At some point in the past, I decided I should be a Bruce Springsteen fan, so any time I saw a cheap Springsteen record I’d buy it. That phase lasted about 3 records. Now’s the time to find out if I was right or wrong.
This is the most USA record ever - the cover, the title track - and the way the song’s chorus and meaning has been co-opted by a nationalist right wing unironically, totally missing the point in the first place. Of course, the message of the song is not subtle, the first fucking verse is brutal and it just gets worse from there - the song’s content is such a contrast to the “feel good” chorus that gets stuck in your head. An anti-war crust band couldn’t have done it any better. And unlike a crust song, this has mainstream radio appeal…this record sold 30 million copies. I can’t imagine anything more American than misinterpreting a criticism by not bothering to read the lyrics as a jingoistic anthem for the country.
Bruce doesn’t seem to be just pandering to the working folk on this record - he seems to be speaking directly to them: name dropping unions, construction jobs, dissing cops and bad bosses and VA system, and even references to love and heartache have a certain down-home feeling to them - you know, heartland rock.
You’ve probably heard every song on this album. It’s a good summer time, backyard beer drinking record, synthesizers and all.