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Contrary to Popular Belief, Springsteen Actually Does Write Love Songs…Occasionally
No, really
As you surely know by now, August is the anniversary month of Born to Run. Since I started this auspicious 31 days with a Springsteen article, it seems only right that I finish it with one as well. This one, however, is a bit different. Last month, Alex Markham wrote a superb article titled “There are 7 Bruce Springsteens” in which he explored seven personalities/genres that make up Springsteen’s music; he is spot-on here because Bruce has a way of reaching everybody.
For example, when you see him in concert or are driving down a long, empty stretch of highway, the songs you want most are the rockers like “Badlands,” “Ramrod,” “Sherry Darling,” and of course “Born to Run.” If your mood is more melancholy, you want “Point Blank,” “Racing in the Streets,” and “Backstreets.” If you just got divorced, you want the entire Tunnel of Love album.
Having read through Alex’s article a few times, though, I think there is one more Bruce personality that I would add: romantic Springsteen. It’s true that his love songs would also fit within the seven genres Alex mentioned, but they deserve to be pointed out as a group if only to dispel the notion that he doesn’t write love songs.
