Bermingham Remix Manifesto

 

Born In the U.S.A.

 Module 5 centers around Pop Culture and music.  The 1984 hit “Born in the U.S.A.” by Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen described a Vietnam War veteran who returns home to desperate circumstances and few options.  “I had a brother at Khe Sanh, Fighting off the Viet Cong. They’re still there, and he’s all gone. He had a woman he loved in Saigon; I got a picture of him in her arms.”  Springsteen’s lyrics emphasize that being born in the U.S.A. does not guarantee a fair life.  It may seem like he is celebrating being born in the U.S.A. — when really, he is singing about being left in the U.S.A. and deserving better.

 In her writing, Sellnow describes individual and unique meanings, not necessarily shared by others that we attach to a musical work, which is congruity.  Incongruity is not in harmony or keeping up with the surroundings or other aspects of something (Sellnow, 2010). None of these are rhetoric.

 “Born in the U.S.A, I was born in the U.S.A. now, born in the U.S.A, I’m a long gone Daddy in the U.S.A. now, Born in the U.S.A, Born in the U.S.A. (Springsteen, 1984).  Has both congruity in its lyrics and incongruity.  To casually listen to the upbeat rhythmic song, one may think this is a song of patriotism.  When in fact, it is scathing criticism of a country that fails to take care of its veterans.  “Many people don’t get what it was about, including the president of the United States (Springsteen, 2016).”  The song contrasts and compares hope and despair, life and death, up and down.  Singing only the verses, you can hear the dark story of the veteran.  Everyone knows someone struggling or has had struggles. Therefore, almost everyone can relate to this song. 

LINK TO TEDTALK –

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQjDogNB8Q0–

Born in the U.S.A. Criticism


Reference

Sellnow, D. D. (2010). The rhetorical power of popular culture. London: Sage.

Springsteen, B. (2016). Bruce Springsteen. Publisher: New York : Simon & Schuster.

Springsteen, B. (1984). “Born in the U.S.A” X, deluxe ed., Asylum Records, 1984, track 4. Spotify, play.spotify.com/track/34gCuhDGsG4bRPIf9bb02f?play=true&utm_source=open.spotify.com&utm_medium=open.

 

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