Day 5: Legacy

Bruce Springsteen is the John Steinbeck of rock & roll. Like Howard Zinn, the themes he explores on his songs and albums celebrate, analyze, and criticize life in small town America. His narrators focus on the burdens of work, life, family, and ambition.

In 1984, Springsteen released his seventh album, Born in the U.S.A.

The album's title track details the struggles of a Vietnam veteran attempting to find his way some ten years after the war. Watch the embedded video below. Listen carefully to both the lyrics and the instrumentation of the song.

Your Assignment:

• In 1984, "Born in the U.S.A." featured prominently in Ronald Reagan's re-election campaign. Reagan and others interpreted the song as a patriotic anthem of sorts. Why is this ironic? Compare and contrast the lyrics and subject matter of the song with its instrumentation and general sound and "poppiness."