Bruce springsteen biography tv tropes

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I want you to put the chicken fingers down! And turn your televisions ALL the way up!..."

  • Jon Stewart, a lifelong Springsteen fan, provided an Affectionate Parody the next day; "You are about to witness the righteous power of The Daily Show! "Point Blank", although not to the same extent, still clocks at six minutes.
    • Then, while the Title Track, clocking at five minutes, is sure not short per se, it's often extended to absurd lengths in live versions, as on the Live 1975/85 box set and on the Live in NYC album.
  • Face on the Cover: The cover of the album shows a close-up of Bruce's face.
  • Foreshadowing:
    • A number of songs on the album, the Title Track itself, for example, presaged the themes he would devote Nebraska to.
    • This was the first album where he began to write seriously about love, marriage, and relationships.

      Scenery from the Jersey Shore (no, not thatJersey Shore) are often used as imagery in his lyrics and song titles. It's no wonder that—although he's honored and adored by fans throughout America—it's in New Jersey where Bruce is the most beloved.

      • After Bruce and Patti began having children, Bruce decided to move the family out of Beverly Hills to get away from that kind of environment.

        There are also the songs that he's given away to other artists of different genres, and the songs that he's covered. His characters find themselves bewildered and torn by their actions, but it is clear they would do the same things again, for instance in "Hungry Heart".

    • Motor Mouth: Since he's known for his plainspoken singing style, it's definitely Early-Installment Weirdness to hear his rapid-fire delivery of the wordy verses toward the end of "Blinded by the Light".
    • Murder Ballad:
      • "Nebraska" — inspired by the real-life murder spree of Charles Starkweather.
      • "Johnny 99"
      • "Highway 29"
      • Arguably "Atlantic City"
    • Myth Arc: Bruce's relationship with his father has received attention across multiple songs.

      bruce springsteen biography tv tropes

      Each of these two songs would be a case of Epic Rockingby itself; combined, they run for 14:49.

    • Fan Disservice: The graphic sex scene in "Reno" is creepy and sad, and fully meant to be so.
    • Felony Misdemeanor: During the second run of Springsteen on Broadway: "You have managed to engage in an act so heinous that it has offended the entire fuckin’ United States!

      Glory Days, for instance, begins with a mention of a truck-stop bar, and Jungleland begins with a "magic rat" crossing the Jersey state line. Similarly, this happened with "The Ghost of Tom Joad" as he rearranged the folk rock classic as a hard rocker with Tom Morello.

      • The "Live in Dublin" album contains several classic Springsteen songs that have been rewritten to sound like folk songs (this was right after his folk album We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions was released and he was on tour with the Sessions Band).

        This is to the point where artists both before and after him who focus on working-class themes have been compared to Springsteen's example.

      • Tunnel of Love: The title track is a Type 2.
      • Tyop on the Cover: In one of its first mentions of his second album in 1974, Billboard magazine mistakenly called it The Wild, the Innocent & the E StreetShuggle.

        BAND!"

      • "What time is it?" "It's BOSS TIME!!!!!"
    • Legacy Character: Max Weinberg was replaced by his son on the most recent tour for some shows that conflicted with his commitments to The Tonight Show. The title track, which is also the opener, is told from the POV of a young man who goes on a random drive-by shooting spree with his girlfriend before he's caught and sentenced to death by electric chair.note The song was inspired by the real life spree killer Charles Starkweather.

      I want you to step away from your remote... After several years in more democratic band settings, Springsteen decided to go in a different direction and signed on as a solo artist while also being the leader of the E Street Band. Since then, "Thunder Road" has become one of Springsteen's signature songs and more heavily associated with him than the original film.

    • Preacher Man: The natural combination of his Large Ham tendencies and copious use of Christian imagery, Springsteen often leans on this persona in live performances.

      During the actual tours, he often sported a headband and emphasized a more muscular physique.

    • To a lesser extent, there is his look on the cover of Born to Run; sporting a leather jacket and an Elvis pin to give off more of a "greaser" appearance.
  • Iconic Song Request: Taking sign requests is a tradition at his concerts, and the songs don't even need to be his own.

    wha, no? The title track, for example, presaged the themes he would devote Nebraska to.

  • Fortune Teller: "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)": "The cops finally busted Madame Marie, for telling fortunes better than they do." This referred to a real-life Asbury Park fortune teller named Marie Castello, who once told Springsteen he would be a great success as a musician.
    • "Brilliant Disguise": "We stood at the altar / the gypsy swore our future was right / But come the wee wee hours / Well maybe baby the gypsy lied."
  • Genre Mashup: While Springsteen's core genre is rock, he's integrated a variety of musical influences over the course of his musical career.

    Consequently, he is always seen with a bandana tied around his head, except when he starred in The Sopranos and wore a pompadour wig instead.

  • Nice Guy: By all accounts, Bruce is a very friendly, humble and good-natured person who enjoys meeting his fans and who is very good to work with.
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero!: He once broke a football stadium.