Bruce Springsteen emerged as a national figure in the 1970s. In the 1980s he became an international icon. And he has continued in the public eye ever since, providing music that served as the soundtrack of the times and standing as a symbol of something American. Just what that symbol is, and how it has changed, is one of the questions this course will explore. How did Springsteen shape the times and how is his music an expression of larger cultural, social, and political currents? “I have spent my life judging the distance between American reality and the American dream,” Springsteen said. We will take the measure of that American vision.
This course requires close listening and will help develop skills in unpacking songs as texts and writing about them. In addition to listening to the music, we will focus on representations of Springsteen in photography, documentary, and autobiography. Whatever one’s feelings about Springsteen’s music, students will come away with a deeper appreciation of the early history of rock ‘n’ roll and the ways in music can shape history and come to define our lives.
