The latest TRACKS II preview-track is here: "Adelita," from the "lost album" INYO

Letters To You
May 29
2 min read

May 29, 2025

"Adelita," from the "lost" Bruce Springsteen album Inyo, is the fifth preview-track from Tracks II: The Lost Albums, now available for listening. Click here to listen via the platform of your choice, or click below on the embedded link from Springsteen's official YouTube channel:

The official press release describes "Adelita" as "an ode to Mexico’s female 'soldaderas' — who played a major role in the country’s fight for independence. Inspired to explore themes of this nature in the 1990s, during a series of motorcycle trips across the Southwest, Springsteen’s years in California saw him diving into both the history of the region (including 'La Adelita,' the 'corrido' that serves as this song’s namesake) and its contemporary events."

“There was constant border reporting in The Los Angeles Times," Springsteen recalls in the press release, "so it was a big part of your life.” The release also notes that Inyo is "a previously-unheard, ten-song thematic collection set throughout the border states of California and Texas (plus one detour to New Jersey.)"

Springsteen also recalls in the press release, "Inyo was a record I wrote in California during long drives along the California aqueduct, up through Inyo County on my way to Yosemite or Death Valley... I was enjoying that kind of writing so much. [On The Ghost Of Tom Joad Tour,] I would go home to the hotel room at night and continue to write in that style because I thought I was going to follow up The Ghost of Tom Joad with a similar record, but I didn’t. That’s where Inyo came from. It’s one of my favorites.”

Additional background on Inyo from the release: "While primarily tracked as a solo record, Inyo does notably find Springsteen collaborating with mariachi musicians throughout — as heard on 'Adelita.' These musicians include Luis Villalobos, Alberto Villalobos, Angel Ramos, Humberto Manuel Flores Gutierrez, David Glukh, Jorge Espinosa and Miguel Ponce. Thematically, several songs on the record examine the Mexican diaspora, how border crossing between Mexico and the U.S. has affected generations and the cultural losses endured as a result. It’s a musical thread that Springsteen first began to examine by covering Ry Cooder’s 'Across the Borderline' on his 1988 Tunnel of Love Express tour:"

Apparently "Adelita" also represents a rare Springsteen songwriting "collaboration" of sorts. The official credits for the song list University of California Santa Barbara professor Maria Herrera-Sobek as a "Non Lyric Author." Here for your reference are "Adelita"'s complete official credits:

Non Lyric Author: Maria Herrera-Sobek

Accordion, Guitar, Producer: Ron Aniello

Trumpet: Barry Danielian

Violin: Luis Villalobos

Violin: Alberto Villalobos

Lute: Angel Ramos

Bass: Humberto Manuel Flores Gutierrez

Trumpet: David Glukh

Harp, Vocal: Jorge Espinosa

Bass, Vocal: Miguel Ponce

Recording Engineer: Toby Scott

Mixing Engineer, Recording Engineer: Rob Lebret