Music – ‘Born to Run’ Bruce Springsteen (1975)

25 August 2025 was the fiftieth anniversary of the release, in 1975, of the song ‘Born to Run’, and the album of the same name, by Bruce Springsteen (born 23 September 1949).  The album was released by Columbia Records, and was Springsteen’s third. It features the E Street Band, his backing band since 1972.

Springsteen is a songwriter – and in many respects a poet – positioned in the sphere of heartland rock.  The song is hardcore Springsteen. I defy anyone to listen to the song – on the link below – without tapping their toes and nodding their head to the beat and lyrics.

Coinciding with the anniversary, Peter Ames Carlin – who wrote an authorised biography of Springsteen, ‘Bruce’, in 2012 – this year released a shorter tome focused on the album:  ‘Tonight in Jungle Land:  The Making of Born to Run’. A relatively short book – of less than 300 pages – it makes for an interesting read, with much more detailed focused information on such time, and such song and album.

Carlin writes that apparently, at the time, Columbia had placed Springsteen on a list of performers that they were giving consideration to cutting.  Fortunately that did not occur, but the song ‘Born to Run’ probably had much to do with that.

Writing in the New York Times on 7 August 2025, John Pareles – reviewing Carlin’s book – wrote of the making of the album: 

The album was forged with idealism and fearlessly guarded amateurism.  Instead of hiring proven hitmakers, Springsteen insisted on working with his own young guys:  his band members and his co-producers (Springsteen’s early manager, Mike Appel, and the critic turned producer John Landau). For a year he agonised over every sound and every note, trying all sorts of alternatives, pressuring himself and the band to make a great album, take after take after take.

As they say, the rest is history.  Springsteen went on to release another 20 albums and is still active performing live.  The writer’s favourite album – and that of many – is ‘Born in the U.S.A.’ which was released in 1984.  His next favourite is ‘Only the Strong Survive’ released in 2022.

Springsteen’s latest tour is the ‘Springsteen and E Street Band 2023-2025 Tour’.