When You're Alone

This song is mostly about how one would continue at the end of a relationship. The second verse describes about how one might feel afterwards: "With just the shirt on my back, I left and swore I'd never look back. But, there are things that'll knock you down that you don't even see coming, and send you crawling, like a baby, back home." This describes when the memory of something good will aid in the return. The third verse describes how time will pass and one would forget about all the bad times and think only of the good.

"When You're Alone" is a deep cut in Springsteen's catalog, played live only a handful of times. It's from his Tunnel Of Love album, which he recorded mostly on his own, bringing in members of his E Street Band for overdubs. This was a turbulent time for Bruce, whose marriage to Julianne Phillips was ending and his spark with E Street singer Patti Scialfa was turning into a fire. His divorce was finalized in 1989, the same year he broke up the E Street Band (he brought them back together in 1999). In 1991 he married Scialfa.