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Bruce Springsteen - Born in the U.S.A. (Official Video)

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This song was written in response to the way that the U.S. treated veterans in the aftermath of the Vietnam war. As depressing as it may sound, war is constant and people from all generations can relate to its effects and so even in modern times this song still has much political power. We still have veterans coming home from war today and experiencing the very same treatment that Springsteen spoke of in his song. This image shows those hardships that veterans face even after the war has ended. It's understandable how some may feel forgotten and as if their government doesn't care that they risked their life for their country.
Image Source: (http://www.neatorama.com/2017/05/02/Veterans-Community-Project-Is-Building-A-Village-Of-Tiny-Houses-For-Homeless-Vets/)

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When I listen to this song, I feel sympathetic to those who struggle. I can't really feel their pain as I have no direct relation to soldiers and war but I was still was born in America and I have seen the things that happen with war. However, I also still feel that sense of American pride that I stated was not the point of the song. I see their pain and I know that the country isn't perfect but it is the fact that people have the ability to say such things which makes me hopeful for the future. So even though the song makes me critical of the U.S., it also makes me hopeful, and nevertheless, proud to be American. This image below shows a Vietnam soldier with the sentence "WAR IS HELL" written across his helmet. Looking at photos like this give me the same sympathetic and disheartened emotions that I get from listening to the song.
Image Source: (https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/soldier-war-is-hell-vietnam-1965/)

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As an American, I can understand certain aspects of the song that perhaps non-americans would not. Though I was not there, I know the history of the Vietnam war and how terrible it was for all parties involved. My bias as an American is also perhaps what makes me still want to sing this song as an anthem even past its criticisms of the country.

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"Only the dead have seen the end of war" - Plato

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"Only the dead have seen the end of war" - Plato

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It important to talk about issues that need to be talked about and as stupid as this sounds, it doesn't happen as often as it should. This is especially true when it comes to something that people don't want to hear such as Plato's quote above. With this, music is an excellent form of artistic expression and political beliefs are a major factor in many artist's work. It is never okay to hide from an issue and talking about and acknowledging an issue is the first step in coming to understand and work towards a solution for it. Even if a solution isn't presented in the song, the song has opened up the door for one to be presented in response.

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I wouldn't say I have a greater understanding of the Vietnam war by listening to this song but I do feel more familiar with struggles of veterans during this time and even during our time now. Just hearing people talk about these issues brings light onto them, even in the smallest amount.

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"The bombs in Vietnam explode at home; they destroy the hopes and possibilities for a decent America." - Martin Luther King Jr.

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"The bombs in Vietnam explode at home; they destroy the hopes and possibilities for a decent America." - Martin Luther King Jr.

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As explained, this song is "the tale of a broken system and of a government that sees its citizens as disposable cogs in a war machine" (Molloy). Just as stated by MLK, the war ravaged and destroyed more than just the country it was fought in. In that, this song insects with any and all citizens affected by war, while also criticizing the National government of the U.S.. The reason a song like this matters to those citizens of the country is because it tells of how the government can mistreat them and it matters to the government because it critiques the way in which it treats those very citizens.
Article Source: (https://www.thedailybeast.com/are-politicians-too-dumb-to-understand-the-lyrics-to-born-in-the-usa)

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"I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity." - Dwight D. Eisenhower

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"I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity." - Dwight D. Eisenhower

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Though this song is often thought of has an American pride anthem and to some it may feel very nationalistic, if you actually listen to the lyrics than you see that that isn't the case. On that note, I feel that veterans and specifically people who fought in the Vietnam war can definitely relate to this song. As the quote by Eisenhower states, there are some things that only those that experienced them can truly understand. The Vietnam war was seen as the first was that America didn't really win and so it was one of the first times that veterans weren't treated as war heroes. They were instead looked upon with shame and disconnect. Any audience member who has come back from war and found it hard to find a place for them back home can relate. Whether it be from PTSD, lost loved ones, or the absence of job opportunities, there are many difficulties that come along with coming home from war.

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This is obviously an issue that Bruce Springsteen cared about enough to make a song of it. Though Springsteen didn't get sent to Vietnam and claimed that the war felt very "distant" to him and did not gravely affect him, he did have a friend who died in Vietnam (Loder). Maybe this along with the fact that Springsteen was able to "escape the draft" compelled him to perform such a song (Loder). He didn't have to go through what so many others his age did and to see them treated with such shame on their return home perhaps struck a chord with Springsteen. Here is another version of the song that resonates the true message behind the it a little better and one where you can really see his emotions on the issue come through.
Article Source: (https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-rolling-stone-interview-bruce-springsteen-on-born-in-the-u-s-a-19841206)

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This song is a perfect encapsulation of that essential 80s rock n' roll that we all know and love. It's classic and timeless but it's also not the type of music that is being produced today. What I hear on the radio is usually very saturated in pop and what I listen to on my own varies but is usually more current. I greatly enjoy listening to it but it's not the type of music that I regularly hear on my day to day.

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Born in the U.S.A. is a song often misconstrued as a nationalistic American anthem. In fact, many politicians, such as Reagan have used it when campaigning, not understanding or not caring about the true message behind it. The true message isn't hidden at all however, all you have to do is look up the lyrics or just simply listen and you'll find it. The song tells the "narrative of a man sent to fight a war he didn't believe in—Vietnam" who upon his return home from that war faced many hard times, such as in finding a job and in just finding a way to fit back into society (Molloy). It is an "indictment of the government, the military-industrial-complex, and the way in which we treat those who have risked their lives in battle" (Molloy).
Article Source: (https://www.thedailybeast.com/are-politicians-too-dumb-to-understand-the-lyrics-to-born-in-the-usa)