The music from the Harry Potter films has become utterly iconic in the years since the first film debuted on the silver screen. John Williams' legendary score is burned into the memories of kids and adults all over the world, and pretty much anybody can identify the tune. However, despite the iconography of the Harry Potter score, it now sounds like The Sorcerer's Stone almost included some more contemporary sounding songs on its soundtrack -- including a track from Bruce Springsteen. The unused track from the first Harry Potter movie (titled "I'll Stand By You Always") has officially debuted online for all of us to listen to, and it is utterly enchanting. Check it out below.
If there's one thing that I can definitively say about that newly released track (h/t Rolling Stone), it's that it is really unlike anything that I have ever heard from John Williams' Harry Potter score. There's admittedly a somewhat old-fashioned sensibility to "I'll Stand By You Always," as it harkens back to a time during the 1990s when it was common to see pop or rock songs (complete with lyrics) composed specifically to accompany the release of a film. However, that does not change the fact that it is still a great song that captures Bruce Springsteen's talent, as well as the basic emotional throughline of the Harry Potter series.
That said, while the song never officially made it into a Harry Potter film, Bruce Springsteen still appears to have a sincere interest in having it used by a children's movie at some point. The lyrics of the song are relatively nondescript (he mostly wrote it for his son), and it is easy to imagine that another film aimed at a younger audience could easily find a use for the somber tune. We have seen notable shifts in Hollywood towards nostalgia and "throwbacks" in recent years, so I would not be remotely astonished to see more movies revert to this style of theme song.
It is not terribly surprising to learn that Bruce Springsteen produced a song for a Harry Potter movie. In addition to his own independent career, The Boss has developed a strong resume for music on film that includes Jerry Maguire, The Wrestler, and Philadelphia. The guy has not really slowed down in recent years, so we fully expect to see more of his music appear on the silver screen at some point in the near future.
Who knows? Maybe Springsteen will even get the chance to contribute to the Fantastic Beasts franchise at some point.
What do you think? Do you think Bruce Springsteen's song should've made the cut for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, or do you think the Harry Potter series was better off sticking to John Williams' score?
