Bruce Springsteen may plausibly claim to have seen all that the mainstream has to offer. “The Boss,” who grew up during the height of the British Invasion and even contributed to a few successes, is well-known for his remarkable resume and keen grasp of the workings of the music industry. Even though Springsteen may have a keen sense of what makes a great song, he thought that one contemporary musician was continuing the legacy of creating catchy tunes.
However, Springsteen was never going to suddenly become a world-class songwriter. Springsteen’s voice and song structure were often compared to Bob Dylan’s, even during his early years with the E Street Band. This perception persisted until the publication of his album Born to Run.
Despite all of the parallels between him and the rock icon, Springsteen would discover that his writing about the music reflected his background. Springsteen wrote several love letters to America he observed around him, showing empathy for everyone who dared to dream larger than the hand they were handed. He did this by documenting the innumerable stories of nobodies growing up on the streets of New Jersey.
Springsteen never wavered from his emphasis on the fundamental idea of freedom, even as he began to transform popular music culture with albums like Born in the USA. Springsteen continues to be acutely aware of the price of living like an outlaw in songs like “Glory Days” and “Downbound Train,” which result in people spending their entire lives in dead-end occupations and feeling lost on those lonely highways.
Throughout his career, Springsteen would share his viewpoint, but another budding songwriter also shared what was on her mind. From the time of her country music debut until now, Taylor Swift has approached her songs with a similar level of personalization. She has painted vivid descriptions of sexual experiences and found ways to weave literary passages into songs like “Begin Again.”
Springsteen thought Swift was among the greatest in her industry at what she does, even if her work might not have fit into the same category as Swift’s. Springsteen considered Swift to be a composer who personified everything associated with popular music, even if she did not adhere to the conventions of the rock music industry.
Speaking subsequently at The Project about her professional path, Springsteen said, “If you look at the music, she’s an excellent writer. She is, lyrically. She’s a really good… lyricist – about this moment, I would say. It’s everything top 40 records should be. She is going to be a very influential artist for a long time.”
Fans of Bruce Springsteen and Taylor Swift may have very different viewpoints at times, but Springsteen is aware of the distinction between a song composed by a committee and someone who has their unique perspective on the world. No matter how the song sounds, the important thing is to be true to who you are, and Springsteen was able to see the truth in each of Swift’s contemporary classics.