70. Critic Rates the Songs of Springsteen in New Book

Welcome to American Mosaic from VOA Learning English. I'm Caty Weaver. On the show today, it's all about "The Boss¹" Bruce Springsteen.

Musician², singer, songwriter³ Bruce Springsteen is one of the world's best-selling⁴ artists, with a career⁵ that covers 40 years.  In a new book, “Counting Down Bruce Springsteen,” writer⁶ and music critic Jim Beviglia rates⁷ Springsteen’s songs. The rating⁸ is based partly⁹ on how powerfully¹⁰ the words express people’s fears¹¹, hopes¹² and dreams.  Christopher Cruise reports.

Bruce Springsteen is known for¹³ his poetic songs that deal with¹⁴ social and political issues¹⁵, as well as¹⁶ more personal subjects¹⁷.  His energetic live performances¹⁸ are also famous. Music journalist Jim Beviglia says the artist’s childhood¹⁹ in a New Jersey working class family was a major²⁰ influence on his music.

“The social and the political issues, Springsteen’s never been shy²¹ about writing about those. They sort of started²² "to come into play"²³ with an album called, ‘Darkness²⁴ on the Edge²⁵ of Town,’ where he started to look at small town lives²⁶ and how people are just sort of doing the same things²⁷ their parents²⁸ did, and couldn't get out of that²⁹."

Mr. Beviglia says the music grew even darker³⁰ in the 1982 album “Nebraska.”  He says those songs show people pushed to³¹ the edge of poverty³² 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, hunger³³ and poverty. Then in 2012, in the album “Wrecking³⁴ Ball,” the critic says Springsteen found³⁵ people to blame³⁶ for some of those social problems.

 “‘Wrecking Ball’ really pointed at³⁷ that sort of financial leaders and the powers that allowed³⁸ that dichotomy between the rich and the poor.”  One of Springsteen's best-known³⁹ songs, “Born⁴⁰ in the USA”, is nine on Beviglia's list.

 “It’s an amazingly⁴¹ complex song, it's got⁴² this really rousing⁴³ music, very patriotic, big drums⁴⁴, it's used in fireworks displays. But when you get to the lyrics⁴⁵, it’s a very sharp criticism⁴⁶ of the way America treated its Vietnam vets⁴⁷ upon returning home.” The song was released⁴⁸ in 1984 as President Ronald Reagan was running for re-election⁴⁹. Jim Beviglia says that conservative politicians⁵⁰ and observers misunderstood⁵¹ the song.

“It came out⁵² in 1984 and a couple of⁵³ conservative politicians sort of picked up⁵⁴ on the song.  They talked about how Springsteen sort of reflected⁵⁵ the American values and Springsteen, when he found about that, quickly pulled back⁵⁶ and he said ‘wait a second here, they’re mistaking⁵⁷ this song here, this is more of a criticism and maybe⁵⁸ their values don’t coincide with my values.”

 Springsteen also wrote about personal relationships⁵⁹. Mr. Beviglia places⁶⁰ “Brilliant Disguise⁶¹,” in fifth place on his list of Springsteen’s 100 finest songs. The song is from the 1987 album “Tunnel of Love.”

“It’s basically⁶² a couple⁶³ who are putting on disguises for each other⁶⁴ because they don’t reveal⁶⁵ their true selves⁶⁶. And there’s mistrust⁶⁷ and the relationship is kind of crumbling⁶⁸."

Mr. Beviglia says that was the state of Springsteen's marriage⁶⁹ at the time. He and his first wife divorced shortly after⁷⁰.

"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 Run⁷¹” hit the stores and airwaves⁷² in 1975. It saved Springsteen’s career.

“The lyrics, they leave you breathless⁷³, this idea of, you know, maybe we never can actually⁷⁴ get free from our pasts, from our home towns, and things like that, but you have to give it a shot⁷⁵, and take your chance⁷⁶. 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.

VOCABULARY

1. Boss = chefe
2. Musician = musico
3. songwriter = compositor
4. best-selling = que mais vende
5. career = carreira
6. writer = escritor
7. rates = classifica
8. rating = classificação
9. partly = em parte
10. how powerfully = o quão poderosa
11. fears = medos
12. hopes = esperanças
13. known for = conhecido por
14. deal with = lidam com
15. political issues = questões politicas
16. as well as = assim como
17. personal subjects = assuntos pessoais
18. live performances = apresentações ao vivo
19. childhood = infancia
20. major = importante, grande
21. Springsteen’s never been shy = Springsteen nunca foi timido
22. sort of started = de certa forma iniciou
23. to come into play = "entrar em ação"
24. Darkness = escuridão
25. Edge = beirada
26. small town lives = vidas da cidade pequena
27. doing the same things = fazendo as mesmas coisas
28. parents = pais
29. couldn't get out of that = não conseguiram sair daquilo
30. grew even darker = ficou ainda mais escura
31. pushed to = empurrados para
32. poverty = miseria
33. hunger = fome
34. Wrecking = destruição
35. found = encontrou
36. blame = culpar
37. pointed at = apontava para
38. allowed  = permitiam
39. best-known = mais bem conhecidas
40. Born = nascido
41. amazingly = espantosamente
42. it's got = ela (musica) tem
43. rousing = vibrante
44. drums = baterias
45. lyrics = letras de musica
46. sharp criticism = critica contundente
47. Vietnam vets = veteranos do vietnam
48. released = lançada (musica)
49. running for re-election = concorrendo para a reeleição
50. conservative politicians = politicos conservadores
51. misunderstood = entenderam mal
52. came out = saiu (musica)
53. a couple of = alguns
54. picked up = captaram
55. reflected  = refletiu
56. quickly pulled back = voltaram atrás rapidamente
57. mistaking = entendendo mal
58. maybe = talvez
59. personal relationships = relacionamentos pessais
60. places = coloca
61. Disguise = disfarce
62. basically  = basicamente
63. couple = casal
64. each other = um ao outro
65. reveal = revelam
66. their true selves = o verdadeiro eu deles
67. mistrust = desconfiança
68. kind of crumbling = tipo que desmoronamento
69. marriage = casamento
70. shortly after = logo depois
71. Born to Run = nascido para correr
72. airwaves = ondas
73. breathless = sem folego
74. actually = realmente
75. give it a shot = tentar
76. take your chance = arriscar-se