It’s a well-worn trope at this point that when “Born In The U.S.A.” comes on someone will loudly exclaim “Hey buddy ya’ know this song is actually a protest song about how politicians conveniently drape themselves in the flag but then ignore the needs of our working-class military members once they return from service.” That duality of interpretation is what has always been a beloved characteristic of Springsteen’s work– whether it be a lyrical twist, or a melodic juxtaposition on the subject matter, Springsteen is a master at telling two different stories at one time. “Born In The U.S.A.” is one of his finer examples of it, especially with how much the song has been willingly adopted over the years by jingoists and anti-nationalists alike.
Springsteen’s albums have always been a herculean effort of relentless perfectionism, and this cut was no different– recorded over the course of two years, in sessions that comprised a collection of nearly 80 songs (some of which ended up on 1982’s Nebraska, others which have yet to see the light of day), Born In The U.S.A. is Springsteen’s most commercially successful album by a factor of nearly 5x. Selling over 30 million copies globally (for context Born To Run “only” sold 6 million), this album was the catapult that launched Springsteen into pop culture stardom and cemented his place as an iconic American songwriter.
And in typical Springsteen fashion, the themes on this album are deep and nuanced. It’s bookended by some of the finest songwriting twists Springsteen has pulled in his career– the opening track “Born In The U.S.A.” has a chorus that sounds like a full-throated patriotic call to arms which, when contrasted with the tales of existential dread in the verses, makes the refrain sound almost hollow when he reaches the chorus’ crescendo. And then there’s the closing track “My Hometown”, which tells the nostalgic tale of a son sitting on his father’s lap as they drive down Main Street, before taking a turn to see the racial unrest and economic hardships that befell those same streets a few short years later. It ends with the narrator, now blessed with a son of his own, making plans to leave the town for good– but not before he drives down those streets one more time to show his son the same places his father took him down thirty years prior. And on and on the cycle goes.
It’s hard to encapsulate an album (let alone a career) based off one song— Born In The U.S.A. has an embarrassment of sonic riches, from the giddyup of “Glory Days” to the empty trappings of fame in “Dancing In The Dark” to the smolderingly lust that drips during “I’m On Fire”– but “My Hometown” encapsulates so much of what makes Springsteen such a cherished figure in American songwriting history that it’s impossible not to put it somewhere at the top of the list.
This is a song that wistfully recalls the nostalgia of our youth, lays bare the ugly underbelly of growing up, and details a dream for better days, all within the context of living in this wonderfully complex country we call America. It’s about the vision we show our children and the pain that is inflicted when those dreams aren’t fully realized. And it’s about taking pride in the things we define ourselves by, even when those things are far from perfect or fail to fit into a tidy little box.
Happy birthday America. You are most certainly a work in progress.
But aren’t we all.
Standout Songs: “Dancing In the Dark”, “Born In The U.S.A.”, “My Hometown”, “I’m On Fire”, “Glory Days”, “Downbound Train”
Matthew. 