Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born To Run’ manuscript sells for $197,000

The document went for tens of thousands over estimate to an unknown buyer

A handwritten, working manuscript of Bruce Springsteen‘s 1975 hit ‘Born To Run’ has sold for $100,000 over estimate.

The piece of rock and roll history was auctioned in Manhattan earlier this week with an estimate of $70,000 (£42,918) to $100,000 (£61,312), but actually sold for $197,000 (£120,533) by Sotheby’s in New York, reports the New York Times.

The auction house said the document used to be in the collection of Springsteen’s former manager, Mike Appel, but the seller was not revealed. The identity of the buyer is also a mystery.

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The manuscript shows Springsteen’s processes as he works out the lyrics for the song, featuring alternative lyrics not heard on the finished record. Part of the text reads: “This town’ll rip the (out your) bones from yourback / it’s a suicide trap (rap) (it’s a trap to catchthe young) your dead unless / you get out (we gotto) while your young so (come on! / with) take myhand cause tramps / like us baby we were born to run“.

There are words in the margins including “wild” and “angels” and one that looks like “velocity”. The auctioneer said: “Although Springsteen is known to have an intensive drafting process, few manuscripts of ‘Born To Run’ are available, with the present example being one of only two identified that include the most famous lines in the song.”

Bruce Springsteen will release a new album ‘High Hopes’ in January 2014. Recorded in New Jersey, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Australia and New York City, ‘High Hopes’ features Rage Against The Machine guitarist Tom Morello on numerous tracks and will be released on January 13. The album also features a cover of Suicide’s ‘Dream Baby Dream’.

The ‘High Hopes’ tracklisting is as follows:

‘High Hopes’
‘Harry’s Place’
‘American Skin (41 Shots)’
‘Just Like Fire Would’
‘Down In The Hole’
‘Heaven’s Wall’
‘Frankie Fell In Love’
‘This Is Your Sword’
‘Hunter Of Invisible Game’
‘The Ghost Of Tom Joad’
‘The Wall’
‘Dream Baby Dream’

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