Bruce Springsteen/YMMV

• Covered Up: Springsteen didn't write "Jersey Girl", Tom Waits did.
  • He was the first to record "Blinded by the Light," a cover of which became the signature song of Manfred Mann's Earth Band.
  • His own "Because the Night" got covered up by Patti Smith (although she recorded it first).
  • "The Ghost of Tom Joad" is now probably better known in the rather different Rage Against the Machine version.
• Creator Thumbprint: Springsteen incorporates imagery and metaphors related to amusement parks, fairgrounds and carnivals (he called one album Tunnel Of Love). Appropriate as it was the Jersey Shore where Bruce developed a following in The Sixties.
  • Cars also turn up frequently, as the Cool Car entry on the main page points out.
• Crowning Moment of Heartwarming: "Working On A Dream".
  • "The Wish", an autobiographical song about his mom buying him a guitar for Christmas: "Well, tonight I'm takin' requests here in the kitchen, this one's for you, ma, let me come right out and say it, it's overdue, but baby, if you're looking for a sad song, well, I ain't gonna play it!"
  • As noted on TheDailyShow page, Jon Stewart dedicating the Moment of Zen to Clarence Clemons after the Big Man's passing.
  • Also Bruce's own tribute to the Big Man in the liner notes of Wrecking Ball.
  • The story about his father while introducing "The River" on the Live 1975-85 set.
  • "Terry's Song."
• Crowning Music of Awesome: His section is here (scroll down).
• Downer Ending: Extremely common in his discography.
• Ensemble Darkhorse: The Big Man, Clarence Clemons. Always introduced last, to the loudest applause. You could usually hear, on live recordings, a swell in the crowd noise when he got a solo. Also The Stoic and usually The Voiceless, although he could and sometimes did sing.
  • Steve Van Zandt could claim this now, but for very unmusical reasons.
  • Clemons sometimes toured on his own with a band called "The Big Man's Temple of Soul". And his shows were every bit as intense as Bruce's.
• Epic Riff:
  • "Born to Run"
  • "Thunder Road" (Harmonica)
  • "Backstreets" (Piano)
  • Jungleland (Piano/Violin)
  • "Born In The U.S.A." (Synthesizer/Piano)
  • The new version of "Land of Hope and Dreams" highlights a killer banjo / acoustic guitar riff.
  • "Last to Die" (guitar; violin/keyboard live)
  • "Radio Nowhere" (guitar)
• Ho Yay: Played for laughs with guitarist Steve Van Zandt.
  • Seeing as "Bobby Jean" is about Steve leaving the band in the eighties, not just for laughs...
  • He used to close "Thunder Road" by sliding across the stage, ending up on his knees in front of Clarence Clemons, who would proceed to kiss him passionately.
  • Clemons had a girlfriend who dumped him because she thought he was cheating on her with Bruce.
• I Am Not Shazam: The protagonist of "Johnny 99" is named Ralph, not Johnny. The title refers to his 99-year prison sentence for trying to rob a nightclub, which the song is about.
• It's Popular, Now It Sucks: There's a contingent of hardcore fans who dismiss Born in the USA because it was too commercially successful.
• Memetic Badass: Clarence. The story of how he joined the band: They were playing in a small club on a rather stormy night, he showed up and accidentally tore the door off its hinges and told Bruce "I want to play with your band."
  • According to legend, Bruce's response was, "...uh, you can do WHATEVER YOU WANT, man..."
• Misaimed Fandom: How many times has "Born in the USA" been trotted out on July 4th or otherwise associated with some form of patriotism?
  • "Born to Run" is considered one of New Jersey state's songs despite it being about, in Springsteen's own words, "about leaving Jersey.".
    • Notably, at the time, working-class Freehold, which he also somewhat bittersweetly skewers in My Hometown, and In Freehold.
• Nightmare Fuel: The last few lines of "Magic": On the road the sun is sinkin' low / Bodies hanging in the trees / This is what what will be / This is what will be...
• Retroactive Recognition: Conan O'Brien's drummer used to be in a rock band?