You Can't Start a Fire Without a Spark

With the Fourth of July in just three days, if you live inside the United States, you will undoubtedly be hearing Born in the U.S.A. a couple times from now until then maybe even scored to exploding firecrackers. Yeah, for anyone who has actually studied the lyrics knows that the song isn’t as patriotic as people like Ronald Reagan would believe. But whatever the shard your state is, it is hard not to have your blood start pumping as the bombast of the song starts up. That, in part, is why the Bruce Springsteen album is this month’s induction into the Scooter Hall of Fame.

The title track is in no way the main reason why the album is getting inducted as the was able to spawn seven top ten singles, a record that is shard only with people that have the last name Jackson (Michael’s Thriller and Janet’s Rhythm Nation 1814) and could have conceivable had more if any other singles were released because there are no skipable tracks here. Hey, Working on the Highway could have conceivable extended the Stray Cats rockabilly phase a couple more years if it were released.. My personable favorite being I’m on Fire, a short dark driving song that features Springsteen mumbling sweet nothings. The song also has the dubious honor of having one of the greatest cheesy accompanying video of all time with Bruce playing a mechanic who in the end decides to walk home after delivering a car instead of getting an invite inside.

The album also features one of the greatest drunken karaoke songs to be performed by a group of guys of all time, Glory Days. Not to mention if you were to play this song in the presence of any dude born in the seventies, I guarantee he will stop whatever he is doing to start singing along. The only other song I have witness that can cause such an effect is NWA’s Automobile. Then once the song ends, he will probably start discussing with the closest other dude who was also singing along which verse he most relates to and why. Personally I once saw a baseball player from high school, yes he could throw that speedball by ya, at a bar recently.

We also have Dancing in the Dark to thank for giving us Courtney Cox. And even though it wasn’t as cheesy as I’m on Fire, Bruce dancing in that video was pretty cheesy too. And yes I tend to break it out whenever I here that song. Then on the other part of the spectrum you had the album closer My Hometown and even though it took until my teenage years to understand the true meaning of Born in the U.S.A., it was hard not to read into the racial themes in the song even as a kid.

So on this Fourth, maybe throw on this album at your cookout and reminisce about the Glory Days over some burger. And if you get drunk enough, you may be able to find someone to do the Dancing in the Dark swing with.