*July 04 2026 | Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen
Talk The Poetry Collective
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1amanda4242
Born down in a dead man's town
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
End up like a dog that's been beat too much
'Til you spend half your life just coverin' up, now
Born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A. now
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
Born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
Come back home to the refinery
Hirin' man says, "Son, if it was up to me"
Went down to see my V.A. man
He said, "Son, don't you understand now?"
Oh, yeah
No, no
No, no, no
I had a brother at Khe Sanh
Fightin' off them Viet Cong
They're still there, he's all gone
He had a woman he loved in Saigon
I got a picture of him in her arms, now
Down in the shadow of the penitentiary
Out by the gas fires of the refinery
I'm ten years burnin' down the road
Nowhere to run, ain't got nowhere to go
Born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A. now
Born in the U.S.A.
I'm a long gone Daddy in the U.S.A. now
Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
I'm a cool rocking Daddy in the U.S.A. now
Music video
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
End up like a dog that's been beat too much
'Til you spend half your life just coverin' up, now
Born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A. now
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
Born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A.
Come back home to the refinery
Hirin' man says, "Son, if it was up to me"
Went down to see my V.A. man
He said, "Son, don't you understand now?"
Oh, yeah
No, no
No, no, no
I had a brother at Khe Sanh
Fightin' off them Viet Cong
They're still there, he's all gone
He had a woman he loved in Saigon
I got a picture of him in her arms, now
Down in the shadow of the penitentiary
Out by the gas fires of the refinery
I'm ten years burnin' down the road
Nowhere to run, ain't got nowhere to go
Born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A. now
Born in the U.S.A.
I'm a long gone Daddy in the U.S.A. now
Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
I'm a cool rocking Daddy in the U.S.A. now
Music video
2amanda4242
"Born in the U.S.A." is one of the most famous American rock songs, but people don't always really listen to the lyrics. It's very easy to get swept up by the music and catchy chorus and to dismiss the song as flag-waving arena rock, but reading the lyrics shows us a very different message.
The song speaks of a man born into a life of few opportunities. He's shipped off to Vietnam, and returns to find he can't get a job and the country he fought for will not support him. It is a song of rage at America's betrayal of its veterans and its blue-collar communities.
The song speaks of a man born into a life of few opportunities. He's shipped off to Vietnam, and returns to find he can't get a job and the country he fought for will not support him. It is a song of rage at America's betrayal of its veterans and its blue-collar communities.
3DebiCates
>1 amanda4242: A great selection for us, Amanda. Springsteen, an American icon and treasure.
Up until now I never listened very carefully to the lyrics. The thudding, loud chorus was the part one heard and took as its heart. But, you are so right, it is much more than that.
The lyrics walk an interesting balance, don't you think? Critical but not so overt as to be "unAmerican." It feels like an ode to the working man, who is and always has been mere fodder for America's corporations and government elites. Fodder, both economically and physically. The video makes that point even clearer, I think.
It's interesting that he uses the word "now" a lot. What do you make of that? It feels intentional, like he's driving home the point that this is how he sees things "now" as opposed to when he was younger. Or, perhaps "now" is a particular and specific assessment of America in 1984. Watching the video also helps with that interpretation.
Thank you for sharing this, Amanda. One of the things that is supposed to make America great is our right to verbalize our criticisms of our own government, a government that has continued to grow and improve. You know, that government that was formed to become a more perfect union, to provide a place for us all with blessings of justice, tranquility and liberty. I used to think we were heading that way, slow but steady. I'm not so sure especially now. Yet, I continue to believe we can...hopefully.
Up until now I never listened very carefully to the lyrics. The thudding, loud chorus was the part one heard and took as its heart. But, you are so right, it is much more than that.
The lyrics walk an interesting balance, don't you think? Critical but not so overt as to be "unAmerican." It feels like an ode to the working man, who is and always has been mere fodder for America's corporations and government elites. Fodder, both economically and physically. The video makes that point even clearer, I think.
It's interesting that he uses the word "now" a lot. What do you make of that? It feels intentional, like he's driving home the point that this is how he sees things "now" as opposed to when he was younger. Or, perhaps "now" is a particular and specific assessment of America in 1984. Watching the video also helps with that interpretation.
Thank you for sharing this, Amanda. One of the things that is supposed to make America great is our right to verbalize our criticisms of our own government, a government that has continued to grow and improve. You know, that government that was formed to become a more perfect union, to provide a place for us all with blessings of justice, tranquility and liberty. I used to think we were heading that way, slow but steady. I'm not so sure especially now. Yet, I continue to believe we can...hopefully.
4elenchus
I definitely was one to be caught up in the song's presentation, and the overtly jingoistic chorus, to the point I think it's largely responsible for me never cottoning to Springsteen. It's a running joke with friends now that while I "respect" him and his art (and I sincerely do), I'm not a fan. This remains true after having deliberately listened to songs and albums, especially Nebraska, and attending to the lyrics of even this track. But the initial impact was too strong. I was in high school when this came out, and very keen on music. While this wasn't the first song of his I'd heard, it left a lasting imprint I've found hard to shake.
I believe Springsteen made the choice deliberately, knowing that many listeners would not get beyond the chorus. I like to think that's part of the point he was making. Guessing he was disappointed for this song (and album) to be so big and so widely misunderstood, but never really surprised. (I also admire that again in my interpretation, he used that success to fuel his work and later tours, albums, art -- but never lost sight of the irony.)
I believe Springsteen made the choice deliberately, knowing that many listeners would not get beyond the chorus. I like to think that's part of the point he was making. Guessing he was disappointed for this song (and album) to be so big and so widely misunderstood, but never really surprised. (I also admire that again in my interpretation, he used that success to fuel his work and later tours, albums, art -- but never lost sight of the irony.)
5SandraArdnas
We've had several lyrics to a song posted so far, which made me think of the process in which they came about. I don't think this stands particularly well on its own. I don't mean it as a value judgment, but rather that to me it indicates they came about as integral part of writing the song, and are meant to be performed as such (as opposed to writing the lyrics on their own and for their own sake, which at some point may or may not be put to music). I wonder if when the lyrics that work equally well without the accompanying music, just words on a paper, were of the other scenario.
I've done some searching to find answers, but mostly learned that song-writers uniformly agree it's far more difficult to put verses to a melody, than to come up with verses once you have a melody. My favorite poet in the musical world, Martin Gore, also does not write lyrics on their own. He comes up with verses while putting them to music on acoustic guitar. Finally, I dug somewhat into Bob Dylan's process, since after all he got the Nobel for his verses. That I suspect is a project for days if not longer, haha, but my superficial research indicates that, while also not outright writing verses first, he experimented a lot, among other things writing in specific forms and meters outside songwriting.
I've done some searching to find answers, but mostly learned that song-writers uniformly agree it's far more difficult to put verses to a melody, than to come up with verses once you have a melody. My favorite poet in the musical world, Martin Gore, also does not write lyrics on their own. He comes up with verses while putting them to music on acoustic guitar. Finally, I dug somewhat into Bob Dylan's process, since after all he got the Nobel for his verses. That I suspect is a project for days if not longer, haha, but my superficial research indicates that, while also not outright writing verses first, he experimented a lot, among other things writing in specific forms and meters outside songwriting.
6DebiCates
>4 elenchus: It is so good to see and read your comments, Elenchus. Do you know that today is the first time, on a whim, I googled "elenchus "to see what it might mean, if anything? Imagine my surprise when I got an answer. You do probe for truth with questions, but of your ownself, it seems to me.
Anyway, we can no longer be friends since you can't jam out to Springsteen...
JUST KIDDING!!!!
When I think of Springsteen, it is one album I think of, his 1987 Tunnel of Love. In fact, I just now went to hear it again and the song on it that was my favorite, One Step Up. I can't tell you, so long ago, how many Mixed Tapes I made with this one on it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK0XsJ9GH1w&list=PLNPGM2D7aODcahykjVAXJqMf6S...
Funny, I'm surprised how every song is dripping with the 80s "sound." But, that one song, sigh, that one song remains timeless and honest to me.
Anyway, we can no longer be friends since you can't jam out to Springsteen...
JUST KIDDING!!!!
When I think of Springsteen, it is one album I think of, his 1987 Tunnel of Love. In fact, I just now went to hear it again and the song on it that was my favorite, One Step Up. I can't tell you, so long ago, how many Mixed Tapes I made with this one on it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK0XsJ9GH1w&list=PLNPGM2D7aODcahykjVAXJqMf6S...
Funny, I'm surprised how every song is dripping with the 80s "sound." But, that one song, sigh, that one song remains timeless and honest to me.
7DebiCates
>5 SandraArdnas: I love your thoughts and investigations on this, Sandra. I've often found myself under the magical spell of a song's lyrics, but when I read them in text, they don't hold up nearly as well. It's made me wonder why that might be. I guess it is a case where the music that does the heavy lifting. Perhaps that indicates those are the songs where the melody came first.
It might be fun to have a "challenge" post, asking The Poetry Collective for song lyrics they feel have what it takes to be a stand-alone poem. Maybe even have them not post the artist and song title, not until a specific reveal date. What do you think, would that be interesting?
It might be fun to have a "challenge" post, asking The Poetry Collective for song lyrics they feel have what it takes to be a stand-alone poem. Maybe even have them not post the artist and song title, not until a specific reveal date. What do you think, would that be interesting?
8Interstellar_Octopus
>7 DebiCates: I feel like Leonard Cohen, who incidentally wrote a lot of poetry as well as song lyrics, would probably have a lot of lyrics that can stand on their own. Famous Blue Raincoat, for the typical example:
It's four in the morning, the end of December
I'm writing you now just to see if you're better
New York is cold, but I like where I'm living
There's music on Clinton Street all through the evening
I hear that you're building your little house deep in the desert
You're living for nothing now, I hope you're keeping some kind of record
Yes, and Jane came by with a lock of your hair
She said that you gave it to her
That night that you planned to go clear
Did you ever go clear?
Oh, the last time we saw you, you looked so much older
Your famous blue raincoat was torn at the shoulder
You'd been to the station to meet every train
Then you came home without Lili Marlene
And you treated my woman to a flake of your life
And when she came back, she was nobody's wife
Well, I see you there with the rose in your teeth
One more thin gypsy thief
Well, I see Jane's awake
She sends her regards
And what can I tell you, my brother, my killer?
What can I possibly say?
I guess that I miss you, I guess I forgive you
I'm glad you stood in my way
If you ever come by here for Jane or for me
Well, your enemy is sleeping and his woman is free
Yes, and thanks for the trouble you took from her eyes
I thought it was there for good, so I never tried
And Jane came by with a lock of your hair
She said that you gave it to her
That night that you planned to go clear
It's four in the morning, the end of December
I'm writing you now just to see if you're better
New York is cold, but I like where I'm living
There's music on Clinton Street all through the evening
I hear that you're building your little house deep in the desert
You're living for nothing now, I hope you're keeping some kind of record
Yes, and Jane came by with a lock of your hair
She said that you gave it to her
That night that you planned to go clear
Did you ever go clear?
Oh, the last time we saw you, you looked so much older
Your famous blue raincoat was torn at the shoulder
You'd been to the station to meet every train
Then you came home without Lili Marlene
And you treated my woman to a flake of your life
And when she came back, she was nobody's wife
Well, I see you there with the rose in your teeth
One more thin gypsy thief
Well, I see Jane's awake
She sends her regards
And what can I tell you, my brother, my killer?
What can I possibly say?
I guess that I miss you, I guess I forgive you
I'm glad you stood in my way
If you ever come by here for Jane or for me
Well, your enemy is sleeping and his woman is free
Yes, and thanks for the trouble you took from her eyes
I thought it was there for good, so I never tried
And Jane came by with a lock of your hair
She said that you gave it to her
That night that you planned to go clear
9SandraArdnas
>8 Interstellar_Octopus: And he's indeed one who wrote lyrics first, as well as went over them countless times in the process of song-writing. How on earth did I not think of him? Now that I have, I discovered two more: Stevie Nicks and Kendrick Lamar.
10amanda4242
>3 DebiCates: I think blind obedience to *any* ideology is what's truly "un-American." To speak up when you think something isn't right, to listen to those with opposing views, to debate in good faith, and to seek equitable compromises should be the American way.
11amanda4242
>4 elenchus: I see the chorus as more ironically jingoistic. Taken with the rest of the song, it reads to me like he's saying, "This is what's behind your flag waving. Do better."
12amanda4242
>5 SandraArdnas: I agree that this song doesn't stand particularly well on its own, but separating the lyrics from the music forces us to look at what Springsteen is actually saying.
13amanda4242
>7 DebiCates: It might be fun to have a "challenge" post, asking The Poetry Collective for song lyrics they feel have what it takes to be a stand-alone poem. Maybe even have them not post the artist and song title, not until a specific reveal date.
That sounds like fun!
That sounds like fun!
14elenchus
>11 amanda4242: Oh, agree. What the chorus is saying (thinking like Greek tragedy for a moment) is much different than what it sounded like it was saying, to my younger self. And the impression is so ingrained that even now when I hear it, I have to remind myself consciously that it's not jingoistic but ironic.
Refrains in popular music, especially modern popular music, predictably shape the song overall. I'm confident Springsteen was aware of that, and could have chosen a different lyric for the refrain if he wanted the overall message to be clearer to the masses. I think he didn't want that. The song is more powerful this way, but not as it's widely understood.
There are quite a few other songs that have a similar effect, though perhaps not crafted deliberately. The Police's "Every Step You Take" reportedly has been used in countless wedding receptions for the couple's first dance, for one.
Refrains in popular music, especially modern popular music, predictably shape the song overall. I'm confident Springsteen was aware of that, and could have chosen a different lyric for the refrain if he wanted the overall message to be clearer to the masses. I think he didn't want that. The song is more powerful this way, but not as it's widely understood.
There are quite a few other songs that have a similar effect, though perhaps not crafted deliberately. The Police's "Every Step You Take" reportedly has been used in countless wedding receptions for the couple's first dance, for one.
15DebiCates
>13 amanda4242: Yippee! I'll do that, then. Maybe mid-week if work doesn't press me too much. Or next mid-week if it does.
16DebiCates
>14 elenchus: Oh lordy, using that song for one's wedding reminds me of badly thought out tattoos. And it's only when we are madly in love do we think someone watching our every step, our every move, is a romantic idea. Argh! Sheesh, vacuum or take out the trash, why don't you, is what I'd say to someone watching me like that.
17TonjaE
>1 amanda4242: it’s kind of a snapshot of a period of time isn’t it? A song before a poem but something memorable for sure. Thanks for sharing.
