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. #1
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
Till you spend half your life just covering up
Born in the U.S.A., I was born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A., born in the U.S.A.
So they put a rifle in my hand
Sent me off to a foreign land
To go and kill the yellow man
Born in the U.S.A., I was born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A., born in the U.S.A.
Come back home to the refinery
Hiring man said "son if it was up to me"
Went down to see my V.A. man
He said "son, don't you understand"
I had a brother at Khe Sahn
Fighting off 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 U.S.A., I was born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A., I'm a long gone daddy in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A., born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A., I'm a cool rocking daddy in the U.S.A.
Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A." is a song that has often been misunderstood as a patriotic anthem, with its upbeat and catchy chorus. However, the verses of the song tell a story of a man who was born in a dead man's town and faced numerous struggles in life. The first kick he takes when he comes to this world is a metaphor for the tough life that he has ahead of him. He ends up like a dog that's been beat too much, covering up the pain he experiences throughout his life. The lyrics reveal how the singer is a victim of the circumstances he was born in, with no opportunities to escape his fate.
In the second verse, Springsteen describes how the singer was sent to fight in a foreign land, killing the "yellow man," which is a reference to the Vietnam War. This verse highlights the disillusionment and trauma that soldiers experienced while fighting in the war. The third verse tells the story of the singer's brother, who died fighting in the Vietnam War, leaving behind a woman he loved in Saigon.
The song's final verse portrays a man who is stuck in a dead-end job with no escape from the struggles of life. Springsteen's lyrics reveal how this man has been trapped in a cycle of poverty and lack of opportunity, with no way out. With its powerful message and memorable hooks, "Born in the U.S.A." continues to be one of Springsteen's most enduring and iconic songs.
Line by Line Meaning
Born down in a dead man's town
I was born in a hopeless place with few opportunities
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
My life was hard from the very beginning
End up like a dog that's been beat too much
I was beaten down by life and society
Till you spend half your life just covering up
I had to hide my true feelings and emotions to survive
Born in the U.S.A., I was born in the U.S.A.
I was born and raised in America
Got in a little hometown jam
I got in trouble with the law in my hometown
So they put a rifle in my hand
I was drafted into the military
Sent me off to a foreign land
I was sent to fight in Vietnam
To go and kill the yellow man
I was ordered to kill the Vietnamese
Come back home to the refinery
I returned home to work in a factory
Hiring man said "son if it was up to me"
I faced discrimination and limited opportunities for employment
Went down to see my V.A. man
I sought help from the Veterans Administration for my physical and emotional wounds
He said "son, don't you understand"
I was repeatedly told to suppress my feelings and experiences
I had a brother at Khe Sahn
My brother fought in the Vietnam War
Fighting off the Viet Cong
My brother was fighting the enemy in Vietnam
They're still there, he's all gone
The war still rages on, but my brother didn't make it home
He had a woman he loved in Saigon
My brother had a lover in Vietnam
I got a picture of him in her arms now
I have a photo of my brother with his lover as a reminder of what he lost
Down in the shadow of the penitentiary
My life felt like it was within the confines of a prison
Out by the gas fires of the refinery
I worked in a dangerous environment in the factory
I'm ten years burning down the road
I've spent a decade struggling in life
Nowhere to run ain't got nowhere to go
I feel trapped in my life with no escape
Born in the U.S.A., I was born in the U.S.A.
I was born and raised in America
Born in the U.S.A., I'm a long gone daddy in the U.S.A.
I'm struggling to make my life work and can't be there for my family
Born in the U.S.A., born in the U.S.A.
I was born and raised in America
Born in the U.S.A., I'm a cool rocking daddy in the U.S.A.
Despite my struggles and hardships, I'm still trying to be cool and rock on in life
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@dimadrochip2400
[Verse 1]
Born down in a dead man's town
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
You end up like a dog that's been beat too much
Till you spend half your life just covering up, now
[Chorus]
Born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A. now
[Verse 2]
Got in a little hometown jam
So they put a rifle in my hand
Sent me off to a foreign land
To go and kill the yellow man
[Chorus]
Born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
[Verse 3]
Come back home to the refinery
Hiring man says, “Son, if it was up to me”
Went down to see my V.A. man
He said, “Son, don't you understand”
[Verse 4]
I had a brother at Khe Sanh
Fighting off them 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
[Verse 5]
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
[Chorus]
Born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A. now
Born in the U.S.A.
I'm a long gone Daddy in the U.S.A. now
Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
I'm a cool rocking Daddy in the U.S.A. now
@jasonjones8768
I know what you mean,
when i was in elementary school -
i had a friend who's father was in Vietnam..
& without being to graghic,
he would tell us war stories that were terrible..
Like one minute him & a buddy would be walking side by side,
then all of a sudden - a sniper had open fired & dropped his buddy with a clean shot..
Jesus, he must have repeated the word senseless after every event he talked about - i must agree with him, (WAR) it's all senseless..
@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.