Bruce Springsteen and the American Soul

David Garrett Izzo is an emeritus professor of English who has published 16 books and 60 essays of literary scholarship, as well as three novels and two plays. He lives in Haw River, North Carolina.

For 40 years Bruce Springsteen has been making music on his way to becoming an icon, the conscience of rock 'n' roll, and one of the greatest live performers of his generation. This critical work examines the man, his music, the cultural importance of his narrative songs and the singular experience of his live performances. Particular attention is paid to his political consciousness, including his alignment with the working poor, the unemployed, and Americans simply down on their luck. It also explores his role in politics in America, especially his endorsement of various politicians.

Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Conscience of Rock 'n' RollDAVID GARRETT IZZOFanfare for the Common Man: MagicDANA SAWYERIn Concert: A Transcendental CelebrationDAVID GARRETT IZZOSongwriting and Political Awareness: The DevelopmentSpringsteen's Emotional CommunityADAM ALIANOFrom the "Badlands" to "The Promised Land": How Past and Present America Has Affected the Lives of Springsteen's CharactersJASON W. FAULKNERQueen of the Supermarket: Representations of Working Class WomenLISA DELMONICOThe Virgin, the Whore, the Girl Next Door: Seeking the Definitive "Mary"KEITH FUDGESpringsteen's American Stories in Devils in Dust and The Seeger SessionsROBERT MCPARLANDGoing Nowhere: Bruce, the Beatles, Neil Young, Talking Heads and OthersDAVID GELLMANTen Things You Don't Know About Scholarship on SpringsteenDENISE D. GREENGrowin' Up with SpringsteenHERPREET KAUR GREWAL"World Without Pity": The Tragic Vision of Bruce SpringsteenLINCOLN KONKLEAn Opera on the Turnpike: Musical Form and Narrative Myth in the Early WorksBARRY LONGLost! Can We Find Our Way Back Home on Magic?LORRAINE MANGIONELet Me Show You What Love Can Do-The Messages of Working on a DreamDOUG MORRISThe Key to the Universe: Springsteen, Masculinity, and theKATHERINE PARKINEvangelism from E Street: Brother Springsteen's Salvation ShowSUSAN WOGEHere Everybody Has a Neighbor: Springsteen's Narrative of CommunityAPRIL LINDNER"Highway Patrolman": An Application of Sibling Theory and ResearchJONATHAN CASPI"Mr. State Trooper, Please Don't Stop Me": The Image of Police in the SongsSUSAN HAMBURGERJohn Wayne and Bruce Springsteen Staying Home: How Not Going to War Influenced the Careers of Two American Popular IconsLARS A. ROSSLANDLong Walk Home: Nostalgia and the Retro Postmodern ArtistELIZABETH SEYMOURGrowin' Up: The Progression of Springsteen's Music as It Relates to Erikson's Theory of DevelopmentJIM AZAROn the EdgeSTEVAN WEINESeeger, Dylan, and Springsteen: The Folk Tradition Alive and Well in AmericaMARIANNE MURAWSKISpringsteen's Intimations of MortalityALEX PITOFSKYSpringsteen: Growin' Up, Growing Older: A Route Map for the Long Walk HomeMELANIE HENWOODDiscographyAbout the ContributorsCopyright AcknowledgmentsIndex