Born in the USA

If you want you can remember how weird it is that John James Rambo
got all mixed up in the Springsteen thing.
Reagan and Rambo and American Ideals.
Rambo can be described as reckless.  He has as a tendency to disregard orders and is apt to solve most problems with violence and aggression.
Rambo suffers from post traumatic stress disorder.
He is a war hero.
He was captured in Vietnam and tortured.
He doesn't know how to live in normal society anymore.
He loves America but he also feels rejected by it.
Rambo was named after an apple, how American is that?
Born in the USA is often misunderstood as a patriotic anthem but it's clearly the theme
song for Rambo First Blood just two years too late.


You can't start a fire, sittin' 'round cryin' over a broken heart 
You can't start a fire, worryin' about your little world falling apart


In 1984 "Born in the USA" (album) was top of the Billboard charts for four consecutive weeks
until "Purple Rain"  knocked it to #2.
For 18 weeks, "Purple Rain"  #1  /  "Born in the USA"  #2
The longest period with a static top two in Billboard history.
The Purple One and the Jeans n T-shirt guy could not be more different image wise but from where I'm standing, "I'm on Fire" is much sexier than "Darling Nikki"


Glory Days is a good pop song but I've always been wary of the lyrics.
I mean, it's such a happy sounding song but the underlying message is that your best days are behind you and it's perfectly acceptable to sit around drinking and crying about it.
Always make RIGHT NOW your glory days because nostalgia is boring.


"Bossmania"
It was a real thing.
Mom cleaned the house to it- he was even realer than Bryan Adams.
Now that I think of it, Bryan Adams was Canada's Boss minus all the political garbage.
"Reckless" was released in 1984 which featured Adams' well known hits Summer of 69 and Somebody.
Now that I think of it, what was up with 1984?  It was a real golden age for popular music.
Bruce Springsteen's ass on the cover of "Born in the USA"
He said it was just cause it photographed better than his face- how cheeky.
Photo by Annie Liebovitz.
That's one high profile ass shot.


I'm thinking of you and all the miles in between
And I'm just calling one last time not to change your mind
But just to say I miss you baby, good luck goodbye



Downbound Train is my favorite "track" on "Born in the USA"
Springsteen's biographer Dave Marsh wrote that it was the weakest song on the album.
Maybe Marsh has never had his heart completely eviscerated because the second half can rip your sad soul to shreds if you let it.




Some people will insist that the other Springsteen stuff is more relevant because they're snobs or whatever.
I couldn't give a lick about it honest, cause mom and dad didn't have those records.


Sometimes it's like someone took a knife baby
Edgy and dull and cut a six-inch valley
Through the middle of my soul