The Genius of Bruce Springsteen

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By Anthony “Zute” George

Bruce Springsteen is an American treasure. While his singing voice may be an acquired taste; I happen to love it, (Bruce himself says he does not think it is great), there should be no debating his iconic status as a song writer.

When it comes to tapping into the pulse of living in America, The Boss has few peers.

Bruce originally made his bones as a songwriter by speaking about the trials and tribulations of the worker, skills that still remain strong today. The song Factory is a great example of this skill. As Bruce so simply puts it, ‘Man rises to bed and puts on his clothes…It’s the working, working, just the working life.’ As the song moves along, Bruce describes how such a life can be daunting, with the lyrics, ‘Men walk through these gates with death in their eyes.’ Gripping.

In Downbound Train, Bruce gets down to the nuts and bolts of how unfortunate the worker can sometimes be: ‘Now I work down at the carwash, where all it ever does is rain…’ poor bastard.

In the gem Out in the Street, Bruce taps into what most people work for all week, the weekend: ‘And Monday when the foreman calls time, I already have Friday on my mind,’ Has there ever been truer lyrics written about the working life?

In All That Heaven Will Allow, Bruce describes a guy who wants to enjoy that weekend, however he is just not making enough money to do so. But this fellow is in love, and tells the bouncer at the club he is set to meet his baby there: ‘Say hey there mister bouncer, now all I want to do is dance, but I swear I left my wallet back home in my working pants. C’mon Slim slip in man, I’ll make it up to you somehow, I can’t be late, I got a date…’ The fellow’s wallet may indeed be in his working pants, but as he describes at the beginning of the song, there is only a mere dollar bill in it. Who has not experienced such a thing in their lives? And that is the point. A person who does put in a hard week’s work should not have to con their way into enjoying the pleasures of leisure life. But so often we do. While Bruce does not have this problem personally, he cares very much about it.

In Jack of All Trades, Bruce describes the working life of a handy man who works multiple jobs, but yet still cannot get ahead: ‘The banker man grows fatter, the working man grows thin, It’s all happened before, it’ll happen again,’ are gripping lyrics that us workers know all too well. Not a bad body of work for a guy who said the only time he did hard labor was as a young teen, mowing the lawn of his relatives for minimal pay, so he could save up for a guitar. Thank goodness for that lawn.

Springsteen’s body of work is also chock full of political songs. From the anti-war theme of Born in the USA, to the racial awareness song, 41 Shots (American Skin), the man from Freehold, New Jersey has been a voice on a platform that most of us do not have. Some fans take issue with this aspect of Bruce’ songwriting. Thankfully, Bruce has never back off from his political voice. After all, politicians are supposed to be working for us, therefore it seems perfectly reasonable to speak our minds regarding political issues. Just because Bruce does it on a much larger platform should not make a difference. Like us, it is his right to do so. Now, feel free to disagree with his political views, but it is wrong to suggest he should not use his skills to speak his voice.

The Boss has been bold enough to ask, ‘Who’ll Be the Last to Die for A Mistake,’ yet conscious enough to be a soothing voice after the 911 attacks, Bruce’ political voice makes you think and feel.

In the classic, The Ghost of Tom Joad, Bruce appears to cover all the angles of oppression and injustice: ‘Mom, wherever there is a cop beating a guy, wherever a hungry newborn baby cries…look for me mom, I’ll be there,’ is a powerful assertation that the iconic character from the John Steinbeck novel would be proud of.

Writing love songs is perhaps Bruce’ most impressive skill, however. The reason being, there was a time where Bruce did not write love songs. Bruce was not comfortable doing so. He was behind his contemporary singer/song writers, such as Billy Joel, in this area.

Eventually, Bruce became Tougher Than the Rest. A love song on the Tunnel of Love album that is so perfect, it sounds new every time you listen to it. ‘Tougher’ is visceral, yet gentle, daunting, but practical. Are these things not the core of a successful relationship?

Then there is If I Shall Fall Behind. Indeed, one of the greatest love/relationship songs of all time. If you have ever been in love, the lyrics: ‘Now everyone dreams of love lasting and true. Oh, but you and I know what this world can do, so let’s make our steps clear that the other may see,’ again, visceral, gentle and oh so practical. Not bad for a guy who at one time could not write love songs.

Bruce’s body of work also includes some downright fun songs to rock to, Blinded by the Light, Thunder Road, Kitty’s Back, Rosalita, Prove It All Night, I’m A Rocker, Night, Ramrod, Pink Cadillac, Darlington County, Glory Days, Mary’s Place, We Take Care of Our Own, the list goes on. These songs all have great lyrics as well.

As a human being, Bruce Springsteen has as many layers as his catalogue. A man who has so often suffered from depression yet has the strong desire to live as long as he can. A topic he writes about in his autobiography, Born to Run, as well as in the aforementioned song, All That Heaven Will Allow. Bruce is also a man who has given us a fair amount of transparency, yet, at the same time, he has an extremely private personal life.

Bruce is scheduled to release a new album, Western Stars, on June 14th. No doubt the songs will be more gems for a catalogue of the finest American music.

‘Once in a Lifetime,’ does not even begin to describe the skills and work ethic of the man we call The Boss.

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