Elvis and The Beatles Turned Bruce Springsteen On To Music: A Journey of Inspiration and Legacy
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Bruce Springsteen, often hailed as the master American troubadour, recently appeared on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” to discuss his life, music, and memoir, Born to Run. Amidst cheers and applause, Springsteen shared heartfelt stories about his early influences, the process of writing his autobiography, and the transformative moments that shaped his career. From a 16-year-old recording in a small New Jersey club to a 67-year-old reflecting on 50 years of music, Springsteen’s journey is one of raw passion and relentless creativity. This article delves into how icons like Elvis Presley and The Beatles ignited his musical spark, the unique challenges of writing a memoir versus songs, and the personal evolution captured in his latest works.
A Young Bruce Discovers Music
One of the most poignant moments of the interview came when Springsteen recalled the profound impact of seeing Elvis Presley perform on “The Ed Sullivan Show” at the historic Ed Sullivan Theater, the very venue where he sat with Colbert. At just six or seven years old, witnessing Elvis’s electrifying performance of “Hound Dog” 50 years ago that month left an indelible mark. “It had a tremendous impact,” Springsteen reminisced, noting how even at such a young age, the performance struck him deeply. He vividly remembers asking his mother to rent a guitar the following week, eager to emulate the rock ‘n’ roll icon.
Though his first attempt at playing guitar faltered—his hands were too small, and lessons in those days didn’t cover songs like “Hound Dog” or “Twist and Shout”—the seed was planted. Springsteen abandoned the instrument after a month, bored and frustrated. However, lightning struck twice when, at 14, he saw The Beatles perform on the same stage. “It happened to me again,” he said, describing the moment as a second awakening. This time, the allure wasn’t just the music but also the screaming girls, a phenomenon he humorously acknowledged as a motivator at 14. “There’s all these women. How do I get into that business?” he quipped, sparking laughter from the audience. These twin inspirations from Elvis and The Beatles became the bedrock of his lifelong pursuit of music.
From Early Recordings to a Storied Career
Springsteen’s musical journey began in earnest as a teenager, a fact highlighted by the companion album to his memoir, Chapter and Verse, which spans 50 years of his recordings. One track, “You Can’t Judge a Book by Its Cover,” was recorded when he was just 16 at a small club called The Left Foot in Freehold, New Jersey. The audience’s enthusiastic response to this mention underscored the humble roots of “The Boss.” Reflecting on this early recording, Springsteen jokingly noted the toll of those 50 years, saying, “50 years and loss of hearing for me, also,” drawing laughter and relatability from the crowd.
Looking back at his younger self, Springsteen examined the cover of Born to Run, featuring a 27-year-old version of himself. When asked what that young man might say to the 67-year-old sitting before Colbert, he humorously responded, “Where’d my car go? Who’s the old man in the suit jacket? And what did he do with my hair?” This lighthearted self-reflection revealed a man at peace with aging, yet keenly aware of the physical and personal transformations over four decades. It’s a testament to Springsteen’s ability to connect with fans through humor and honesty, bridging the gap between past and present.
Writing a Memoir: A Different Kind of Song
Springsteen’s decision to write Born to Run wasn’t initially a grand plan but rather an organic process that unfolded over seven years. He explained to Colbert that it began after performing at the Super Bowl, an event he described as “a little bit of a hairy evening,” complete with memorable moments like sliding on his knees and grinding into a camera. Post-performance, he wrote a short essay for his website, discovering a voice that felt authentically his. Encouraged by this, he started jotting down memories from his early days while in Florida, initially thinking it might just be something for his children to read later.
The casual approach evolved as he wrote more, sometimes setting the project aside for a year or longer during tours. Each return to the manuscript reaffirmed his commitment, with Springsteen recalling moments of thinking, “That’s pretty good. Maybe I’ll keep going.” Eventually, he realized he was crafting a full-fledged book. Unlike his songs, which often blend fiction and truth—Springsteen quipped that artists “lie in service of the truth”—the memoir offered a direct window into his life. “People know it’s immediately about your life,” he noted, contrasting it with the ambiguity of whether a song like “Racing in the Street” reflects his personal story.
Colbert praised the memoir’s poetic quality, likening every paragraph to poetry while noting it mirrored Springsteen’s conversational style. Finding this voice wasn’t instantaneous; it emerged through the rhythm and music of prose, a skill honed over years of songwriting. Yet, the book provided “a lot more space to delve into deeper details,” allowing Springsteen to explore facets of his life that songs couldn’t fully capture. This seven-year labor of love, compacted into the pages of Born to Run, represents not just a recounting of events but a deeply personal narrative crafted with the same care as his music.
The Power of Performance and Connection
The interview setting itself held historical significance, as Springsteen pointed out the theater’s role in his early inspirations. Curious about where Elvis stood during his iconic performance, he learned from Colbert that the screaming girls for both Elvis and The Beatles were positioned in a corner of the theater, a detail that elicited cheers from the audience. Playfully, Springsteen requested “some of that” enthusiasm for himself, basking in the crowd’s affectionate chants of “Bruce!” This interaction highlighted his enduring charisma and ability to forge an immediate connection with fans, a skill that has defined his marathon live shows.
Springsteen’s reflections on performance extend beyond nostalgia to the psychological impact of those early televised moments. At seven, he may not have had much of a life to change, but Elvis’s energy “struck me right away.” By 14, The Beatles reinforced this call to action, blending musical fascination with the allure of fame. These experiences weren’t just about sound; they were about possibility, community, and the raw emotion of connecting with an audience—elements that would later become hallmarks of Springsteen’s own performances.
A Legacy Rooted in Truth and Artistry
Springsteen’s conversation with Colbert also touched on the duality of truth in art. When pressed on whether his autobiographical-seeming songs were entirely truthful, he offered a profound insight: artists lie to serve a greater truth. This philosophy underpins both his music and memoir, where emotional authenticity often trumps literal fact. In Born to Run, readers encounter the unfiltered experiences of his life, from childhood in Freehold to global stardom, presented with a poetic intensity that mirrors his lyrics.
His journey from a young boy mesmerized by Elvis and The Beatles to a seasoned artist with a 50-year catalog is a story of persistence and passion. The memoir, like his music, resonates because it feels personal, whether detailing the struggles of youth or the triumphs of a career built on hard work. Springsteen’s humor—evident in quips about his lost hair and car—balances the weight of his reflections, making him relatable despite his larger-than-life status.
Bruce Springsteen’s appearance on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” offered a window into the origins of a musical legend whose career was ignited by Elvis Presley and The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Theater stage. From renting a guitar at seven to recording at 16 in a small New Jersey club, his path was shaped by moments of inspiration that transcended mere music to embody a dream of connection and expression. Writing Born to Run over seven years allowed him to delve deeper than songs permit, crafting a narrative as poetic and conversational as his performances. His reflections on aging, truth in art, and the power of those early televised performances reveal a man who remains grounded in his roots while embracing the evolution of his story. As fans cheered his name, Springsteen’s legacy as “The Boss” shone through—a troubadour whose music and words continue to inspire, born from the sparks of rock ‘n’ roll pioneers and nurtured by a lifetime of authentic storytelling.
