Real World

Soul singer Sam Moore sang on this with Springsteen. Moore was half of the duo Sam & Dave, who had a hit with "Soul Man." Moore was never paid much for his music, and in his later years had to tour just to pay his medical bills. In 2002 he got some redemption when he and some other musicians got a settlement from their union because their record companies failed to report royalties and make proper payments to their pension fund.

E Street Band pianist Roy Bittan wrote the music, with Springsteen filling in the lyrics. The song is about a love that isn't a storybook romance, but part of the real world - one that will last.

Springsteen had broken up the E Street Band by this point, but did use Bittan, keyboard player David Sancious, and backup singer/wife Patti Scialfa on some of the songs on Human Touch and Lucky Town. On "Real World," the musicians are Bittan on keyboards, Randy Jackson (of American Idol fame) on bass, and Jeff Porcaro (of Toto) on drums.