Bruce Springsteen and Freedom

Paper Summary:

This music study analyzes the theme of freedom in the song "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen. The writer notes that the lyrical content of "Born to Run" often describes the American dream of freedom and liberation from traditional societal values, which involves breaking ties with family and location through the bond of youthful romance. The writer discusses that the driving instrumentation of the song also reflects this type of freedom in the notation and chord progressions used by the artist to accent this theme in his lyrics. In essence, the writer maintains that the song "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen reflects the American dream of freedom within its lyrical and musical content.

From the Paper:

"The song "Born to Run" has become a classic of American rock 'n' roll music and has become a staple song in the career of Bruce Springsteen. In the title song from the 1974 album Born to Run, Springsteen offered a large scale approach to the rock 'n' roll format by the expansive nature of his lyrical content. The message of many rock 'n' roll songs before this album did not reflect the deepening sense of personal freedom that many Americans desired after the turmoil of the 1960s. Springsteen sought to emulate Bob Dylan's lyrical and anthemic approach to songwriting, but did it on a much larger scale. Although Dylan had certainly depicted the tragedy of the 1960s in his lyrics, Springsteen defined the romantic and interpersonal aspects of freedom and the American Dream in Born to Run."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Born to Run." 2006. LyricsFreak.com. 28 November, 2006. <http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/bruce+springsteen/born+to+run_20025020.html>
• Anderson, Gunther. "Bruce Springsteen--Born to Run--Lyrics and Chords." 2006. Guntheranderson.com. 28 November, 2006. <http://www.guntheranderson.com/v/data/borntoru.htm>
• Marcus, Greil. "Springsteen's Thousand and One American Nights." 2006. Ericenders.com. 28 November, 2006. <http://www.ericenders.com/greilmarcus.htm>
• Marsh, David. Bruce Springsteen: Two Hearts, The Story. London: Routledge, 2004.
• Rooksby, Rikky. Bruce Springsteen: Learn from the Greats and Write Better Songs. New York: backbeat Books, 2005.

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