The Bruce Springsteen Lyric Lab Presents: “Born in the U.S.A.”

Released in 1984, "Born in the U.S.A." became one of Bruce Springsteen's biggest hits—and one of the most misunderstood songs in American popular culture. Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and its aftermath, the song tells the story of a working-class veteran struggling to find his place in the country he served. Yet its soaring chorus and arena-sized sound led many listeners to hear it as a straightforward patriotic anthem.