Accio headphones, Bruce Springsteen’s “Harry Potter” song has leaked

There’s something very magical about John William’s epic score for the Harry Potter movies. You just HEAR those first few notes of ?boop boop ba da doop doop doooop doooooooooop?  and you’re suddenly transported to the halls of Hogwarts no matter where you are in the world. This Harry Potter score might be one of the most recognizable tunes on the planet, TBH.

Okay, and now swap that score out for some Bruce Springsteen jams instead. Once upon a time, way back before Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was released, The Boss actually recorded a song for the Harry Potter movie. But, it was never used — or heard, until now.

Story goes that when Springsteen read Harry Potter to his son, he fell in love with the story and was so moved, he wrote a song about it. As you do. Springsteen offered the song to Warner Bros. for the movie, but they passed on it.

While the song is GOOD, and a true Springsteen song, it’s easy to understand why Warner Bros. decided not to use it. The song, called, “I’ll Stand By You Always” is one of those sweeping plays-over-the-end-credits songs, but Harry Potter doesn’t really need that kind of song. It doesn’t really fit in with the overall tone of Harry Potter.

Like, this is a song that could have easily played over the end credits of Hunger Games, or even added to one of those soundtrack compilations that are ~inspired by the movie~. Harry Potter doesn’t have, and/or need, that. false

With lyrics like, “now I know it can feel like you’re slipping away / and next you’ll be lost in that deep dark place,” and  “together we’ll find courage / we’ll find faith / till you wake / I’ll stand by you always,” it does truly feel like it was written for the Boy Who Lived. Just didn’t fit in with the flow of Sorcerer’s Stone.

So have a listen (or two, or ten) and who knows, maybe the Weird Sisters will cover this one day?

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