Born In The Usa Analysis

American musician and songwriter Bruce Springsteen is considered to be one of America’s most talented rock artists. Much of his music consists of working class values and American culture. He rose to fame with his 1975 album Born to Run and became an even bigger sensation nine years later with his seventh album, Born in the USA. The album featured seven top 10 hits such including “Dancing in the Dark”, “Glory Days”, and “Born in the USA”. The album would go on to reach up to fifteen times platinum in sales and become one of the most famous albums of the 1980s . What really made music fans enjoy this album was not just the powerful, yet catchy, music being played but also the lyrics; in this album, Springsteen really tries to connect with passionate, …show more content…
After all, the main chorus of the song features him repeating “Born in the USA, I was born in the USA”. The overall tone of the music seems very inspiring and uplifting. Even president Reagan used the song during the 1984 election to help inspire millions of middle and working class citizens throughout the country . But with closer analysis of the lyrics, it appears that the song is less about patriotism and more about the overall struggle between the government and the common man. Springsteen starts off with the first verse describing a man “born down in a dead man’s town” and comparing his life to “a dog that’s been beat too much”. From the very first lines of the song, Springsteen is already trying to paint a portrait of someone seen as just another person; that he wouldn’t really amount to anything and that his main purpose in life is to live, work, and die. Springsteen delivers the verse with powerful emotion, similar to many of his other songs. What does this person in the song have in common with other working people, though? Springsteen answers that in the opening chorus of the song; that the man is a person “born in the USA”. There is nobody specific that Springsteen is trying to point out to. The man depicted in the song could be any American who works day and night. These words in the chorus help unite blue collar Americans, including Springsteen, as a common group. He then brings out the next …show more content…
Throughout the song, the keyboard plays 6 notes repeatedly that help form the main instrumental structure of the entire piece. The lyrical structure is pretty general as the song contain multiple verses and a chorus between each one. However, the simplicity of the structure makes the song easier to catch on and interpret its meaning. Some songs have powerful meaning, but their complex musical structure and progressive work might make it hard for some listeners to comprehend it. “Born in the USA” does not fit this category. Springsteen made sure that his lyrics would not only be easy to interpret but also be relatable. What also made this song popular among people was the instruments. This isn’t a song that starts off slow and has a climatic end like a roller coaster ride. From the very beginning and especially towards the end, all of the instruments are being played loudly. Members of the E Street Band are crashing into their drums and belting out keyboard matching the powerful tone of Springsteen’s voice. The singing and instruments really help make this rock song a powerful piece, one where listeners could have fun and party to. It’s one of those songs that could be played at stadiums with tens of thousands in attendance. A song that is not only relatable to a large community but also simple and enthusiastic could easily become popular by many. Springsteen achieved all of