For almost four decades, Bruce Springsteen's music has directly
inspired, influenced, and uplifted millions of devoted fans, who
hold a special place in their hearts and minds for his work.
Springsteen's rise to the top of American music coincided with the
triumph of American conservatism, and the veneration of marketplace
values above democratic principles and humanistic priorities.
Springsteen has consistently summoned his creative power and
artistic vision to indict these political developments and demand
the cultivation of a more compassionate and progressive society.
And yet his often harsh critique of the status quo and radical
ideas for reform have either been ignored or misunderstood, as a
result of his "All American" image and his narrative storytelling
style.
On nearly every major issue--poverty, racism, urban decay, war,
and peace-- Springsteen's music has offered a unique vision for
moving forward with the agenda of creating the "country we carry in
our hearts"--as he called it in an op-ed for the New York Times."
Filled with provocative analysis of Springsteen's best known hits
and his most obscure songs, comparisons to other important works of
American culture--ranging from The Sopranos "to Edward Hopper--and
a wealth of information about the last fifty years of American
politics, culture, and society, Working On a Dream "is a powerful
and engaging study of this songwriter and performer's art.
David Masciotra shows how Springsteen's music darkly comments on
the increased isolation of Americans, and calls for a return to
community living and values, based on compassion, empathy, and
tolerance. He illustrates how Springsteen has forced listeners to
wrestle with the facts of rising poverty rates in the world's
richest nation, of wars with questionable justification, and of the
continued mistreatment of racial minorities, arguing that
Springsteen does this by emphasizing the suffering that everyday
people - usually ignored in mainline political discussions - endure
on a daily basis.
By using Springsteen's life and music to shine a light on the
dark recesses of America's most important political and social
trials and conflicts-- race, religion, and working class
hardship--Working on a Dream "connects readers with the power,
purpose, and promise of Springsteen's extraordinary and enduring
music.
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