Human Touch

"Human Touch," issued as a single in March 1992, was Bruce Springsteen's first release since his Tunnel Of Love album in 1988. A lot had changed for him in the interim. He had divorced his first wife, Julianne Phillips, and married Patti Scialfa, who sings background on this song. They had two children together by this point (they had another in 1994). Springsteen said the song is about "searchin' for the bottom line," a common theme in his lyric. But unlike many of his earlier songs where he finds salvation though music, here it's all about interpersonal connection, reflecting his new life as a family man.

Springsteen wrote this song in 1990 but it wasn't released until two years later. The Human Touch album was set for release sooner, but then Bruce started working on more songs and decided to make another album, Lucky Town, and issue both albums at the same time, something Guns N' Roses did in 1991 with their Use Your Illusion albums. From a marketing standpoint, it was a miscalculation. Human Touch and Lucky Town were issued simultaneously on March 31, 1992, but didn't generate the hype he expected. Combined, they sold less than his previous album, Tunnel Of Love.

Springsteen broke up his fabled E Street Band in 1989, but he did retain the services of keyboard player Roy Bittan, who played on this song. The other musicians were drummer Jeff Porcaro of Toto and bass player Randy Jackson, who later became a judge on American Idol. When Springsteen toured to support the album, Roy Bittan came along and Patti Scialfa appeared at some shows, but the other musicians on stage weren't part of the album - a departure from the days when the E Street Band would make and album together and then all join the tour to support it. Springsteen's next tour, in 1995, was solo acoustic.