While many songs on "The Rising" were written in response to the September 11, 2001 attacks, "Waitin' on a Sunny Day" was written earlier. Springsteen wrote and recorded the song in 1998 or 1999, but that recording has not been released. On June 17, 1999, during the Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Reunion Tour, Springsteen and the band played the song for a soundcheck, but did not play it during any of the actual shows on the tour. The song was finally recorded again in Atlanta during the "Rising" sessions and was released on that album.