Lyric discussion by badland_darkness 

Cover art for The Promise lyrics by Bruce Springsteen

this song is a mysteri to me... I love it but it has yet to touch my heart, and to do so I need to understand what the promise is. But I reckon that, as every other Springsteen song that is special for me, when the time is right I'll understand.

However, I reckon the original reckording is much, much better than the new reckorded version that's on 18 tracks.

This song is about the break between the boss and his old manager Mike Appel.... There was a 2 year period during the court trials in which Springsteen could record (court ordered) until the case was settled. This song was written during that 2 year period. Springsteen sings about the promise being broken between him and Appel. And how Appel and the producers owned all the rights to the boss's music (he sold his Challanger (his songs)for money) (they stole his dreams from him). Eventually...