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Springsteen's Irony

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The Irony of “Born in the U.S.A.” As the fireworks are launched into the air to celebrate Independence Day, “Born in the U.S.A.” by Bruce Springsteen is played loudly for the audience to hear. As the men, women, and children bellow out the chorus proudly, they never seem to grasp it’s intended meaning. At first glance Bruce Springsteen failed to truly share his intended message. By studying the appeals and irony used in Springsteen’s lyrics, it is easy to see how Springsteen’s message disgust of the poor treatment of Vietnam War veterans has been misconstrued by millions of listeners into American pride. With that being said, by misinterpreting the message, the audience helps prove Springsteen’s point. In order to paint his mural of misery. …show more content…

Springsteen adds to the listener's feeling of empathy by then telling the tale of his fallen friend. Springsteen uses a powerful historical reference, the battle of Khe Sanh, to help get across his point. “I had a brother at Khe Sanh fighting off the Viet Cong/ They’re still here, and he’s all gone.” (Springsteen) These two lines demonstrate that not only did the American soldier fight a meaningless battle, but it also helps display Springsteen’s loneliness. Thousands of soldiers lost their friends and brothers in the war, and their lack of a presence back home helps contribute to their loneliness and isolation. This message is interpreted by the American people because of the American value that dying in battle is glorious. It is an American principle that there is no more honorable of a death than dying for the American cause. The death of Springsteen’s friend is seen to some as a heroic end rather than a tragic …show more content…

Springsteen's iconic chorus acknowledges the fact that most Americans are very proud to be born in America. After acknowledging the listener’s Americans sense of pride, Springsteen then goes on to tell a story filled with misery. Springsteen's logic is that being prideful of your country means you must do what is best for it and actively want to improve upon it. Springsteen hopes his tale of the misery of a veteran will inspire the country to treat the struggling veterans with more sympathy. However, the sadness of the vertan is overpowered by the uplifting music and inspiring refrain lyrics. The American people still belt out, “I was born in the U.S.A” (Springsteen) without thought for the poor veteran that fought for their

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He eventually kills himself which really shows what happens to the soldiers coming back from war and the pain and misery after and most soldiers would suffer for PTSD or some kind of trauma. The song was made in 1971 by John Prine. The stories about vietnam and the songs are very similar not in the sense that they're all about

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The song “Welcome to America” by Lecrea, conveys the double entendre of America. Lecrea demonstrates how America is a stage prediction that is set up to look picture perfect to the outside world, however, some may argue that America is not what it claims to be. Lecrea portrays three different characters, and their view on America. One character lives in poverty, the second character is a military veteran, and the final character is a foreign man whose dreams of coming to America. Lecrea’s tone is solemn, serious, critical and incredulous, he raises awareness of what America represents when it comes to their own, and people from other countries.

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This sense of patriotism and pride he is creating is encouraging his audience that being part of a great country it is their duty to defend others while promoting their core principles. This appeal to the audience’s emotion is very effective because it creating a strong sense of pride then giving them a call to

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These soldiers devote their lives to the war, and sadly they are easily forgotten. But for Tim O’Brien and various other authors, “We kept the dead alive with stories” (239). These stories are a way for dead friends and family members to seem alive again. The stories reveal their character and many of their best moments alive. O’Brien utilizes storytelling to cope with the death that surrounds him, and to keep their memory burning on

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Dave Grohl invited a crying fan, named Anthony, on stage to sing with them during an acoustic rendition of “My Hero” at Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre in Englewood, Colorado on Sunday. The lead vocalist paused for awhile as his band was playing their hit song when he spotted the teary reaction of the man in the crowd. "Don’t cry, motherf-----, I know you’re drunk, don’t cry," the multi-instrumentalist said. He, then, asked the audience to bring him closer to the stage so he could get up on the platform. “I’m gonna sing this f------ song right in your face, man to man, prison style … I want some real tears, you better sing it with me,” he told Anthony.

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This disconnect makes it hard for the military men to explain their experience and how one small death or win out of thousands can be so significant to them, when people on the other side see it as one of a million casualties. The war is not personified as it is with the soldiers who actually lived through it. Another soldier who feels detached from reality is Adam Schumann, who was put on countless medications to fix him with no help. After the war, Schumann has “lost all hope” and can’t live with himself, feeling that “the end is near for (him), very, very near. Day by

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With the upbeat tempo and Springsteen singing, “born in the U.S.A.” people tend to think that the song represents a patriotic anthem. In reality, Springsteen uses moral development by singing about two Vietnam War veterans, Bobby and Ron. After the war, the two men suffered from being homeless, unemployed, and forgotten. Springsteen wanted to show America that the country does not treat the veterans with respect, even ten years after the war ended. He really tries to make his audience feel empathetic towards the soldiers who have been

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184 Words | 1 Pages

The Vietnam War is a well-explored topic in music, but the media of the 1980s brought with it a new perspective; the war was over and the new Reagan era worked towards trying to leave Vietnam and the upheaval of the 1960s in the past and the music of the times presented a reaction against this. Artists did not want to simply forget the bloodshed of the Vietnam War, especially as they witnessed American veterans continue to suffer from the lasting effects of the war on a daily basis. At first glance, Bruce Springsteen seems an unlikely figure to create music condemning the effects of the Vietnam War. Many mistake Springsteen’s short hair, heterosexual demeanour, and fondness of the American flag as a celebration of right wing ideals. It is this

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563 Words | 3 Pages

Eight years after the war had ended, Bruce Springsteen wrote “Born in the U.S.A.” in 1981, a song dedicated to the emotional repercussions of the Vietnam War on its veterans. Through a first-person point of view, his song takes on the story of a man who

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393 Words | 2 Pages

Being a political sentimentalist Bruce Springsteen is known for his poetic lyrics throughout his music providing vivid imagery and tackling political issues. This is evident through the opening line of the poem “I got my finger on the trigger” (line 1). Springsteen uses the soldier’s actions to convey that fear is indeed the narrator’s biggest obstacle. Most Veteran’s benefits are cut short when they return from war and many do not receive the treatment needed. A lot of individuals feel like the pain and suffering never really goes away emphasizing “fear’s a powerful thing, baby” (line 29).

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Also, he uses words and phrases such as “battle lines” and “gun” and “hooray for our side” which parallel a warlike situation as well. The lyrics flow almost like a story that marks the beginning, middle, and end of the war while building a depressed and hopeless tone that forces readers and listeners to make a change before more lives are

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793 Words | 4 Pages

The Irony of “Born in the U.S.A.” As the fireworks explode in the night sky to celebrate Independence Day, “Born in the U.S.A.” by Bruce Springsteen plays loudly for the audience to hear. As the men, women, and children bellow out the chorus proudly, they never seem to grasp its intended meaning. By studying the appeals and irony used in Springsteen’s lyrics, it is easy to see how Springsteen’s message of the poor treatment of Vietnam War veterans is misconstrued by millions of listeners into American pride. Springsteen’s intended audience is a group made up of mainly white, blue collar Americans-

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1285 Words | 6 Pages

The soldier is shown to feel a special type of bond with his victim. In Poetry for Students, it is said that “the poem opens with an air of regret: if we had only met in a tavern like this one, we would have had a fine time together and we might have become friends.” The soldier is thinking about this in the opening stanza of the poem. The soldier and the soldier he killed never had any personal conflict with each other. They were just doing their duties as soldiers, so it brought the soldier to think that if they would have met each other in some other way than the battlefield, they could very well have been friends.

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1089 Words | 5 Pages

The second speaker also reshapes the first two lines of the entire poem into a plea to the majority. Beforehand, the first speaker uses those lines as a call for the old American spirit to be revived: “Let America be America again / Let it be the dream it used to be” (1-2). Both speakers change the meaning of the lines to express their thoughts on America. As a result, the poem expresses the desire for everyone to be treated equally in the land of freedom. The readers can relate to the speaker because they wish that everyone has equal rights in the country that proclaims itself to be the symbol of freedom.

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872 Words | 4 Pages

There have been many protest songs in the United States; the freedom of speech has contributed to powerful music and protest words that are written in song. The song that will be discussed throughout this essay is “American Idiot” by Green day. This song speaks volume about the uneducated “America” and puts emphasis on the destruction that reality television is making on the United States of America. Listening to the unspoken word and read between the lies, for that then you will understand. The song “American Idiot” was released during the 2004 presidential election, where George W. Bush was selected into office for the second term as President of the United States of America (source).

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