Everyone remembers the first time they heard Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run.” Maybe it came on the radio while you were cruising along in your car. Maybe it was when your best friend pulled you aside and said “Man, ya gotta hear this song!” However it happened, after you heard it, you were never the same. The song became an anthem for teenagers anxious to break free and escape a dead-end future. We can all relate to the lyrics on some level, and they teach us a few meaningful life lessons as well.
We All Want To Escape Sometimes
“Whoah, baby, this town rips the bones from your back, it’s a death trap/It’s a suicide rap, we gotta get out while we’re young”
-“Born to Run”
Springsteen was writing about wanting to get away from his small New Jersey hometown and the bleak future he envisioned there. Those feelings of frustration and desperation are universal. At times, we all feel trapped and want to escape to the better life we imagine for ourselves. If we channel those feelings in a positive direction, we can use that determination to rise above our circumstances and reach our full potential.
Don’t Quit Searching for Your Place in Life
“Whoah, someday girl, I don’t know when/We’re gonna get to that place where we really want to go and we’ll walk in the sun”
-“Born to Run”
The character in the song believes that someday, he and his love, Wendy, will find the place where they truly belong. Even though he isn’t sure when that day will come, he’s sure it will come.
Take your cue from Bruce, and never give up until you find your special place where you can thrive and shine.
In the End, It’s All About Love
“I wanna know if love is wild, baby, I wanna know if love is real”
-“Born to Run”
Just like the couple in the song, we wonder whether love and life can be as wonderful as we expect them to be. We question whether dreams can really come true or if they eventually give way to mid-life resignation to our lot in life.
At its core, “Born to Run” is a love song. It’s about a couple who are willing to take a chance on love. Brave enough to seek out the answers to those questions together, wherever that may lead them.
The lyrics to Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” speak to us all in one way or another. That’s what made the song a classic. Listen closely, and you’ll come away with valuable life lessons.
It’s okay to want something more and to feel trapped when you don’t have it. But remember to use those feelings as motivation to reach your goals.
Don’t stop searching for your true place and purpose in life.
Be bold enough to take the one you love by the hand and, together, find your answers to the questions we all have.
Meaningful lyrics? Absolutely. And we can’t ignore that it’s also a darn fantastic song to blast during a road trip.
-Gina Crisci
Photo: Front cover image of Bruce Springsteen autobiography, Born To Run
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