 1998 six-CD sample set alongside the acoustic "Born In The U.S.A.".

Around November 2003, Bruce recorded backing vocals at his home studio in Rumson, NJ for Jerry Lee Lewis's cover of "Pink Cadillac" that was released on his 2006 album Last Man Standing (V4). Interestingly, the song was copyrighted on April 7, 1983, almost two months before the Hit Factory session. This was presumably in relation to Bette Midler's unreleased cover. For more details on this, see here. Despite Springsteen's previous opinion that "Pink Cadillac" wasn't a "girl's song", Natalie Cole released her own cover in 1988 that reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100. According to Cole, Bruce approved of her version, and thought that "it was very cool that a woman could [sing "Pink Cadillac"] and it would come out so great."

REASON TO BELIEVE - V1a (take 1)	4:00	LM-1
REASON TO BELIEVE - V1b (take 1)	4:02	NEBRASKA
REASON TO BELIEVE - V1c (take 1) stereo mix	3:56	NEBRASKA
REASON TO BELIEVE - V2 (take 2)		uncirculating
REASON TO BELIEVE - V3	3:34	circulating
REASON TO BELIEVE - V4	0:50	circulating
REASON TO BELIEVE - V5	3:38	NEBRASKA82: ELECTRIC

Note: Springsteen recorded two complete recordings at his home in Colts Neck between December 17, 1981 and January 2, 1982, but only one has surfaced, which is take #1. This take circulates in three different mixes, and the second (unused) take has an extra verse. Inspired by Springsteen's own experience driving down Highway 33 on his way to Millstone, a township in Monmouth County.

V3 is a full-band rehearsal (missing the opening lines) of a new electric arrangement recorded on April 15, 1982. This performance is a work-in-progress, with some lyrical variation including an extra third verse. This may be the same verse used in V2. The first verse is sung by Springsteen alone accompanied by electric guitar, before drum and bass join in for the rest of the song. Max Weinberg's driving beat features throughout. V4 is a short take of just the second verse. These two rehearsal takes entered circulation in October 2025. V5 is multiple studio takes from April 27–28, 1982 at Power Station, likely with the E Street Band. The result is officially released in October 2025 on Electric Nebraska, recorded on April 27 in a similar arrangement to the April 15 rehearsal.

STATE TROOPER - V1		uncirculating
STATE TROOPER - V2		uncirculating
STATE TROOPER - V3		uncirculating
STATE TROOPER - V4		uncirculating
STATE TROOPER - V5a	3:05	LM-1
STATE TROOPER - V5b	3:10	NEBRASKA
STATE TROOPER - V5c stereo mix	3:04	NEBRASKA

Note: Five takes were recorded. The two variants of V5 are merely alternate mixes. In a letter to Jon Landau, Bruce wrote, "I dreamed this one up comin back from New York one night. I don't know if it's even really a song or not, but I did it, so I figured I'd throw it on. It's kinda weird." According to studio logs, Bruce did not attempt to re-record "State Trooper" in April 1982, unlike the majority of the songs found on the Nebraska demo tape.

THE BIG PAYBACK - V1		uncirculating
THE BIG PAYBACK - V2	1:59	ESSENTIAL / 1982 b-side / NEBRASKA82: OUTTAKES

Note: Two different recordings were "cut at home shortly after the Nebraska album," according to Springsteen's Essential liner notes. Only one has surfaced, which was mixed by Mike Batlan. Likely recorded January–April 1982, the exact date is not listed in the studio logs.

USED CARS - V1	3:17	FFOD / HNWB
USED CARS - V2	2:30	FFOD / HNWB
USED CARS - V3	2:45	FFOD / HNWB
USED CARS - V4		uncirculating
USED CARS - V5		uncirculating
USED CARS - V6 take 1		uncirculating
USED CARS - V7a take 2	3:00	LM-1
USED CARS - V7b take 2	3:01	NEBRASKA
USED CARS - V7c take 2 stereo mix	2:59	NEBRASKA
USED CARS - V8		uncirculating

Note: V1–V3 are acoustic demos recorded at Springsteen's home in Colts Neck, NJ from mid-September to December 1981, similar to the released version with some lyrical and melodic variations. Then four different, complete, recordings were made - only one has surfaced (three mixes). Take 1 was "a little dirty recording wise," according to Springsteen. V8 was a solo recording cut during a session at the Power Station on April 30, 1982. Just one single take was recorded, but it was not selected for use on the Nebraska Outtakes album.

WORKING ON THE HIGHWAY - V1	3:30	circulating
WORKING ON THE HIGHWAY - V2	3:21	NEBRASKA82: OUTTAKES
WORKING ON THE HIGHWAY - V3	3:18	MI / THLRR / BUERM / TDB
WORKING ON THE HIGHWAY - V4	3:35	private cdr
WORKING ON THE HIGHWAY - V5a	3:09	LM-19 / UH / GS
WORKING ON THE HIGHWAY - V5b	3:10	BITUSA

Note: The long-standing theory has always been that Springsteen took the lyrics of "Child Bride" and wrote an entirely new rock melody to create "Working On The Highway". V1 is a Colts Neck full band performance which has a completely different final verse from both "Child Bride" and the final studio take of "Working On The Highway". Recorded on April 15, 1982, this version lacks the "We lit out down to Florida" verse entirely, and replaces it with the protagonist suggesting that he wants to see her father to say "my love is pure and true," but first he must "drop a two lane blacktop from here to Timbuktu." There are also a few minor lyrical elements closer to "Child Bride", for example parts of lines three and four are reversed, as they are in the Nebraska outtake. Studio logs indicate that the song was recorded at Power Station on April 30 and May 6, 1982. V2, released on October 24, 2025 on Nebraska '82: Expanded Edition, is a solo acoustic recording from April 30, with many lyrical elements left over from the April 15 band rehearsal, including the alternative verse described above. According to logs, just one single take was cut. One week and one re-written verse later, V3-V5 were all recorded with the band on May 6, 1982.

^{Studio Sessions: Nebraska}

Media	Song Title	Recording Date	Location
1-10.	NEBRASKA ATLANTIC CITY MANSION ON THE HILL JOHNNY 99 HIGHWAY PATROLMAN STATE TROOPER USED CARS OPEN ALL NIGHT MY FATHER'S HOUSE REASON TO BELIEVE	April 22, 2025	Hackensack Meridian Health Theater, Red Bank, NJ

24 2025 brucespringsteen info live n october r_nbrsk82 retail studio underconstruction

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