Nora Whouley

Third Blog Assignment

5/6/16

            Everybody in life wants something and sometimes what we want in life means we have to sacrifice and step up to the plate in order to have what we want. Not only do we want to have something, we know we want to be somebody. Being somebody does not only mean a good personality or being nice to someone. It means being true to yourself and to defend your good and fight for your right. Many thins in life influence us such as television, movies, and art. Songs are something that can be very influential but don’t get as much credit anymore these days because visual entertainment is so popular. Many artists become forgotten and even when some, like Bruce Springsteen continue to make music since 1975, they still do not get the best recognition they deserve even though their songs have really deep and strong meanings.

Bruce Springsteen does not have a young sounding voice, is not in favor of computer music, and is in a band with a lot of older people with horn instruments. The song I am referring to is No Surrender from the album Born in the USA. No retreat no surrender means never stop fighting and defending. This is a good song because the meaning is relevant to trillions of life situations, and the song should be more played and not taken for granted. Many people in this world try to prove themselves and feel that everyone else proves them wrong. With this song, the upbeat tune, the intro with the drum pounding, and the happy sounding chorus make the song worth listening to and the lyrics are something to learn from. The beginning lyrics are, “We busted out of class, had to get away from those fools. We learned more from a three minute record than we ever did in school. Tonight I hear the neighborhood drummer sound  I can feel my heart begin to pound. You say you’re tired and you just want to close your eyes and follow your dreams down” (Bruce Springsteen.net) These lyrics are grasping and refer to the expression “you do you”.

This song was written in 1984 and was put on the album Born in the USA. This song is catchy, but is unfortunately not a traditional tune that everyone knows still today such as, Twist and Shout, Don’t Stop Believing, and Hound Dog. A little bit of background of Bruce Springsteen also known as “The Boss,” Springsteen was a teenager in New Jersey who had an alcoholic father and did not do well in school. Bruce Springsteen did not get along well with his parents. He claims that the only thing in the house who loved him and that he could love back was his guitar. This relationship refers to the quote, “Well maybe we could cut someplace of ours with these drums and these guitars.” (Bruce Springsteen.net) This song means hope in bad situations and that there is always a solution to a bad thing in life where we have to push through. This song can be taken through the perspective of adolescents, adults, people who work hard, or people who don’t work hard enough. 

To talk about song meanings, according to Theodore Gracyk, “meanings of songs can be fixed.” (Gracyk, 23). The song can also be reinforced as a tool for groups who have no choice but to fight hard. There is a lyric, “Like soldiers in the winter’s night with a vow to defend, no retreat no surrender.” (Bruce Springsteen.net). This album was written after the Vietnam war when many veterans returned and were in very rough shape. Another song on the album, Born in the USA is about a man who fought in the Vietnam war and lived a ruined life due to PTSD and other traumatizing memories.

The song refers back to being an individual and then being with a group of people. Sometimes people want the same things in life and we promise to keep going. Many times in life we have to push through a situation where we did not ask to be in. College, for example is a hard time for many kids. There is no getting a degree without going to class, handing in a paper, and taking the test while staying up all night studying, putting up with the parties next door, and dealing with drama, relationships, and deadlines. However, the song reminds us that we did promise ourselves something before move in day. “We made a promise we swore we’d always remember, no retreat, no surrender.”(Bruce Springsteen.net). We do promise ourselves that we want to push through these four years of our lives, we want to succeed and look back and say that we did that. Of course, we do take breaks, which is what “No retreat” stands for, but “No surrender” means we are never going to give up and we are not going to let anyone else be the reason we quit. We don’t have to be a quitter in order to end something the way we want to.

Bruce Springsteen still tours today and sometimes plays this song with the acoustic guitar. Bruce is a great guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter. He writes all his songs for his band, and at concerts he introduces his band and every individual onstage who works for him and plays their hearts out for his own career. I believe that this song is the reason he has continued playing great music with a great career and even at age 65 he has not retired. The bigger picture here is that everyone has a goal and it is important to never give up. This song deserves more credit and should be played more. I find it very disappointing that this song is still not very well known like it should be and is unappreciated. Different songs say different things to different people, but this song in particular is very clear about the message and should be played more and well known especially in the military, college campuses, and places where people go to get help.

As a fan of Bruce Springsteen and as a student, I believe that this song is motivational and even though “The Boss” is on the older side, I find this song uplifting and something to listen to when all hope is gone.

 

Works Cited

"Born In the USA." Bruce Springsteen. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 May 2016. <http://www.brucespringsteen.net>.

"Bruce Springsteen Biography." Bio. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 May 2016. <http://www.biography.com>.

Gracyk, Theodore. "Meanings of Songs and Meanings of Song Performances." The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism: n. pag. Print.