Springsteen had around 20 songs recorded during the
High Hopes sessions that failed to make the final cut. Springsteen decided to go back with producer Ron Aniello and work on the music so they could give it a proper release. The EP's title track, "American Beauty", is a song left over from the demo tracks Springsteen didn't end up recording with producer
Brendan O'Brien. Springsteen describes the song as "
Exile meets
E Street" and as being a song where he sings in a range he often doesn't visit. "Hurry Up Sundown", "a fun piece of modern power pop" according to Springsteen, was another demo track originally recorded with O'Brien. It was the closest of the four songs to making the
High Hopes album. "Mary Mary" and "Hey Blue Eyes" were recorded during the
Magic and
Working on a Dream sessions, respectively. Springsteen said of "Mary Mary" that the song is "a lovely mystery, a small piece of heartbreak poetry that sneaks up on you with its slippery groove, punctuated string section and spectral lyrics". "Hey Blue Eyes" is one of Springsteen's darkest political songs. "Written during the
Bush years, it’s a metaphor for the house of horrors our government’s actions created in the years following the invasion of
Iraq. At its center is the repressed sexuality and abuse of power that characterized
Abu Ghraib prison. I feel this is a shadow we as a country have yet to emerge from." Springsteen said.
Tom Morello, who is featured prominently on
High Hopes and its supporting tour with Springsteen, plans on covering "Hey Blue Eyes" for an upcoming project. ==Track listing==