In 1984, when Bruce Springsteen released the album “Born in the USA,” the view of the United States from Europe was that of a powerful country, mainly because the most media-driven aspects of American culture and industry were part of everyday media: Reagan-era politics, the supremacy of the Lakers and Celtics in the NBA, the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Hollywood films of the time, or the birth of Apple’s Macintosh and Microsoft’s Windows, are some of the examples that everyone can easily remember from that time. This media showcase projected a seemingly brilliant and successful reality for Europeans and the rest of the world, full of innovations, media icons, and sports achievements. However, the social reality of the United States in the 1980s was much more complex and tumultuous than it appeared at first glance, in a world still fifteen years away from the widespread introduction of the Internet, where news and communication between countries on both sides of the Atlantic did not flow with the immediacy we experience today.

The truth was that, beneath this facade of prosperity, deep social, economic, and political tensions were affecting the daily lives of millions of Americans. The 1980s were a tough decade for the United States, marked by profound changes where the economic phenomenon of globalization began to have tangible effects on American industry, accelerating the relocation of production and causing job losses, especially in the working communities of the most industrial states. These economic transformations generated deep social and economic tensions. And it was in this context that, in 1984, a young Bruce Springsteen released “Born in the U.S.A.,” an album that not only captured the essence of the problems faced by the American working class but also, through its lyrics and music, defined an era and established Springsteen as a global rock star.

An iconic album, a reflection of the 1980s.

In the 1980s, under Ronald Reagan’s administration, the economic policies known as Reaganomics promised to revitalize the American economy. Tax cuts, deregulation, and reduced public spending are some of the well-known measures implemented by that administration. While these measures are known to have fostered economic growth in certain sectors, they also contributed to greater inequality among different social strata and to an economic transformation of the states that had previously been the most industrial in the United States. This reality is clearly reflected in Springsteen’s songs like “My Hometown,” a clear example of Springsteen’s vision of the deindustrialization prevalent at the time, which hit the working class hard. The factories that had been the heart of many communities closed, leaving thousands of people jobless and without hope for a better future. This loss was not only economic, but also emotional and communal, having a profound impact on the morale of a society educated in the belief that being American entitles one to happiness. Springsteen’s lyrics captured this reality with painful precision, giving voice to those who felt forgotten by the American dream.

But Springsteen’s lyrics in “Born in the USA” do not only address deindustrialization and its effects on American communities. A second source of inspiration profoundly influenced Springsteen in his creative process for composing “Born in the USA.” This was the novel “Born on the Fourth of July” by Ron Kovic, a Vietnam War veteran and activist for veterans’ rights. Kovic wrote the novel based on his experiences on the front lines and his return, along with his fellow soldiers, to an America that, after the war, turned up its nose at them and seemed to have forgotten them. Springsteen came across the book months before composing his album, and as he himself explains, it was a personal catharsis for him. Kovic’s story captivated him. In it, Springsteen found a narrative that deeply touched him. Springsteen had witnessed firsthand, as a teenager, how many of his friends were drafted for the Vietnam War, many of whom never returned, and those who did, as Springsteen writes in his autobiography, were never the same. Their youth was stolen from them. Here, Springsteen found a parallel connection between the stories of disillusioned American workers and the stories of Vietnam War veterans and their traumatic experiences: the broken promises of the American dream.

This is why “Born in the U.S.A.” is not just an iconic rock album; it is a work that offers a faithful testimony of the era in which it was created. Songs like that which gives the album its title, with its powerful melody but lyrics full of despair, resonated deeply and shook the wounds of 1980s American society. Anyone listening to this album for the first time, if they read the lyrics Springsteen wrote, will realize that “Born in the USA” has a wildly dual soul. Behind its seemingly patriotic, vibrant, and optimistic music are lyrics with much darker, introspective messages and a clear social critique about the struggles of the working class and the problems faced by Vietnam War veterans.

The legacy of “Born in the USA” in the 21st century

If one analyzes the main problems facing our society in 2024, it becomes clear that the stories Springsteen sang about forty years ago are not just part of the past but remain entirely relevant. Social issues, such as economic inequality or the necessity for emotional support, as Springsteen narrated in songs like “Darlington County,” “Downbound Train,” “Cover Me,” or “I’m on Fire,” have not only not diminished since the 1980s, but have significantly risen in the past two decades as a result of factors such as the 2008 subprime crisis, persistent job insecurity, the impact of globalization and digitalization, or the COVID-19 pandemic. This reminds us that Springsteen’s voice and lyrics are as relevant today as they were in 1984, and continue to be a call to action for building a more just and equitable society. In today’s socioeconomic context, if Springsteen were to release “Born in the U.S.A.” today, his lyrics might speak of essential workers during the pandemic, young people fighting against economic inequality, or veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. His music, as it was in the 1980s album, would undoubtedly be a testament to the daily lives of the American working class, reflecting hopes and despairs in a tumultuous era where globalization and technological advancements have changed the nature of work and community relations, and where fundamental challenges, such as access to stable and well-paying jobs, remain a pressing issue without a clear solution in the medium term.

Indeed, in a society where disillusionment is growing, especially among young people who perceive that their future will be worse and with fewer opportunities than those their parents had when they were young, this 40th anniversary of “Born in the USA” could be an opportunity for new generations to discover this album and the social context in which it was created. Although Bruce Springsteen may not be a direct reference for many young people today, the reality is that his lyrics are entirely relevant and offer a reflection of the current generational problems in which young people in 2024 can equally see themselves mirrored in the struggles and issues of the young people from the late ’70s and early ’80s that Springsteen narrates in his songs. The themes of disillusionment, the struggle for equality, and the pursuit of social justice are universal and timeless. Introducing this 20th-century musical legacy can help young people better understand their own struggles, their origins, and inspire them to continue fighting for a better future. In “Born in the USA,” Springsteen was able to capture the spirit of an era and create a rock masterpiece whose musical legacy endures to this day. Springsteen’s music, with its poetic depth, far from being a relic of the past, can be a powerful tool for fostering intergenerational dialogue in the search for solutions to contemporary problems in our society.