Born in the USA

Song Name: Born in the USA

Year of Release: 1984

Written By: Bruce Springsteen

Performed By: Bruce Springsteen

Key Lyrics: “Got in a little hometown jam/So they put a rifle in my hand/Sent me off to a foreign land/To go and kill the yellow man.”

“I had a brother at Khe Sanh/Fighting off them Viet Cong/They’re still there, he’s all gone.”

Description: The song was originally planned to be on Springsteen’s 1982 album Nebraska, which is why it was recorded in 1982 instead of in 1984. The song was misinterpreted by many as a patriotic anthem, including by then-president Ronald Reagan. The song’s upbeat tune and anthemic chorus lead many to believe it is praising America, but instead, it is highly critical of the way America treated its veterans. 

Why It Was Important: Despite being released after the war, the song represents the experience of the common soldier at the time. The lyrics represent that soldiers had to keep working hard after coming back home from the war. The “VA man” in the song refers to a worker for the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, and him saying, “son, don’t you understand now?” hits listeners with the realization that veterans who put their lives on the line for the country wouldn’t have easy lives even after coming back home.

Recordings

Born in the U.S.A. (studio version)

Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A. (Official Video) (music video)