Born In The U.S.A. propelled Bruce Springsteen, already a rock and roll hero at that time, to pop superstardom. The long-gestating album brought The Boss to a new level of fandom without his having to sacrifice his musical ideals or authenticity.
Videos by American Songwriter
You probably know the music to this landmark 1984 album quite well. But how well do you know some of the lore behind this landmark album? Here are some tidbits of information to test you.
The First Single Came Last
Bruce Springsteen wrote and recorded around 70 songs for possible inclusion on Born In The U.S.A. over a three-year stretch. When he had finally settled on a rough track listing after much consternation, his manager/producer Jon Landau challenged him to come up with one more track. Landau worried that there was no song in the running order that gave a good indication of where Springsteen was in his life at the time. Springsteen initially refused to write it. But after cooling down, he went home that night and wrote about his desires and frustrations. The song he wrote, “Dancing In The Dark”, became the album’s first single and the biggest hit of his career.
Bruce Almost Nebraska-fied the Title Track
Part of the reason Springsteen took so long making the album was that he wasn’t sure what direction it should take. He liked the stark, quiet feel of Nebraska (which was made in the middle of the Born In The U.S.A. sessions). In fact, the title track initially came as part of the Nebraska demos. When Springsteen tried the other Nebraska songs with the band, they never came off lacking. But “Born In The U.S.A.” proved different. Thanks to the chiming synths of Roy Bittan and the thunderous drums of Max Weinberg, the version of the song that made it to the album sounded patriotic. Which was quite ironic considering the biting nature of the lyrics.
Donna Missed Out
Jon Landau was always trying to remind Bruce Springsteen of the worthwhile nature of catchy pop songs. Springsteen tended to mistrust anything that came a little bit easier to him and didn’t require a lot of soul-searching. When he and the E Street Band recorded “Cover Me”, he was thinking about giving it away to Donna Summer. Landau not only pushed him to keep it, but he also convinced him to release it as the album’s second single. It turned it into another big hit, even without an accompanying video. Springsteen eventually gave the song “Protection” to Summer as a consolation prize.
Who is Bobby Jean?
Steven Van Zandt had long served as a crucial piece of the Springsteen professional support system, in addition to his duties as an E Street Band guitarist. He had co-produced The River in 1980. His advice also proved crucial in Springsteen’s decision to release the Nebraska demos as they were. As the Born In The U.S.A. sessions dragged on, however, Van Zandt felt that his input wasn’t needed as in the past. He decided to leave the band before the album was complete to pursue a solo career. Springsteen wrote the Born In The U.S.A. track “Bobby Jean” as a tribute to the pair’s friendship.
“Surrender” Saved
As mentioned above, Springsteen struggled mightily with deciding the final track list for Born In The U.S.A. At one point, in a desperate effort to find a consensus, he even passed tapes of the songs out to friends and associates and asked them to rank them. In the end, Springsteen relied on the advice of an old friend when it came to a particular song. “No Surrender” was recorded after Steven Van Zandt had left the E Street Band. The Boss was about to leave it off the finished record, as he was a bit worried about its over-earnest tone. But when Van Zandt heard it, he convinced Springsteen that it was a keeper. That ensured that an all-time classic wasn’t left behind.
Photo via Getty Images
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.