In 1973, Springsteen released his first two albums, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. and The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle, neither of which earned him a large audience. He changed his style and reached worldwide popularity with Born to Run in 1975. It was followed by Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978) and The River (1980), which topped the US Billboard 200 chart. After the solo recording, Nebraska (1982), he reunited with the E Street Band for Born in the U.S.A. (1984), his most commercially successful album and one of the best-selling albums of all time. Seven of its singles reached the Top Ten of the Billboard Hot 100, including the title track. Springsteen recorded his next three albums, Tunnel of Love (1987), Human Touch (1992), and Lucky Town (1992) using mostly session musicians. He reassembled the E Street Band for 1995's Greatest Hits, then recorded the sparse acoustic The Ghost of Tom Joad, followed by the EP Blood Brothers (1996), his last release of the decade.
Springsteen dedicated his 2002 album The Rising to the victims of the September 11 attacks. He released two more folk albums, Devils & Dust (2005) and We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006), followed by two more albums with the E Street Band: Magic (2007) and Working on a Dream (2009). The next two, Wrecking Ball (2012) and High Hopes (2014), topped album charts worldwide. His latest releases include the solo Western Stars (2019), the E Street Band-featuring Letter to You (2020) and a solo cover album Only the Strong Survive (2022). When Letter to You went to No.2 in the US, Springsteen became the first artist to score a Top Five hit across six consecutive decades.
Among the album era's prominent acts, Springsteen has sold more than 140 million records worldwide and more than 71 million in the United States, making him one of the world's best-selling music artists. He has earned numerous awards for his work, including 20 Grammy Awards, two Golden Globes, an Academy Award, and a Special Tony Award (for Springsteen on Broadway). Springsteen was inducted into both the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1999, received the Kennedy Center Honors in 2009, named MusiCares person of the year in 2013, and awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2016. He ranked 23rd on Rolling Stone's list of the Greatest Artists of All Time, which described him as being "the embodiment of rock & roll".
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Springsteen
Studio albums
Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. (1973)
The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle (1973)
Born to Run (1975)
Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978)
The River (1980)
Nebraska (1982)
Born in the U.S.A. (1984)
Tunnel of Love (1987)
Human Touch (1992)
Lucky Town (1992)
The Ghost of Tom Joad (1995)
The Rising (2002)
Devils & Dust (2005)
We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006)
Magic (2007)
Working on a Dream (2009)
Wrecking Ball (2012)
High Hopes (2014)
Western Stars (2019)
Letter to You (2020)
Only the Strong Survive (2022)
Born In the U.S.A.
Bruce Springsteen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
End up like a dog that's been beat too much
'Til you spend half your life just to cover it up now
Born in the USA
I was born in the USA
I was born in the USA
Got in a little hometown jam
So they put a rifle in my hands
Sent me off to a foreign land
To go and kill the yellow man
Born in the USA
I was born in the USA
I was born in the USA
I was born in the USA
Come back home to the refinery
Hiring man said, "Son if it was up to me"
Went down to see my VA man
He said, "Son, don't you understand now?"
(Ok)
(No, no)
(No, no, no)
I had a brother at Khe Sanh
Fighting off all the Viet Cong
They're still there, he's all gone
He had a woman he loved in Saigon
I got a picture of him in her arms now
Down in the shadow of the penitentiary
Out by the gas fires of the refinery
I'm ten years burning down the road
Nowhere to run ain't got nowhere to go
Born in the USA
I was born in the USA now
Born in the USA
I'm a long gone Daddy in the USA now
Born in the USA
Born in the USA
Born in the USA
I'm a cool rocking Daddy in the USA now
(Oh, no)
(Oh, no, no, no)
(Oh, no, no)
(Oh, no, no, no)
Hey
(Oh, no, no)
Woo
"Born in the U.S.A." by Bruce Springsteen was a hit song that represented the struggles of America's working class, particularly the life of the Vietnam War veterans. The song begins with the phrase "Born down in a dead man's town," which implies that the singer grew up in a poverty-stricken area. The phrase "The first kick I took was when I hit the ground" suggests that the singer was born into a difficult life that was filled with problems.
The singer of the song is a veteran who was sent to fight in the Vietnam War when he says "Got in a little hometown jam, So they put a rifle in my hands, Sent me off to a foreign land, To go and kill the yellow man." The lyrics of the song offer a powerful critique of the way the US handled its soldiers when they returned from the war. The chorus "Born in the USA" is often misinterpreted as a patriotic chant, while in reality, it is a cry of despair from the singer who feels trapped by his past; he cannot escape his experiences in Vietnam even though he has to live with them.
To sum up, "Born in the U.S.A." is not a patriotic song but a critique of the country's treatment of its working-class citizens and veterans. Springsteen's song speaks to the idea that the American dream can be a false promise, and that even when someone is born in the country, it does not necessarily guarantee them a brighter future.
Line by Line Meaning
Born down in a dead man's town
I was born in a place where there are no opportunities
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
My very existence was a struggle
End up like a dog that's been beat too much
I have been oppressed to the point of hopelessness
'Til you spend half your life just to cover it up now
The only way to survive is to numb out the pain
Born in the USA
I was born in America
Got in a little hometown jam
Got in some trouble without many options
So they put a rifle in my hands
I was forced into war
Sent me off to a foreign land
I was sent to Vietnam
To go and kill the yellow man
To fight against the Vietnamese people
Come back home to the refinery
After the war, I was not welcomed back with open arms
Hiring man said, 'Son if it was up to me'
I was not able to find work
Went down to see my VA man
I went to the Veterans Affairs office
He said, 'Son, don't you understand now?'
There is no help for me
(Ok)
(No, no)
(No, no, no)
I had a brother at Khe Sanh
I had a brother who fought at Khe Sanh
Fighting off all the Viet Cong
He fought against the Vietnamese army
They're still there, he's all gone
He lost his life in combat
He had a woman he loved in Saigon
He had a girlfriend in Vietnam
I got a picture of him in her arms now
I have a photo of my brother and his girlfriend
Down in the shadow of the penitentiary
I am near a prison
Out by the gas fires of the refinery
I am working in a harsh environment
I'm ten years burning down the road
I have been on this hard journey for a long time
Nowhere to run ain't got nowhere to go
I am stuck in this place
I'm a long gone Daddy in the USA now
I am a disengaged father
I'm a cool rocking Daddy in the USA now
I am a detached father who copes with the pain through music
(Oh, no)
(Oh, no, no, no)
(Oh, no, no)
(Oh, no, no, no)
Hey
(Oh, no, no)
Woo
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Bruce Springsteen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ellenabramsblankenship4455
This is a protest about how poorly the Vietnam vets were treated upon their return to the States. And my brother's name is one of the 58,000 on the black granite wall in D.C.
@timothygibson2536
Shout at to your brother. He is with my uncle, and 2 cousins. That war still hurts.
@jimcab4279
Anyone who sacrifice's their own life for their country is a true hero, you should be very proud of your brother.
@hizwannassa8809
My uncle and 2 of my relatives died in that war my uncle served the korean war as well
@KodaLeck
You're brother died a honorable man and I respect that,yet its sad losing a loved one
@Cissy2cute
So many 😢
@gtob431
I was always blown away to see this song played at ball games, political events seemingly depicting a proud America... Born in the USA. The true meaning of the song is protest and the suffering the veterans went through and what they dealt with in the war along with the pain they experienced when they returned home. The song has always been glorified as proud America when in fact it is a very sad and painful story of suffering and a lack of appreciation of all the lives lost and suffering that came out of this war.
@natalierampone9750
That's the way I look at it.
@frenchyoathbreaker4095
You can call the song "ironic", I guess. Even though it calls living in the US to be shitty. lol But the way it is sang and portrayed with the American flag and the way Scorcese filmed it with Bruce in leather and looking badass I think works against its message. Because frankly most people enjoy the rhythm of songs and don't listen to the lyrics. With this message, it probably needed to be approached like a Bob Dylan song. More quiet.
@Goomba956
My eldest brother, RIP, had lifelong issues with the lives he was forced to take...being called a baby killer upon his return did not help matters any. I agree with your commentary.