Springsteen and Campaign Patriotism
If you’re like me, it’s been difficult to focus on anything other than the election this week.
A friend recently sent me a Biden campaign ad which, somewhat strangely, featured Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” from the 8 Mile soundtrack. Certainly the music provides a cinematic feeling of determination in the face of a challenge, but overall it struck me as a strange choice of music to put behind a political advertisement. In the age of social media, I suppose ads reach more niche markets, but I would be surprised if it ran, say, during the 6 o’clock news in Scranton, PA.
More often, campaign music has aimed to link candidates to feelings of American patriotism and a sense of working-class authenticity (whether real or manufactured). The go-to soundtrack for this kind of appeal has long been provided by Bruce Springsteen.
Though Springsteen has endorsed Democrats since 2004, his music has been used in campaigns of both Republicans and Democrats vying to connect with “everyday” voters. The first album of his to attract a political campaign was Born in the U.S.A. which Ronald Reagan hoped to use in his 1984 campaign, despite Springsteen’s objections. On the surface, the album appears to be a perfect choice for anybody wanting to appeal to a generalized sense of patriotism that valorizes working people (especially white men). But Born in the U.S.A offers a lesson in how much cover art can shape how the music is received.
The cover art of Springsteen’s 1984 album is a photograph by the renowned portraitist Annie Leibovitz. In the image we see Springsteen from behind. The primary objects in the photograph are Springsteen’s blue-jean butt, a red ball cap stuffed in the back jean pocket, and the stripes of an American flag.
Colleen J. Sheehy has argued that the cover of “Born in the USA” reveals a lot about the contested ideas of patriotism and masculinity in the United States. She notes that images of the body in particular have served an important role in rock album covers. Bodies on covers create a sense of human connection between the listener and performer, she argues, but they also “promote rock’s sensuality and its recognition of bodily experience that are so central to the musical form. Even if the cover does not feature the performer’s body, the display of a body... asserts the eroticism of the music.”
Sheehy also argues that Springsteen’s bodily posture resonates with masculine ideals that have existed for centuries, describing him as taking on the same idealized “contrapposto” pose that we see in Michaelangelo’s David or in performances by John Wayne. The contrapposto posture communicates a simultaneous sense of strength and ease.
Michelangelo’s David (1501)
John Wayne in Stagecoach (1939)
By conveying a masculine sense of poise, coupled with the American flag, it was easy for many, including Reagan’s campaign--to conclude that it was a statement of uncritical patriotism.
But as Sheehy points out, these symbols of masculinity and patriotism are always multivalent, always open to multiple interpretations. In fact, the lyrics of the title track are in tension with the apparently confident display of masculinity and patriotism on the cover. In a cursory listening one might only pick up descriptions of working-class contexts and American militarism which might be heard as patriotic celebration of everyday people. But a closer examination reveals that the lyrics describe the hardship of a Vietnam War veteran after his return home. These lyrics add a layer of complexity to the symbols of masculinity and patriotism of the cover, and Sheehy argues that Springsteen explores “the instability of masculinity as well as the uncertain meanings of patriotism and allegiance” through these songs and images.
Despite this complexity, Springsteen’s music has continued to appeal to those seeking an easy connection to mainstream (especially white) working-class America, from Pat Buchannan and Bob Dole, to Joe Biden just this year. But the question remains: are they willing to also address the pain and suffering underneath the bright colors on the cover of “Born in the U.S.A.”?
