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DailyBoom Your Old School Music Authority

Sunday, July 3, 2022

Daily Boom 80's Throwback: Bruce Springsteen - 'Born In The USA'


Who else

"Born down in a dead man's town
The first kick I took was when I hit the ground
End up like a dog that's been beat too much
Till you spend half your life just covering up
Born in the U.S.A., I was born in the U.S.A.
I was born in the U.S.A., born in the U.S.A.
Got in a little hometown jam
So they put a rifle in my hand
Sent me off to a foreign land
To go and kill the yellow man
Born in the U.S.A., I was born in the U.S.A.
Born in the U.S.A., born in the U.S.A."

Bruce Springsteen's Born In The USA became pretty much an instant hit thanks to the advance buzz created by the first single, "Dancing In The Dark". The summer of 86’ was a tough one on the charts with so many heavy hitters taking aim at the top spot. Both Duran Duran and Prince sat in the number one position for weeks making it impossible for "Dancing In The Dark" to hit any higher than second but that didn't stop Springsteen's fans from multiplying like Cheerios.

This video is also considered the thing that launched the career of Courteney Cox, as she is the girl pulled up onstage to dance with the Boss himself. I remember that summer well because so much of it was spent listening to a ghetto blaster and waiting for opportunities to call in with the hopes of winning a new album. Back then they were given out hourly. A few days after Born In The U.S.A. was released my friend and I were both determined to win. She got through and was caller eight to snag Steve Perry's Street Talk which made me even more determined to get through the busy phone lines. An hour after her win I became caller ten and scooped up my own copy of, you guessed it, Born In The U.S.A. The only thing more memorable than winning it was going together to pick up our albums at the radio station together.

If not for this video being played every three hours until it grew on me, I would never have owned Springsteen's most popular effort ever. Check it out below!