My Obsession with Bruce Springsteen

This post has been a long time coming. I've written it a few times and then deleted it and re-wrote it and re-wrote. I think I'm finally comfortable with this version. I think. I've tightened it so it's not a rambling mess or me trying to academically break down his music (believe me that was brutal), but just a short honest answer. I don't know why I'm taking the time to tell you this.

I don't know if it's been established how Bruce Springsteen is probably my favorite artist. I know I've written a lot about Kanye and Green Day lately, but Bruce is the favorite. I spent most of today trying to figure out why I love Bruce's music so much. I listened to it him day. I think I figured it out. The song/stories are about what I/we/everyone is chasing: The American Dream.

Think about what the American Dream means: the opportunity to succeed. To do whatever you want. It's the promise of prosperity. It's Working On A Dream (Bruce Pun counter: 1).


More specifically for a man, to find a woman, fall in love, start a family, provide for that family, and so on. Isn't that the typical male instinct?

That's what Bruce Springsteen's music is. Very simple. I know, I know, I'm not the first person to come up with this idea. It's so true though. Songs about dreams, work, love, success, failure, a somewhat blind optimism, etc. The thing I love the most is that he has written songs that I feel like I could apply to every emotion or feeling in my life. I may not be unemployed (well, eh, okay, sort of), in love, have my own family, and so on, but I still feel like I relate, and will be able to relate all my life. I love his optimism. Every day is a new opportunity to grow.


What else is amazing about Bruce is his longevity. At 61 he's still writing new music, and his music written almost over 40 years ago now are still relevant today. He hasn't forgotten who he is - a Jersey boy. He just wanted to get out of Jersey - doesn't everybody? I (thank god) don't come from Jersey, but I spent a lot of my free time there with my friends and spent time down the shore. I get it, sort of. I'm not from it at all, since South Jersey is like a Philly suburb, but I understand the idea when you're from a nowhere town. Doesn't almost everyone feel like they've got to get out of their hometown? That's the whole premise of Born to Run. Get out of the swamps of Jersey. Yet he's still in Jersey. And he fell for a Jersey Girl (pun counter: 2) and is still kicking ass as much as he was 30 years ago, playing for 3 hour sets when most bands can barely stay on stage for 90 minutes.

Bruce Springsteen represents the American ideal that this country stands for. It's changed quite a bit since he took over the world, but at it's core, he expresses everything that our country talks about. Especially after 9/11, no other album seemed to capture a sense of the nation than The Rising. It was what we needed at the time. I was also 14 when that came out, so I might be biased. Okay I'm most likely biased.

If you asked me to pick a favorite Bruce song, I don't think I could. It depends on my mood. And since he only has about 300+ songs to choose from, every day is a different answer. That's part of the beauty of it. One day I could be in a Tunnel of Love mood, but the next it's Rosalita. Either way it's from the same artist/storyteller/writer/etc. I'll probably write a post one day counting down my favorite 100 Bruce songs - things to look forward to! The sound is also different - how many popular bands have a saxophone as one of the band's key sounds? Only ones I could think of are Dave and OAR. Regardless, the band wouldn't be the same without Big Man's horn.
To capture my obsession, let me put it in numbers: I've downloaded over 100 live concerts from his shows. That's over 3600 songs. Andddd most of them are the same song. That's over 100 versions of Born to Run. I literally cannot get enough. I've been to four shows, and if I had better planning/money/friends/transportation, could of easily gone to at least four more. Hands down my favorite show I've been to.

I've had the cursor blinking on this line now for 20 minutes. I can't think of a way to close this post. I typically like to do stupid cheesy lines that humor me, but I can't think of it. So I'll end with a lyric. And PS I could of picked any lyric here and I would of been satisfied.

Meet Me In A Land Of Hope And Dreams.