What is the meaning of Bruce Springsteen's hit track "Born in the U.S.A."? Here's what we find out about the iconic tune.
There are few tune icons with the presence in the business that Bruce Springsteen has. The New Jersey-native rocker has been entertaining thousands and thousands of fans across the globe for over fifty years, and in that time has sold more than a hundred and forty million records the world over, making him one of the world's best-selling music artists.
Article continues below advertisement
Out of his outstanding discography, a couple of songs have stood out to fanatics as iconic examples of Bruce's musical abilities. One such instance of that is his classic monitor "Born in the U.S.A.," but what precisely is the meaning of the song? Keep reading for a breakdown of the inspiration in the back of the definitive hit.
Article continues beneath commercial
What is the meaning of "Born in the U.S.A."?
When your tune is ranked 275th on Rolling Stone's record of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time," it is past clear that its impact has transcended generations and remained as poignant as of late because it was when it released. Bruce's "Born in the U.S.A." is precisely that — a vintage example of vintage rock track that carries the most important message about how veterans fared economically upon returning home from war.
From its first lyrics, Bruce units a depressing tone for "Born in the U.S.A." "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," he sings, referring to the trials and tribulations the track's matter has confronted since a young age.
Article continues below advertisement
The story of how a troubled boy ends up at warfare continues as the music goes on. "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."
Next, Bruce sings about the veteran's go back house and the lack of paintings he reveals when he is again. "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,'" referring to how sparse paintings used to be at the time.
Article continues below commercial
Released more or less ten years after the Vietnam War ended, Bruce's track serves as a candid reflection of how the decade after the conflict served those that fought in it on the homefront. "Down in the shadow of the penitentiary / Out by the gas fires of the refinery," he sings, most likely referring to the Bayway Refinery and East Jersey State Prison, which are close to each other in his house state. He doubles down through singing, "I'm ten years burning down the road / Nowhere to run ain't got nowhere to go."
Throughout the tune, Bruce repeats the title line, "Born in the U.S.A." many times. Its repetition will also be interpreted as almost a chant of protest against the financial instances that befell America's infantrymen once they have been no longer of use to the army. Although those folks had been all "Born in the U.S.A." and defended it with their lives, Bruce means that many had been cast apart by society and had any perception of the "American dream" taken away from them.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7pbXSramam6Ses7p6wqikaKhfl7yzuoyipWasmJp6tr%2FAZqSemZ6eu6g%3D