Springsteen's new memoir, 'Born To Run,' is here, one, two, three, four!
The Boss opens up about his early years and dealing with depression in the new book out Tuesday
Springsteen's new memoir, 'Born To Run,' is here, one, two, three, four! The Boss opens up about his early years and dealing with depression in the new book out Tuesday Check out this story on Freep.com: http://on.freep.com/2dsKvjq
Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press Pop Culture Critic Published 9:56 p.m. ET Sept. 24, 2016 | Updated 9:27 a.m. ET Sept. 25, 2016
'Born To Run' cover jacket of memoir by Bruce Springsteen.(Photo: Amazon.com)
The arrival of Bruce Springsteen's memoir this week is being treated like the discovery of an American rock 'n roll Rosetta Stone, and rightly so.
Acclaimed novelist Richard Ford has reviewed it for the New York Times, while New York Times op-ed columnist David Brooks has waxed eloquent on it for the Atlantic.This is as it should be, because the emotion-stirring nature of Springsteen's music has always been serious. His famously long concerts are the effort of a serious entertainer. Even "Born To Run," the song guaranteed to induce solo car singing in the shyest of people, is a serious scream of escape to a new life set to a throbbing, kickbutt melody.
► Related: Bruce Springsteen sums up 30-year depression battle with car metaphor
Thus it will be necessary to set aside Tuesday, the book's release date, as national Begin Reading 'Born To Run' Day. The memoir named for Springsteen's defining anthem is expected to offer a sense of healing along with a ticket into Springsteen's deepest thoughts – and the legacy of youthful hurt and hope that drove his ambition. "People who choose rock and roll as their vocation are usually trying to break free from constraints, to smash things, to stir up a little turmoil in their souls. Springsteen entered a world of chaos and turned to guitars and amplifiers and lyrics to create order," writes Brooks.
The book promises much insight into how Springsteen became the Boss, starting with candid descriptions of his anxious early years growing up in a working-class New Jersey family with an encouraging mother and a withdrawn, angry father. It also details Springsteen's focus and uncompromising dedication to his music – a commitment that, in his case, translated through unceasing hard work into the ultimate level of fame and a near-universal appreciation of his talent.
"Born To Run" is yet another example of the pact, here in autobiographical book form, that Springsteen has long had with his audience: If you come to me with a willingness to really listen, I'll tell you my truths in a way that speaks to your soul. Serious stuff, but would you expect anything else from the voice of a generation? Bruce is a rock god cloaked in the humble leather and jeans of a bar band singer who struggles and yearns just like we all do. Now that his bible has arrived, you know you'll have to read it chapter and verse.
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