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Kayley Simons

Ms. Michko

AP Lang

15 January 2024

The Guilt That Drove One Man to Stand up for Millions

“Born in the USA” by Bruce Springsteen is arguably one of the most well-known songs

of all time, but the true meaning behind the song is often misinterpreted by the average listener.

Written in order to call attention to the neglect veterans were facing upon their return from the

Vietnam War, Springsteen hoped that his song would raise awareness and support for the nation’s

veterans. The song's outward appearance would lead an everyday listener to believe that it was

an anthem of nationalism and pride for one’s country, but in truth, Springsteen is calling out the

general public in between the lines of his verses. Springsteen’s overarching message of “Born in

the USA '' is to hold society responsible for the poor treatment of Vietnam veterans, and to leave

listeners with a new understanding of the hardships the soldiers experienced overseas, and

returning home.

The Vietnam War spanned from 1955-1975, and left the United States people and

government deeply divided. The U.S. became involved in the war after they stiffened their

regulations against any allies of the Soviets, due to the Cold War. In opposition to North

Vietnam, President Eisenhower offered U.S. support to South Vietnam. As the war progressed,

the U.S. continued to send more troops, as many returned dead and wounded. Many soldiers

began to distrust the U.S. government for their involvement in the war, and many experienced

PTSD when they returned from the war. On the homefront, most Americans abandoned any

support they had for the war, due to the horrific images displayed on television (Vietnam War).
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By the time the war was finally over and the soldiers returned home, the public turned their

backs on them, viewing them as traitors. This made it impossible for their lives to return to

normal, and many veterans were already severely impacted by substance abuse, depression, and

PTSD.

As someone who had been drafted at the age of 19, and barely escaped enlistment due to

supposed health and behavioral issues, Springsteen already had a soft spot for Veterans. In 1978

Springsteen read disabled veteran Ron Kovic’s memoir Born on the Fourth of July, which tells

the story of a politically naive boy who enlisted in the marines, only to return home paralyzed

from the waist down. By pure coincidence, Kovic was staying at the same hotel as Springsteen in

Los Angeles, where he introduced Springsteen to members of the Vietnam Veterans of America

foundation. Springsteen stated that the experience was “unforgettable and sparked my interest in

veterans’ affairs”(Taysom). From there, Springsteen and Kovic organized a concert in honor of

Veterans at Memorial Sports Arena in Los Angeles, in 1981. Kovic inspired Springsteen's

passion for veterans, which led him to fuel this passion into his songwriting.

Springsteen’s idea for a song honoring Vietnam veterans arose when filmmaker Paul

Schroder sent him a screenplay titled “Born in the USA” which he began to transform into his

song. His song was originally titled “Vietnam” but he later changed the title to “Born in the

USA” due to his resounding chorus (Hiatt). “Born in the USA” tells the story of a Vietnam

Soldier returning home to a country that has lost all recognition and support for its veterans.

Springsteen hoped to gain appreciation for veterans and address the economic hardships veterans

faced after returning from war. In the early draft of his song, Springsteen depicts a veteran

returning home from war, only to be turned away when looking for work. The verses rang “Ain't

nothin' for you here…/But I guess you didn't hear/You died in Vietnam”(Inskeep). This verse
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more clearly depicts Springsteen's message, than his final song lyrics do. Springsteen is

conveying that as veterans returned home and attempted to rejoin society, they were viewed as

outcasts and shunned after going through years of previous turmoil.

Springsteen begins his lyrical masterpiece with the verse “Born down in a dead man's

town…/End up like a dog that's been beaten too much/'Til you spend half your life just to cover

it up, now”(Springsteen 1,3-4) Springsteen’s first person narrative depicts how a soldier spent

“half his life”, the 20 years of the war, just to “cover it up” that they fought for our country,

because veterans were being looked down upon for their sacrifice. Springsteen follows the

opening verse with the rousing chorus “I was, Born in the USA”(Springsteen 5-8) which he

repeats 4 times over. This chorus is the reason many people can easily misunderstand the

message of the song. Springsteen’s energetic and lively aggression when singing these lyrics

unearth feelings of patriotism and loyalty to America. In truth, Springsteen’s chorus almost raises

the listeners, mainly veterans, to realize that “if I live in the greatest nation in the world, I

deserve to be treated better than this.”

As the song continues, Springsteen maintains his aggressively patriotic tone in every

word. The second verse of the song states “Send me off to a foreign land/To go and kill the

yellow man”(Springsteen 11-12) These lines directly reference soldiers being sent to fight

against North Vietnam, or the “yellow men” and illustrate the hardships soldiers experienced

overseas. By utilizing the word “foreign” Springsteen appeals to his listeners feelings of pity and

compassion for these soldiers, because they were forced to fight on unknown land for a country

that wasn’t their own. Springsteen follows that verse with yet another chorus of “I was, Born in

the USA” and when Springsteen was interviewed on the layout of the song, he stated “In my

songs, the spiritual part, the hope part, is in the choruses. The blues and your daily realities are in
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the details of the verses”(Inskeep). Springsteen purposely brings his audience back together in

his rousing chorus in order to unite his listener and evoke feelings of patriotism. While

Springsteen is singing about the neglect veterans faced after returning home, he wants to raise

support for them through his music so he leaves his listeners with some hope that stems from the

chorus. This is why Springsteen will often open his concerts with “Born in the USA”, in order to

unite and excite his audience before the show begins.

The next three verses of Springsteen’s song continue the story of the veteran returning

home from war, and they unearth a gut wrenching perspective of how he was mistreated while

readjusting to life back home. Lines 17-20 depict the soldier being turned away from a job at the

refinery, and later visiting his local VA’s office where he learned why the public turned their

backs on soldiers. Unlike the previous verse, chorus, verse pattern Springsteen followed earlier

in the song, he continued the story of the veteran for three more verses instead of breaking it

apart with the chorus. By doing this, Springsteen ensures that his listeners can grasp the message

of his song and not be distracted by his nationalistic chorus. As he continues his story in lines

21-26, Springsteen illustrates the loss many soldiers experienced overseas. Springsteen mourns

the veteran’s “brother” and sings “Fighting off all the Viet Cong/They're still there, he's all gone”

(Springsteen 22-23). Springsteen included these lines in his song so that his listeners will

understand that the soldiers returning home come back bearing a multitude of losses and physical

and mental disabilities, all which they sacrificed to protect the people who are now neglecting

them. This inspires his listeners to change their view of veterans due to their newfound

appreciation, and join him in raising support for them.

The veteran ends his story with the infamous lines “I'm ten years burning down the

road/Nowhere to run, ain't got nowhere to go”(Springsteen 28-29). These tired and worn out
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soldiers have returned to no support from their country and feel completely isolated from society,

similar to the feeling of fighting overseas in unfamiliar territory. Through these lyrics

Springsteen argues that veterans deserve more support than they are receiving, and sets the stage

for possible government interference in veterans affairs as well. “Born in the USA” was written

in order to call attention and raise support for veterans, so it makes perfect sense that Springsteen

would end his song with two more electrifying chorus’. Springsteen leaves his audience with

burning patriotism and a newfound appreciation for the nation's veterans.

The message in Springsteen’s song reached a far greater audience than his usual listeners.

“Born in the USA” became a national anthem of sorts, and a staple at most patriotic festivities. It

brought a sense of empowerment to veterans and made their struggle known. Springsteen

became a voice for veterans in a world that had completely shut them out. He also brought a

sense of unification to a country that was completely divided after the war ended. When

interviewed on why he was inspired to write “Born in the USA”, Springsteen responded

“Perhaps, I felt guilty about that later on…I had friends who went and died. I had friends later on

who were seriously hurt”(Taysom). It’s incredible that one man’s guilt for not being enlisted

could inspire generations of people to support those who were. Due to a general

misunderstanding the public had for his song, Springsteen has been known to either slow down

the song, or just sing the verses in order to ensure his message of supporting veterans leaves a

lasting effect on his listeners. In fact, he did the latter at a show in 2003 when there was the

possibility of a U.S. invasion in Iraq. Springsteem performed the song as a “Prayer for Peace”

(Inskeep). The fact that Springsteen was willing enough to change his song in order to help the

American people gain a deeper understanding of the lyrics, shows just how much Springsteen

valued veterans, and believed they deserve more recognition and support than they were
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receiving. “Born in the USA” has captivated listeners since it was first released in 1984, due to

the fact that Springsteen was able to connect to multiple audiences, while empowering veterans,

and enlightening society. Aside from Springsteen’s apparent musical prowess, it is his fierce

patriotism, loyalty, and support for veterans that made “Born in the USA” the patriotic anthem

that it is today.
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Works Cited

Hiatt, Brian. “Exclusive: How Bruce Springsteen Wrote and Recorded ‘Born in the U.S.A.’”

Rolling Stone, Rolling Stone, 24 Mar. 2019,

www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/bruce-springsteen-wrote-born-in-usa-exclus

ive-book-excerpt-811634/.

Inskeep, Steve, et al. “What Does 'Born In The U.S.A.' Really Mean? |.” WBUR, 26 March 2019,

https://www.wbur.org/npr/706566556/bruce-springsteen-born-in-the-usa-american-anthe

m. Accessed 18 January 2024.

Springsteen, Bruce. “Born in the U.S.A.” Born in the U.S.A., 1984

Taysom, Joe. “The War Veteran behind Two Classic Bruce Springsteen Songs.” Far Out

Magazine, 18 Sept. 2022,

faroutmagazine.co.uk/war-veteran-two-bruce-springsteen-songs/.

“Vietnam War: Causes, Facts & Impact.” History, A&E Television Networks, 29 Oct. 2009,

www.history.com/topics/vietnam-war/vietnam-war-history.
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Rhetorical Analysis Essay Rubric

Skill Not Yet Foundational Proficient Advanced

Thesis Thesis is unclear Thesis responds to the
or summarizes prompt but may be vague
the text or broad in terms of the
rhetorical choices or the
analysis that the essay will
include.
Thesis is defensible and
includes the speaker’s
rhetorical choices and the
analysis that the essay will
include.
Thesis is clearly defensible
and analyzes the speaker’s
rhetorical choices, AND the
thesis embodies the
analysis of the work as a
whole and leads to clear,
sophisticated, and
compelling analysis of the
song.

Evidence Provides Provides some specific and Provides specific evidence Provides specific evidence
evidence that is relevant evidence, but to support all claims in a to support all claims in a
mostly general. rhetorical choices may be line of reasoning AND line of reasoning AND
broad or general. identifies clear rhetorical accurately identifies
Typical choices that lend rhetorical choices that lend
responses: Typical responses: themselves to analysis. themselves to a complex
● Tend to focus ● Consist of a mix of analysis AND are distinctly
on summary specific evidence and Typical responses: different/varied choices.
or broad generalities ● Uniformly offer
description evidence to support Typical responses:
of a passage claims. ● Uniformly offer
rather than ● Focus on the evidence to support
specific importance of specific claims.
details or words and details from ● Focus on the
techniques. the sources to build an importance of specific
argument. words and details from
the passage to build an
argument.

Analysis/ Summarizes the Explains how some of the Explains how evidence Consistently explains how
Commentar evidence but evidence relates to the supports a line of evidence supports a
y does not explain student’s argument, but no reasoning, clarifying the complex line of reasoning
how the evidence line of reasoning is “how” and “why” of how (considering how multiple
supports the established, or the line of multiple rhetorical choices choices build on one
student’s reasoning is faulty. contribute to the speaker’s another) AND how those
argument. argument, purpose or choices contribute to the
Typical responses: message. speaker’s argument,
Typical ● May contain some purpose, and message.
responses: simplistic, inaccurate, Typical responses:
● Mention or repetitive ● Organize an argument Typical responses:
rhetorical explanations that don’t as a line of reasoning ● Organize and support
choices with strengthen the composed of multiple an argument as a line of
little or no argument. supporting claims. reasoning composed of
explanation. ● May make one point ● Commentary may fail to multiple supporting
well but either do not integrate some claims, each with
make multiple evidence or fail to adequate evidence that
supporting claims or do support a key claim. is clearly explained.
not adequately support ● Explain how the
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more than one claim. writer’s use of

● Do not explain the rhetorical choices
connections or contributes to the
progression between interpretation of the
the student’s claims, so passage.
a line of reasoning is
not clearly established.

Rhetorical Little detail or Integrates general details or Integrates some details Seamlessly integrates
Situation context is basic context into the about speaker, audience, significant details about the
included in the analysis, or the rhetorical context, or exigence into the speaker, audience, context,
essay. situation is unclear in the analysis. or exigence into the
body of the essay. analysis.

Organizatio Uses few Uses some transitions, but
n transitions; hard could be improved by
to see how ideas clearer connections
are connected. between ideas.
Brief introduction and
conclusion.
Uses transitions between
ideas to show a logical flow
of argument.
Includes an introduction
and conclusion.
Uses thoughtful and
meaningful transitions
between ideas.
Includes an engaging
introduction and a
thought-provoking
conclusion.

Conventions/M Pervasive errors More than 2 errors in 1-2 errors in spelling, Spelling, grammar,
LA
in spelling, spelling, grammar, or MLA grammar, or MLA mechanics, and MLA are
grammar, or MLA flawless
Shows evidence of close
proofreading

Includes a separate Works

Cited page

Fluency/Sty Frequent eros in Diction/syntax could be Uses exact verbs and Uses highly accurate and
le diction/syntax; at improved (vague words, specific nouns vivid diction
time confusing or inaccurate descriptions, or
incoherent wordiness) Diction is of a collegiate Eliminates wordiness
level

Expectation Does not meet “proficient” Essay is handed in on time.

s standards.
Final product shows
considerable effort.

Class time is utilized to the

utmost!
Grade: B+