‘Born to Run’ Was Bruce Springsteen’s Last Shot, ‘I Was Held in Very Low Esteem at My Record Company’
Bruce Springsteen wasn’t always a chart-topping musician. When it came to the third album in his three-record deal, the Boss revealed that it was a “make or break” moment for his career. Here’s what this songwriter said about his experience creating Born to Run.
Bruce Springsteen released ‘Born to Run’ in 1975
Bruce Springsteen is the Boss and the mastermind behind the 1975 release Born to Run. Born to Run features songs “Thunder Road,” “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” and “Backstreets,” with the title track currently holding over 260 million Spotify plays.
Years later, Springsteen recorded “Streets of Philadelphia” for Philadelphia: Music From the Motion Picture, subsequently earning the Song Of The Year Grammy Award.
He partnered with former President Barack Obama for the podcast series Renegades: Born in the USA. The Boss is also affectionately known as a major figure in rock music, selling out his 2023 world tour with the E Street Band.
Bruce Springsteen revealed why ‘Born to Run’ was his ‘last shot’
During an interview with BBC News, Springsteen detailed his experience making Born to Run and its title track. As the third album in his three-record contract, this collection held extra significance for the songwriter.
“It was definitely ‘make or break’ at the time,” Springsteen said. ”I knew it was what I wanted to create, but I didn’t know if it was going to save me from being tossed off a record company at the time. At the time, I was held in very low esteem at my record company.”
“The guys that signed me had all gone and moved to other places,” he continued. “So, I wasn’t a feather in anybody’s cap if I was successful — it didn’t matter. So, I was really kind of at the bottom of their barrel, and that took a while to get right again.”
Springsteen since received more creative freedom for his music, which paid off for the 1984 album Born in the U.S.A.
Bruce Springsteen revealed some of the inspiration behind ‘Born to Run’
When it comes to this album’s title track and overall sound, Springsteen named other artists as inspirations. That includes the “Like A Rolling Stone” songwriter Bob Dylan.
“So, I was going to have to give it everything I had, and I’d been listening to three records,” Springsteen said in the same interview. “I’d been listening to Duane Eddy, the twangy guitar sound, Roy Orbison, the very unusually and unstructured songs, and, of course, [Bob] Dylan.”
“So, those are the three things that kind of found their way… into Born to Run because I was never really much of a revolutionary musician,” he continued, “but I was an alchemist. I put a lot of things together along with stuff I pulled up out of myself.”
Years later, Born to Run remains a fan favorite album. Physical copies are available for purchase, with the entire collection listed on major music streaming platforms.
