Album Essentials: Bruce Springsteen "Born In The USA"

By Dave Swanson - Summit FM Contributor

From his first LP back in 1973, Bruce Springsteen proved himself a powerhouse of rock and roll, both onstage and on record. Seemingly with each release, he would raise the stakes, and summon the fire, as he rose above the 'swamps of Jersey.' By 1975, the masses had noticed this force of nature via a little album called 'Born To Run,' followed swiftly by 'Darkness On The Edge Of Town,' and the sprawling double set, 'The River.' More and more fans collected at every turn, from clubs to theaters to arenas. It was at this point that Bruce sort of hit the brakes to reflect.

In 1982 following the success of 'The River,' Springsteen retreated to a quiet setting of a small house in New Jersey, armed with an acoustic guitar and a four-track tape recorder, to record the sublime album 'Nebraska,' an album to this day, he considers his "masterpiece." The album sold well, especially considering its stylistic departure and downbeat aura. So Bruce's next move was up for debate at the time. Though he had a long run of classic albums that sold well, he had only had one 'hit' single in 'Hungry Heart' from 'The River.' Keep in mind, 'Born To Run,' 'Badlands,' 'Prove It All Night,' and all the others, all failed to even hit the Top 20, so while he was a very successful artist, he had yet to crash that other gate into 'the big time.'

"Wave that flag, wave it wide and high" - Hunter/Garcia, 1973

Instead of continuing the darker, more intimate tone of ‘Nebraska’, Springsteen decided to throw caution to the wind and aim for the multi-platinum ring, eyeing a residence in the stadiums of the world. With his seventh album, 'Born In The USA,' he did just that.

Let's get right to the facts, shall we!?

'Born In The USA' was released June 4, 1984. It hit Number one in eleven different countries, settling for number two in several others. It scored platinum status across the globe, except for Portugal and Spain, where it only went 'Gold,' and 'Diamond' in Canada, as their rating system differs. All seven singles released from the album hit the top ten in America, and elsewhere, also hitting the platinum mark. At least four of the album tracks would be considered Springsteen staples to this day…'Glory Days,' 'Dancing In The Dark,' 'I'm On Fire,' and the title tune.

The album is a conflict of sorts in that many of the lyrics are housed in uncertainty, disillusionment, personal struggles, and personal conflicts, while the music is of a more celebratory, upbeat nature. Case in point is the title track. This has to be one of the most misunderstood, or most ignored, lyrics of all time. The triumphant glossy nature of the arrangement and production mask the desperate lyric, which ultimately, does the entire song a terrible disservice. The lyric tells the tale of a Vietnam vet returning home to find a world that is beyond difficult to navigate. Haunted by his days in battle, he tries to understand his place in the world, and the world's place in him. Listen to the original demo version, later released on the 'Tracks' collection. It is a haunting, spine chilling recording, more at home on 'Nebraska,' that puts the lyric front and center…no fanfare, no flag waving. It is arguably Springsteen's finest moment.

"The idea of critical patriotism, which is essential to the country moving forward," Springsteen said in a 2021 interview. "'Born In The USA,' was misinterpreted on a variety of different levels because it basically put forth the idea that you can love and feel a part of the same country that you can be deeply critical of and feel disappointed by." That meaning flew high above the reach of many who bought, and loved, the record. The seeds were sown after Springsteen had performed a benefit in the summer of '81 for Vietnam veterans, in Los Angeles, and met with vets.

That being said, the 80's music was, in its own way, a covid-like disaster for those artists from the previous decade or two, who didn't know where to turn in the age of MTV, shiny synthesizers, and fashionable hair do's and don'ts. Bruce got out with less damage than most. Interesting to note, he never seemed to need a headband before, or since this album. The good time vibe template is everywhere on the album. 'Glory Days' and 'Dancing In The Dark,' are pure 80s pop machine hits, with the production all glossy and sparkling. It was a long way from the rough and tumble sound of ‘Badlands,’ or the pure drive of ‘For You.’

By anyone's standards, the album was huge, and put Springsteen high in the charts, on the cover of magazines, and into sold out stadiums. It also sealed his reputation as one of the major rock and rollers of all time. Springsteen has always been somewhat contradictory. "I always kept one foot in sort of the blue-collar world, and one foot in the counter culture, and I never truly belonged completely in either of them," he stated in a podcast he shared with President Barack Obama.

'Born In The USA' was, in that same sense, Bruce straddling those types of lines, and coming through it all as the victor. 'Born In The USA' remains one of the most iconic albums from the 1980s, with the songs outliving their time on the charts, and never leaving their place in the hearts of the fans