According to Springsteen, "Be True" was left off The River album in favor of the song "Crush on You", a decision he has a hard time understanding in retrospect.
[2][1] It had been slated to be included on The Ties That Bind, a single album Springsteen had submitted to his record company in 1979 but then pulled back to be replaced by The River.
[4] The original version, recorded in the first half of 1979, was titled "Mary Lou", which was intended as a "really catchy three minute pop tune" which "moved lyrically" and "linked together in a certain way".
[7][8] Although left off the album and released only as a B-side of a single, "Be True" reached #42 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.
[9] A featured selection on the 1988 Tunnel of Love Express, a live version from that tour was included on the Chimes of Freedom EP.