“Writing about yourself is a funny business…But in a project like this, the writer has made one promise, to show the reader his mind. In these pages, I’ve tried to do this.” —Bruce Springsteen, from the pages of Born to Run
In 2009, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed at the Super Bowl’s halftime show. The experience was so exhilarating that Bruce decided to write about it. That’s how this extraordinary autobiography began.
Over the past seven years, Bruce Springsteen has privately devoted himself to writing the story of his life, bringing to these pages the same honesty, humor, and originality found in his songs.
He describes growing up Catholic in Freehold, New Jersey, amid the poetry, danger, and darkness that fueled his imagination, leading up to the moment he refers to as “The Big Bang”: seeing Elvis Presley’s debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. He vividly recounts his relentless drive to become a musician, his early days as a bar band king in Asbury Park, and the rise of the E Street Band. With disarming candor, he also tells for the first time the story of the personal struggles that inspired his best work, and shows us why the song “Born to Run” reveals more than we previously realized.
Born to Run will be revelatory for anyone who has ever enjoyed Bruce Springsteen, but this book is much more than a legendary rock star’s memoir. This is a book for workers and dreamers, parents and children, lovers and loners, artists, freaks, or anyone who has ever wanted to be baptized in the holy river of rock and roll.
Rarely has a performer told his own story with such force and sweep. Like many of his songs (“Thunder Road,” “Badlands,” “Darkness on the Edge of Town,” “The River,” “Born in the U.S.A,” “The Rising,” and “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” to name just a few), Bruce Springsteen’s autobiography is written with the lyricism of a singular songwriter and the wisdom of a man who has thought deeply about his experiences.
As good as “autobiography” gets!! Bruce Springsteen’s “autobiography” is a masterpiece of that genre. It is just that: his life story from his vantage point. The book could have used some good editing (many redundant stories; garbled chronology about events in different chapters; too much rambling didactic stuff, which is not Bruce’s strength, as he is a genuine poet and poetry is about being concise.) But, his voice comes through loud and clear; that’s Bruce.
Intriguing look into the life and mind of The Boss, in his own words! How all his marvelous music came to be. If you have ever actually listened to the lyrics of most Springsteen songs (except maybe Waitin’ on a Sunny Day), you know that Bruce Springsteen is a really deep guy. There was a book published 15 years ago called Songs, which contained all the lyrics of every Springsteen song written to that time. I loved that book. I read it cover to cover, several times. You could read and contemplate all his lyrics. Born to Run helps explain the factors that helped Bruce’s amazing catalog…
Springsteen’s Mystery Train Bruce Springsteen’s memoir is perhaps the literary equivalent of his four hour concerts. Springsteen’s book ranges from his earliest memories to his current inspiration. I am humbled at the craft and honesty in this book. His life story is shaped and nuanced for sure, but it still is stunningly compelling. Springsteen delves into his musical history in quite some depth. His early bands – the Castiles and Steel Mill helped the young Springsteen grow into the leader of the E Street Band. Stories…