Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A.?

Question

I have a project in English where I have to explain whether this song depicts the "American Dream" or not. I've been on a few sites that have different opinions and interpretations of this song. I'm so confused! Is this a patriotic song or not?

Answer 1

This song was Springsteens reaction, with a little collaberation with afew veterans, to the Vietnam war and the effects of the aftermath at home.

Basically, it says that the soldier screwed up as a kid, had to choose between jail or the army, chose to fight in the war, came back home, didn't have his job waiting for him as promised, and lost his brother in the war. It ends by meaning that he's still goin' through life, but he doesn't yet have a destination because his life has been distorted from the original image of the American Dream.

This song does not depict the American Dream. Rather, this song depicts what happens to those who are on the short end of that stick.

Answer 2

I think "Born In The U.S.A." isn't depicting the American Dream. It's about the loss of the American Dream. It's about being forced to accept certain things about America as "right" even though you know that morally it is not "right".

Listen to the song. You'll get the message.

Answer 3

SOUNDS LIKE A LITTLE RICH KID COMPLAINING ABOUT THINGS HE WILL NEVER HAVE TO SUFFER PERSONALLY. Anti-American... no. Anti-Establishment... yes.

Here are the lyrics for others to see and give an opinion.

BORN IN THE USA

Born down in a dead man's town
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
You end up like a dog that's been beat too much
'Til you spend half your life just covering up

[chorus:]
Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.

I got in a little hometown jam
And so they put a rifle in my hands
Sent me off to Vietnam
To go and kill the yellow man

[chorus]

Come back home to the refinery
Hiring man says "Son if it was up to me"
I go down to see the V.A. man
He said "Son don't you understand"

[chorus]

I had a buddy at Khe Sahn
Fighting off the Viet Cong
They're still there, he's all gone
He had a little girl in Saigon
I got a picture of him in her arms

Down in the shadow of the penitentiary
Out by the gas fires of the refinery
I'm ten years down the road
Nowhere to run, ain't got nowhere to go

I'm a long gone Daddy in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.
I'm a cool rocking Daddy in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A.

Answer 4

Yes its a song about small town mill closing down .......My fav patriotic song is the Angry American By Toby Keith .........But just listen to Springsteen song a few times and you will get it

Answer 5

It's a song about working class people.

Answer 6

I heard somewhere that this song was against war (I think Vietnam war)