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Maddie Schweitzer

Dunham

ENG 1201

31 January 2021

Summary of “How Aging — and the Age — Can Change a Song’s Meaning” by Hanif

Abdurraquib

Hanif Abdurraqib’s 2018 article “How Aging — and the Age — Can Change a Song’s

Meaning” from The New York Times Magazine, explains the underlying meaning behind Bruce

Springteen’s hit song “Born in the U.S.A.'' released in 1984. In the first two paragraphs of this

article, Abdurraqib goes into great detail about his commendation of Bruce Springsteen not only

as a hit songwriter, but also as a top notch performer. Adburraquib then elaborates that Bruce

Springsteen was obsessed with what life would be like after he had passed away which led

Springsteen to write “Born in the U.S.A''. Abdurraqib then informs his readers of the contingent

age gap of Springsteen's musical followers and their interpretations spread throughout multiple

decades. The space built between songs allows the artist to interpret and give context not only

about music, but also about life built around music. The main idea of this article is to uncover the

true meaning behind the song “Born in the U.S.A''.

Abdurraquib explains that Springsteen's Broadway program is to add history and heritage

to individual long-loved songs. Among the many intriguing examples of this in “Springsteen on

Broadway”, the most memorable one is the vivid story he told before “Born in the U.S.A” was

released. In the 60s, the Motifs, a band Springteen idolized, distributed weekend shows to the

rooms with hundreds of teen admirers. During this time, the Vietnam War was roaring in the

background. Walter Cichon, a member of the Motifs, was drafted in the military at the age of 21
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and did not return from Vietnam. Cichon had long hair and sporty spearhead black boots. It was

the Motifs, with their frenetic and fighting guitars beneath Cichon's howling vocals.

Abdurraquib informs the reader that on Broadway, Bruce Springsteen performed "Born in

the U.S.A" to thousands of Americans. Abdurraquib elaborated that Bruce Springsteen's career is

the most entertaining when supported by his friends, but is the most serious when he is alone. At

the time of the song's release, Springsteen was a young, attractive, muscular young man standing

in front of the American flag on the cover of the single “Born in the U.S.A”. On Broadway,

Springsteen talked about "blood and confusion, pride and shame and the grace of birth".

Abdurraquib explains his interpretation of this statement as there are many people who didn’t ask

to be born or live in the United States, but they are still forced to fight for the country even if

they don’t agree with everything it stands for.

In the final paragraphs of Abdurraqib’s article he explains how many listeners of the song

“Born in the U.S.A” associate the lyrics with American patriotism and nationalism. However,

this interpretation is far from what Springsteen wanted it to be. Adburraquib uncovers the secret

that Springteen did whatever he could to avoid the Vietnam War draft. Springteen still to this day

feels guilty for being a war coward. Springteen feels this guilt because he soon realized that his

avoidance of the draft forced a different American to be drafted in his place. Abdurraqib’s final

take-away to the reader is to understand that Bruce Springsteen's hit song, “Born in the U.S.A ''

was written in a time of nationwide violence. Abdurraqib wants everyone to understand this

before the next decade interprets this song as something far from the true meaning. He wants

everyone to know that the song, “Born in the U.S.A” is about what Bruce Springsteen thinks is

wrong with America.

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Works Cited

Abdurraqib, Hanif. “How Aging — and the Age — Can Change a Song’s Meaning.” The New

York Times, The New York Times, 7 March 2019,

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/03/07/magazine/top-songs.html#/bruce-spring

steen