La maggior parte dei fans di Bruce conosce certamente il brano che Eric Church dedicò nel 2012 al Boss, intitolandolo esplicitamente “Springsteen” e che ebbe un discreto successo arrivando al n. 1 delle classifiche Country, Top 20 Pop. Ma non tutti sanno, probabilmente, che Springsteen è citato nei testi di moltissime altre canzoni, ben prima e dopo di allora. Tante le citazioni dirette a Bruce, a Springsteen, o al Boss nel testo o nel titolo addirittura; tante quelle indirette alle sue canzoni, con snippet o interi versi ripresi. In alcuni casi Bruce compare come un personaggio stesso della canzone come in “My Life Is Good” di Randy Newman o in “Talkin’ Woody, Bob, Bruce & Dan Blues” di Dan Bern. In altri, c’è un riferimento alla sua musica, (come in “Grey Cortina” di Tom Robinson o “Listen to the Eight Track” di Ian Hunter) o al suo aspetto (come in “Stars Tonight” di Lady Antebellum o la maliziosa “Badlands” di Norma. Altre volte, Bruce è citato come simbolo degli ideali americani (“It’s America” di Rodney Atkins) e modello di songwriter (“Kid Inside” di John Mellencamp, già nel 1977 quando era conosciuto come John Cougar). Rick Springfield lo cita scherzosamente in un brano, in cui racconta che le persone – e persino la sua ragazza –a causa del suo cognome lo confondono con il Boss. Ma quante e quali sono le canzoni che citano Bruce Springsteen? Talmente tante che divideremo questa rubrica in varie parti, rispettando un ordine cronologico che coprirà l’arco di tempo che va dalla fine degli anni 70 ad oggi. Ogni titolo è di seguito accompagnato da nome dell’autore, dall’anno di pubblicazione, dal video del brano, da alcune note esplicative o, in corsivo, dai versi in cui compare la citazione a Springsteen. Sono esclusi i brani che contengono snippet da canzoni di Bruce. Tra le tantissime parodie, sono state incluse solo quelle più popolari.
Parte I (1977-1989)
Parte II (1990-1999)
Parte III (2000-2009)
Death is your language “Bruce Springsteen Was On To Something Before He Got All Old And Stuff” (2000)
Video non disponibile
Luxus Leverpostei “Rompeskjegg” (2000)
Befølt Diana Ross, Og prompet på Springsteen the Boss
Daniel Lower and the Bloodbrothers “Singin’ in My Car” (2000)
I was Bruce Springsteen just the other day and nobody knew it but me, nobody knew it but me, I had big ‘ol biceps and a bandana on, and I was.
sweating profusely and nobody knew it but me.
Whitford “Springsteen” (2000)
Joe D’Urso “Rock and Roll Call” (2000)
“Bruce is the Boss, Elvis is the King, Ol’ Blue Eyes, he’s the Chairman of the Board, and Dylan’s the Muse, he’s always the muse”
The Beatnuts “Yo Yo Yo” (2001)
Rock my blue jeans like Bruce Springsteen
Bran Van 3000 “Speed” (2001)
“I see Mary dancing across the porch
She put her rolled up Ziggy’s in her rock and roll jersey
Jersey, she was born to run
She was a spirit in the night
She was blinded by the light
She was hold up in Jungleland
Straight up (take me with you)
The rock and roll big boss
Turnpike down by the river of desire
Just off Thunder Road, where you catch her (my soul is on)
In the Tenth Avenue, freeze out
She was lost in a flood
Mary, Queen of Arkansas (take me with you)
Dreaming of a Cadillac ranch with a hungry heart
But most of all she was born in the USA (my soul is on)
Ashbury Park, New Jersey”
Live “People Like You” (2001)
“In a dream I had
I was on the stage with Queen
Michael Stipe and Elton John
Bono, Springsteen
Singing ‘Hallelujiah!
Rock and roll is king”
Chip Taylor “It Don’t Get Better Than This” (2001)
The blue wall came crashin’, Springsteen’s at the band – he’s cashin’
The Tragically Hip “Use It Up” (2002)
And music that’ll help you be tough and come together on more than Springsteen though most days it’s been enough.
Bleu Edmondson “Our World Now” (2002)
“I got a tape of a rock ‘n’ roll band/An American band from the Jersey shore … Don’t give a damn about the football team/Or some small town scheme about what we are/Freedom to me ain’t plowin’ a field/It’s the scream of the wheels of my daddy’s car/Singin’, ‘No retreat, baby, no surrender’ ”
Highway 9 “Between Your Eyes and Mine” (2002)
“We danced around in the midnight moon/And fell in love to a Springsteen tune”
Marcel “Country Rock Star” (2002)
“Springsteen sang the ‘Glory Days’
I was born in the USA”
LO-FI-FNK “Springsteen” (2002)
Video non disponibile
Ulf Lundell “Vi som är Kvar” (2002)
Hürde en bootleg med Springsteen i bilen der sprängde sönder dom sista milen
Montgomery Gentry “Hell Yeah” (2002)
“She yells out to the band
Know any Bruce Springsteen
Then she jumps up on the bar
And she, and she starts to scream”
John Eddie “Forty” (2003)
“I guess I’m Fuckin’ Forty
Well that’s what my Momma said
But Bruce Springsteen’s Fuckin’ 53
And the Stones are almost dead”
Kimya Dawson “Being Cool” (2003)
“I was sitting on a couch somewhere watching vh-1
When i found out that Bruce Springsteen is his mother’s only son
I’m my mother’s only daughter and we were both born to run”
Crucial Unit “Bruce Springsteen Needs The Workers But The Workers Don’t Need Bruce Springsteen” (2003)
Noah23 “Photo Soul Decay” (2004)
String theory, Springsteen, ecohim equinox
Stephen Hunter “Springsteen Singin'” (2004)
Jupiter Jones “Alles Glück Der Welt” (2004)
Jetzt sing mir was von Springsteen, ein schritt vorwärts… zwei zurück
Morlockk Dilemma “Betritt meine Cypher” (2004)
Ich bin der Boss wie Bruce Springsteen
Heiruspecs “Swearsong” (2004)
Bred to rap, born to rock like Bruce Springsteen
Bowling For Soup “1985” (2004)
“Since Bruce Springsteen, Madonna
Way before Nirvana
There was U2 and Blondie
And music still on M-T-V”
B.O.S.S. “Owa wou liegt Dancing?” (2004)
Dös is alles niat vom Springsteen
Video non disponibile
Endless Mike And The Beagle Club “The Only Boss I listen To Is Springsteen” (2004)
I’m not sure Bruce Springsteen might have to get a job
Iguana Tango “Mi Forma De Vivir” (2005)
Como los temas de Springteen uoooohhh!!!
Nelson Trout “New Jersey, USA” (2005)
We gave the world Sinatra, Tom Edison, Springsteen…
Eastern Conference Champions “Springsteen” (2005)
Video non disponibile
Serengeti “New Dodge (Remix)” (2006)
Kenny, Turn Down The Springsteen!, turn on the sprinklers!, turn down the Springsteen
Red Hot Chili Peppers “She’s Only 18” (2006)
She’s got that mood ring, a little sister rose, the smell of Springsteen, a pair of pantyhose
Jackie Barnett “Soul In Rock And Roll”(2006)
Springsteen said Born To Run
Adam Gnade “We Live Nowhere And Know No One (2006)
Bruce had it right and Johnny had it wrong, we’re not “Born To Lose”, “Born To Run”
Sunz of Man “Shining Star feat. Ol’ Dirty Bastard & Earth, Wind & Fire” (2006)
I turn white boys to Springsteens, Bruce
Pat Green “Feel Like Just Like it Should” (2006)
The Boss on the radio – uh huh, take whatever comes will go flying down the highway with my arms around you singin’ “Born To Run”
You Are The War That I Want “Fuck You Bruce Springsteen (An Ode To Youngstown)” (2007)
Andrea Padova “Across the Border Line (To Bruce Springsteen)” (2007)
Steve Forbert “My Seaside Brown-eyed Girl” (2007)
“I’m in Tennessee, you’re not here with me/You’re in Springsteen land, summer waves and sand”
The Hesh Inc. “Bruce!” (2007)
He was the boss, the doctor, the angel of soul/King of the Jersey Shore, crown prince of rock ’n’ roll/The music he made reached deep inside and took hold
Mac Dre “King Nicky’s” (2007)
Went Bruce Springsteen in my Anchor Blue jeans
Joey Welz “He’s The Boss” (2007)
Bruce McCulloch “Our Love” (2007)
Our love is like a Bruce Springsteen concert; it’s not that great, it’s really long, but, wow, what energy
Little Brother “Best Kept Secret” (2008)
Or you might get tossed around, the Springsteen of the league and I’mma show you how a Boss get down
Jack Schauer “The Prophet (Ode To Bruce Springsteen)” (2008)
Lil Mama “On Fire” (2008)
Busting to make you a believer even Bruce Springstings
Vybz Kartel “Addi Addi Addi” (2008)
Yow a di teacher, sell more hits da Springsteen
The Gaslight Anthem “Meet Me by the River’s Edge” (2008)
“We tattooed lines beneath our skin/’No surrender, my Bobby Jean’/And we’ve been burned by all our fears/Just from growin’ up around here”
Weezer “Heart Songs” (2008)
“Mr Springsteen said he had a hungry heart”
Darren Hayman “Judd Nelson” (2008)
No Springsteen’s leavin’ this house
De Jeugd Van Tegenwoordig “flap flap” (2008)
Vjèze noem me Springsteen Bruce ik ben de Boss
Weezer “Heart Songs” (2008)
“Mr Springsteen said he had a “Hungry Heart”
Safe Hands “Who Killed Bruce Springsteen And Made You The Boss” (2008)
Loudon Wainwright III “Talking Bob Dylan Blues” (2009)
“Yeah, I got a deal and so did John Prine
Steve Forbert and Springsteen, all in a line
They were lookin’ for you, signin’ up others
We were new Bob Dylans, your dumb ass kid brothers
Well, we still get together every week at Bruce’s house”
Rodney Atkins “It’s America” (2009)
“It’s a high school prom, it’s a Springsteen song, it’s a ride in a Chevrolet/It’s a man on the moon and fireflies in June and kids sellin’ lemonade/It’s cities and farms, it’s open arms, one nation under God/It’s America”
Tanya Morgan “Morgan Blu” (2009)
Go hard like Springsteen, I was born in the USA
The Passionate and Objective Jokerfan “Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska (2009)
Allan Taylor “New York In The Seventies” (2009)
We saw Springsteen play at Max’s Kansas City, when Bob Marley played there every seat was sold, Marley died too young, Bruce became the Boss…
Tonks & the Aurors “Mr. Springsteen” (2009)
The Vasco Era “Oh Sam” (2009)
We could buy us a car, one of those ones like straight from the Bruce Springsteen songs
really interesting