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Critic Rates the Songs of Springsteen in New Book

Welcome to American Mosaic¹ from VOA Learning English. I'm Caty Weaver².

On the show today, it's all about "The Boss" Bruce Springsteen.

Musician, singer, songwriter Bruce Springsteen is one of the world's best-selling artists, with a career that covers 40 years.  In a new book, “Counting Down Bruce Springsteen,” writer and music critic Jim Beviglia rates Springsteen’s songs. The rating is based partly on how powerfully the words express people’s fears, hopes and dreams.  Christopher Cruise reports.

Bruce Springsteen is known for his poetic³ songs that deal with social and political issues, as well as more personal subjects.  His energetic live performances are also famous. Music journalist Jim Beviglia says the artist’s childhood in a New Jersey⁴ working class family was a major influence on his music.

“The social and the political issues, Springsteen’s never been shy about writing about those. They sort of started to come into play with an album called, ‘Darkness on the Edge of Town,’ where he started to look at small town lives and how people are just sort of doing the same things their parents did, and couldn't get out of that."

Mr. Beviglia says the music grew even darker in the 1982 album “Nebraska.”  He says those songs show people pushed to the edge of poverty and criminal activity.

Thirteen years later Springsteen released “The Ghost of Tom Joad.”  Mr. Beviglia says the album was a direct discussion of issues like immigration, hunger and poverty. 

Then in 2012, in the album “Wrecking Ball,” the critic says Springsteen found people to blame for some of those social problems.

“‘Wrecking Ball’ really pointed⁵ at that sort of financial leaders and the powers that allowed that dichotomy between the rich and the poor.”

One of Springsteen's best-known songs, “Born in the USA”, is nine on Beviglia's list.

“It’s an amazingly complex song, it's got this really rousing music, very patriotic⁶, big drums, it's used in fireworks displays. But when you get to the lyrics⁷, it’s a very sharp criticism of the way America treated its Vietnam vets⁸ upon returning home.”

The song was released in 1984 as President Ronald Reagan was running for re-election. Jim Beviglia says that conservative politicians and observers misunderstood the song.

“It came out in 1984 and a couple of conservative politicians sort of picked up on the song.  They talked about how Springsteen sort of reflected the American values and Springsteen, when he found about that, quickly pulled back and he said ‘wait a second here, they’re mistaking this song here, this is more of a criticism and maybe their values don’t coincide with my values.”

Springsteen also wrote about personal relationships. Mr. Beviglia places “Brilliant Disguise,” in fifth place on his list of Springsteen’s 100 finest songs. The song is from the 1987 album “Tunnel of Love.”

“It’s basically a couple who are putting on disguises for each other because they don’t reveal their true selves. And there’s mistrust and the relationship is kind of crumbling⁹."

Mr. Beviglia says that was the state of Springsteen's marriage at the time. He and his first wife divorced shortly after.

"Born to Run" tops Beviglia's list.

He says Springsteen’s album company was thinking of ending business with him after poor sales of his first two albums. But then “Born to Run” hit the stores and airwaves in 1975. It saved Springsteen’s career.

“The lyrics, they leave you breathless, this idea of, you know, maybe we never can actually get free from our pasts, from our home towns, and things like that, but you have to give it a shot, and take your chance. You know it cost a lot of money to produce. He used all these instruments. Had it failed, I mean, we might not be talking about Bruce Springsteen today." 

But we are - talking about him, and listening to him. Jim Beviglia says the musician’s ability to stay true to himself and express the concerns and hopes of ordinary people is what has made him a living legend.

1 mosaic   

n./adj.镶嵌细工的，镶嵌工艺品的，嵌花式的

参考例句：

• The sky this morning is a mosaic of blue and white.今天早上的天空是幅蓝白相间的画面。
• The image mosaic is a troublesome work.图象镶嵌是个麻烦的工作。

2 weaver   

n.织布工；编织者

参考例句：

• She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快，而且布的质量很好。
• The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。

3 poetic   

adj.富有诗意的，有诗人气质的，善于抒情的

参考例句：

• His poetic idiom is stamped with expressions describing group feeling and thought.他的诗中的措辞往往带有描写群体感情和思想的印记。
• His poetic novels have gone through three different historical stages.他的诗情小说创作经历了三个不同的历史阶段。

4 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

5 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

6 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

7 lyrics   

n.歌词

参考例句：

• music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hart 由罗杰斯和哈特作词作曲
• The book contains lyrics and guitar tablatures for over 100 songs. 这本书有100多首歌的歌词和吉他奏法谱。

8 vets   

abbr.veterans （复数）老手，退伍军人；veterinaries （复数）兽医n.兽医( vet的名词复数 )；老兵；退伍军人；兽医诊所v.审查（某人过去的记录、资格等）( vet的第三人称单数 )；调查；检查；诊疗

参考例句：

• I helped train many young vets and veterinary nurses too. 我还帮助培训了许多年青的兽医和护士。 来自互联网
• In fact, we've expanded mental health counseling and services for our vets. 实际上，我们已经扩大了退伍军人的心理健康咨询和服务。 来自互联网

9 crumbling   

adj.摇摇欲坠的

参考例句：

• an old house with crumbling plaster and a leaking roof 一所灰泥剥落、屋顶漏水的老房子
• The boat was tied up alongside a crumbling limestone jetty. 这条船停泊在一个摇摇欲坠的石灰岩码头边。