HEAVY MUSIC HISTORY: Born In The U.S.A. – Bruce Springsteen

Whenever anyone hears the name Bruce Springsteen, they automatically think of the songs Born To Run or Born In The U.S.A. He released his first two albums – Greetings From Ashbury Park, N.J. and The Wild, the Innocent, And The E Street Shuffle – in 1973, which earned critical success, but audiences didn’t take much notice. After the breakout success of 1975’s Born To Run, 1978’s Darkness On The Edge of Town, and 1980’s The River, along with 1982’s Nebraska, which was a solo effort by Springsteen, 1984’s Born In The U.S.A. saw him reunite with the E STREET BAND and made Springsteen into a superstar.

The title track is frequently misinterpreted. On the surface, the lyrics sound incredibly patriotic; however, it is a protest song about how Vietnam veterans were mistreated after returning home from the war. Whilst this album has some staple BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN songs, such as the brilliant Dancing In The Dark, Darlington County, Glory Days, and My Hometown, there are also a lot of songs on this album that get overlooked.

The sixth song, I’m On Fire, is a perfect example of this. It has the misfortune of being sandwiched between Downbound Train, which is one of the best examples of Springsteen‘s writing by telling the story of a couple who are down-on-their-luck which causes on of them to leave for a new life, and No Surrender, which is a euphoric rock song about triumphing in life and was only put on the album at the request of guitarist Steven Van Zandt. I’m On Fire, on the other hand, is a sombre, slow-paced song reminiscent of 1982’s album Nebraska.

In fact, although the majority of the music is upbeat in Born in the U.S.A., the lyrics speak of heartbreak, triumph, yearning, loneliness, or anger. A great example of this is Glory Days. Although it is one of the most musically upbeat songs on the album, the lyrics speak of people wishing that they could relive the days of their youth.

Sonically, this album is the epitome of rock music in the 1980s, as it’s very guitar-driven. All of the E STREET BAND sound fantastic, especially late saxophone player, Clarence Clemmons, who is still dearly missed. His solo at the end of Dancing In The Dark shows just how talented he was. Closing song My Hometown is sombre and even incorporates synthesisers, showing that Springsteen does not just lie firmly in rock music.

When the album was released, the critics were favourable towards it, with Rolling Stone giving it 5/5 and Smash Hits giving it 8/10. The critics poll at Pazz and Jop voted it the best album of 1984. However, the album also earned some criticism for being lyrically formulaic, with Richard Harrington of The Washington Post stating that “the problem is that Springsteen‘s taken us down these mean sidestreets and through these badlands all too often.” However, the album reached Number 1 in eleven countries, including the UK and America.

However, nobody in 1984 could be prepared for how much of a lasting impact Born In The U.S.A. would go on to have. With its 80s synth-rock heavy, it has a distinctively more commercial sound than SPRINGSTEEN‘s earlier work, it appealed to the wider public and countless generations have subsequently enjoyed the album due to the timeless lyrics that are relevant even forty years later. The music video for Dancing In The Dark stars actress Courtney Cox, who gets up to dance with BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN at the end of the video. Although she would gain her breakout success in the 1990s, some of her fans will stumble upon the video and get introduced to SPRINGSTEEN‘s music. Furthermore, with the recent revival in music from the 1980s in the mid-2010s, along with some of the most successful and recognisable singles in music history, Born In The U.S.A. has endured a lasting success that will continue for generations to come.

Touring-wise,  a lot of the songs on Born In The U.S.A. have been in circulation since its release, and it is sometimes even played in full. However, on his current world tour, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN plays between three-to-five songs from the album – often the most famous ones. It alternates at every show, and since he has a very extensive discography, it is unlikely that all the songs on his most popular album would get to be played live.

Overall, Born In The U.S.A. is a fantastic album that contains some of the best lyrics of SPRINGESTEEN‘s career, dealing with everything from lust to heartbreak. He is a master storyteller, which can be heard on songs such as Downbound Train and No Surrender, and this album contains a lot of beloved and staple songs of his discography – and for good reason as they are some of the defining rock songs of the mid-1980s. However, this album also contains a lot of overlooked songs which simply don’t get enough appreciation, such as I’m On Fire and Downbound Train.

Sonically, it is a cohesive album that showcases the talents of all the E STREET BAND, and takes the best instruments of rock music from that decade, including synthesisers. At the time, it received favourable reviews from critics and earned BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN a number one album in eleven countries.

Born In The U.S.A. certified BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN‘s status as a leading rockstar of not only the 1980s, but for the 20th and 21st centuries, a rockstar who continues to inspire multiple generations of musicians throughout the rock scene.

Born In The U.S.A. was originally released on June 4th 1984 via Columbia Records.

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