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IT AIN'T NO SIN TO BE GLAD YOU'RE ALIVE the Promise of Bruce Springsteen
Excellent Book
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
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About the author
Eric Alterman
22 books37 followersEric Alterman is a CUNY Distinguished Professor of English and Journalism, a media columnist for the Nation, a Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress, and the author of seven books, including the national bestsellers What Liberal Media? and The Book on Bush. He lives in New York City.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
February 17, 2020
The cheer and wry humor and joy in this book kept me reading with impatience, which is rare in a nonfiction book. Caveat: I am a huge Springsteen fan. I imagine people who aren't won't get the visceral punch of hearing the music as they read. They also won't be goin "OH so that's in that album" every time a track is listed.
I grew up poor, the kind of poor where I never even thought about buying records or going to concerts, although those had been two of my father's biggest passions. I was content to listen to the radio and thumb through the albums Dad had, which were mostly metal and prog rock with a few Tchaikovsky LPs slid in for class.
The first time I saw Bruce Springsteen live was when he played a rally on the Downtown Cleveland Mall for Barrack Obama's candidacy. I was all the way back on the other side of Lakeside, and he and Candidate Obama were tiny figures in the distance, but I was ecstatic to be there, to hear Bruce, to see the man I hoped would be America's salvation (that's Obama, not Bruce, but I understand there's some confusion.) Reading this book brought back some of that hope for me.
This book has some (thankfully brief) autobiographical passages by the author about his own journey of obsession with Bruce. I guess that's what's turning me autobiographical, too.
Music fandom connects people. That's a part of it. I've never really felt that connection, but I've never really been 'all in' on any musical act. The shows I've seen live were always moments of serendipity, of discount tickets, of a friend of a friend in an opening band.
More than that live music community, what resonates for me are the kinds of stories told in the lyrics. "Is a dream a lie that don't come true, or is it something worse?" Science Fiction was my escape as a kid, and I naively thought the wondrous future would be mine, if I could only wait long enough. Then slowly I grew and learned that those futures weren't written for people like me. I started to notice the lack of jobs, you know? So this book reminded me why I write, why I started.
I grew up poor, the kind of poor where I never even thought about buying records or going to concerts, although those had been two of my father's biggest passions. I was content to listen to the radio and thumb through the albums Dad had, which were mostly metal and prog rock with a few Tchaikovsky LPs slid in for class.
The first time I saw Bruce Springsteen live was when he played a rally on the Downtown Cleveland Mall for Barrack Obama's candidacy. I was all the way back on the other side of Lakeside, and he and Candidate Obama were tiny figures in the distance, but I was ecstatic to be there, to hear Bruce, to see the man I hoped would be America's salvation (that's Obama, not Bruce, but I understand there's some confusion.) Reading this book brought back some of that hope for me.
This book has some (thankfully brief) autobiographical passages by the author about his own journey of obsession with Bruce. I guess that's what's turning me autobiographical, too.
Music fandom connects people. That's a part of it. I've never really felt that connection, but I've never really been 'all in' on any musical act. The shows I've seen live were always moments of serendipity, of discount tickets, of a friend of a friend in an opening band.
More than that live music community, what resonates for me are the kinds of stories told in the lyrics. "Is a dream a lie that don't come true, or is it something worse?" Science Fiction was my escape as a kid, and I naively thought the wondrous future would be mine, if I could only wait long enough. Then slowly I grew and learned that those futures weren't written for people like me. I started to notice the lack of jobs, you know? So this book reminded me why I write, why I started.
August 17, 2025
Upon attempting to read Peter Ames Carlin’s “Bruce” and being unable to make it past the laborious description of Springsteen’s adolescence, I instead decided to jump into Alterman’s more condensed body of work. Alterman progresses through the various stages of Springsteen’s recording career with insightful yet succinct descriptions of the processes behind creating each album.
Particularly engaging portions of the novel include Springsteen’s perfectionistic “Born to Run” era, the maturation that inspired “Darkness on the Edge of Town,” and the anthemic yet profoundly misinterpreted release of “Born in the U.S.A.” Additionally, the cynical political stance that Springsteen took with “Nebraska” is described in riveting detail, and expanded upon following the release of “Tom Joad.” Alterman explains such thematic events in an engaging and thoughtful manner.
Moving along at a comfortable pace, the biography provides insight into the fundamental changes in Springsteen’s life that most impacted his recording and creativity from project to project. I highly recommend this novel as an alternative to lengthier, drawn out biographies.
Particularly engaging portions of the novel include Springsteen’s perfectionistic “Born to Run” era, the maturation that inspired “Darkness on the Edge of Town,” and the anthemic yet profoundly misinterpreted release of “Born in the U.S.A.” Additionally, the cynical political stance that Springsteen took with “Nebraska” is described in riveting detail, and expanded upon following the release of “Tom Joad.” Alterman explains such thematic events in an engaging and thoughtful manner.
Moving along at a comfortable pace, the biography provides insight into the fundamental changes in Springsteen’s life that most impacted his recording and creativity from project to project. I highly recommend this novel as an alternative to lengthier, drawn out biographies.
August 9, 2017
It Was An Okay Book. He is now one of the celebs on my boycott list.
April 25, 2013
Amongst his other books, Eric Alterman’s “It Ain’t No Sin to be Glad You’re Alive: the Promise of Bruce Springsteen” stands as the odd one out. While all other books in his bibliography cover political, historical and social topics, Alterman’s biography on American rocker Bruce Springsteen is clearly a labour of love. The author is a Boss-afficionado and the subject matter is hardly handled objectively. But why should he be? People who would want to read this book, are no doubt Springsteen-fans too, so the shared love by author and reader create an intimate connection from page one.
Racing along with a speed that matches “Candy’s Room”, Alterman describes Springsteen’s life from the musician’s repressed childhood in New Jersey to his discovery of the freedom possible through music. After that, things really heat up. The author knows how to convey the passion with which Bruce starts developing his musical ambitions and the eventual success of the “Born to Run” album reads and feels like a fantastic, well-deserved victory. After that, the success only grows bigger and bigger, and Alterman examines how a simply singer-songwriter from New Jersey has become a guide, prophet, and conscience for at least one generation.
Though the pacing is pleasantly high throughout, making “It Ain’t No Sin…” an easily readable book, certain essential details are sourly missed. Why did certain early E-Street members decide to leave the band? Why did it take 6 months to produce the four minutes of “Born to Run”? None of these questions – and many others – are explained very well, if at all. Fans who’ve already spent a lot of time – and money on other books, DVDs and sources of information – on the life of the Boss might know the answers to these questions, but the uninitiated might be left behind slightly puzzled while Alterman already races on down the streets to the next album.
With plenty of experience on writing political and historical books, Alterman does a great job of comparing Springsteen’s work to the general state of mind of Americans at the time of release of a specific album, and vice versa. This, alongside with the author’s personal stories on what he had to go through to obtain tickets for certain shows, forms one of the strongest aspects of this book. The love for the artist might become a bit too gushy and worshipful by the end, but they help keep the tone light and playful from start to finish.
Being one big ode and fan-letter to the Boss, Eric Alterman’s “It Ain’t No Sin to be Glad You’re Alive: the Promise of Bruce Springsteen” is a honest biography with welcome personal touches, but the whole moves a bit too fast to please hardcore fans or to keep newbies interested throughout.
Racing along with a speed that matches “Candy’s Room”, Alterman describes Springsteen’s life from the musician’s repressed childhood in New Jersey to his discovery of the freedom possible through music. After that, things really heat up. The author knows how to convey the passion with which Bruce starts developing his musical ambitions and the eventual success of the “Born to Run” album reads and feels like a fantastic, well-deserved victory. After that, the success only grows bigger and bigger, and Alterman examines how a simply singer-songwriter from New Jersey has become a guide, prophet, and conscience for at least one generation.
Though the pacing is pleasantly high throughout, making “It Ain’t No Sin…” an easily readable book, certain essential details are sourly missed. Why did certain early E-Street members decide to leave the band? Why did it take 6 months to produce the four minutes of “Born to Run”? None of these questions – and many others – are explained very well, if at all. Fans who’ve already spent a lot of time – and money on other books, DVDs and sources of information – on the life of the Boss might know the answers to these questions, but the uninitiated might be left behind slightly puzzled while Alterman already races on down the streets to the next album.
With plenty of experience on writing political and historical books, Alterman does a great job of comparing Springsteen’s work to the general state of mind of Americans at the time of release of a specific album, and vice versa. This, alongside with the author’s personal stories on what he had to go through to obtain tickets for certain shows, forms one of the strongest aspects of this book. The love for the artist might become a bit too gushy and worshipful by the end, but they help keep the tone light and playful from start to finish.
Being one big ode and fan-letter to the Boss, Eric Alterman’s “It Ain’t No Sin to be Glad You’re Alive: the Promise of Bruce Springsteen” is a honest biography with welcome personal touches, but the whole moves a bit too fast to please hardcore fans or to keep newbies interested throughout.
December 15, 2018
This breezy romp of music criticism by a guy who's not a music critic came out 1999, which means there's a whole lot of interesting music (good and bad) that's come out since. I used to read Alterman's political commentary in The Nation back in the years before this came out, so I'm familiar with his general style. It's interesting to read him on Springsteen, a subject which has fascinated him his whole adult life, though he falls apart frequently when taking brief side-trips to mention other musicians. (Inexplicably, he says that in the early 90s, music fans felt nostalgic for Duran Duran and, of all names drawn from a hat, Martha and the Muffins.) He's fairly generic when it comes to describing music, but this stuff is all pretty much in my bones, so that's not a problem. He does have some interesting insights into the lyrics, especially on the Tunnel of Love album. Not an essential work, but a pleasant and entertaining overview of the first 60% of Springsteen's career.
February 7, 2016
Little, obvious mistakes made me skeptical about any of the "facts" in the book. And I noticed most of the biographical information came from stories Bruce tells on stage (which are notoriously tall tales). I don't mind the author recounting those stories, but don't try to present them as facts about Bruce's childhood. As an example of the sloppiness, there was a part where he said Ford's Grapes of Wrath was released in 1932 (it was released in 1940). Not a huge deal, but a big enough mistake that I didn't trust the writer. BUT the interpretations of songs and the analysis of the overarching themes and waves of Springsteen's career were insightful and, I though, valuable.
July 29, 2024
A delightful and insightful look at the genesis of the Springsteen myth, sound and legacy. The first few chapters are a wonderful history lesson. Written in 1999 this seems a fresh take on how the legend began. Ending 25 years ago one chuckles at how the future plays out: unending success in huge stadiums, adored, celebrated and steeped in rock and roll royalty, Springsteen must be seen to be believed. Thus the paradox of the book: how do you describe music? You can not. Just go listen. Or better yet get to a concert.
March 5, 2018
This is an okay read with lots of Springsteen stories and he places the man in his times. But the book also features what Springsteen means to the author and like a book about what books mean to the author, I'm just not that interested. Still a decent read, but I imagine now 18 years after the book was published, that more comprehensive biographies are available of the Boss.
November 5, 2025
Really disappointing if you're looking for any kind of insight into Bruce Springsteen, the man. And there's not much said about the music that hasn't been said many times before by other music writers. There are some good insights about the rock scene in general (an analysis of disco and punk as mirror images of each other really caught my eye) but ultimately this book is neither a comprehensive biography nor a detailed critical study.
Eric Alterman is no Dave Marsh. He lacks passion and he doesn't make up for it with original research. He has a very shallow, self-impressed style, and a depressingly familiar take on Seventies rock. He takes all the usual cheap shots, sneering at "Hotel California" and entirely ignoring landmark tracks like "Freebird," "Stairway to Heaven," and even "Bohemian Rhapsody." (No LGBTQ heroes for this blue collar tough guy!)
All that is bad enough. But when you scrape below the "Bruce Is My Hero" surface you get a sense of something being out of whack somewhere emotionally. The man consistently puts on a smug, faintly patronizing smirk when he writes about Bruce, describing his childhood as "a bad Dickens novel." There's a tip off that he's not really engaged with his subject. He also tends to cheap shots and put downs of other rock figures, dismissing Elvis Presley as a bloated loser and sneering at Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Jim Morrison as having been destroyed by "excess." I'm guessing they had difficult childhoods too. But either way, the lack of human feeling is obvious, and it makes me wonder whether Alterman really understands what Bruce Springsteen is all about. He certainly never bothered to listen to "Bye Bye Johnny." Altogether a minor work with very little to add on an important subject.
Eric Alterman is no Dave Marsh. He lacks passion and he doesn't make up for it with original research. He has a very shallow, self-impressed style, and a depressingly familiar take on Seventies rock. He takes all the usual cheap shots, sneering at "Hotel California" and entirely ignoring landmark tracks like "Freebird," "Stairway to Heaven," and even "Bohemian Rhapsody." (No LGBTQ heroes for this blue collar tough guy!)
All that is bad enough. But when you scrape below the "Bruce Is My Hero" surface you get a sense of something being out of whack somewhere emotionally. The man consistently puts on a smug, faintly patronizing smirk when he writes about Bruce, describing his childhood as "a bad Dickens novel." There's a tip off that he's not really engaged with his subject. He also tends to cheap shots and put downs of other rock figures, dismissing Elvis Presley as a bloated loser and sneering at Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Jim Morrison as having been destroyed by "excess." I'm guessing they had difficult childhoods too. But either way, the lack of human feeling is obvious, and it makes me wonder whether Alterman really understands what Bruce Springsteen is all about. He certainly never bothered to listen to "Bye Bye Johnny." Altogether a minor work with very little to add on an important subject.
April 18, 2024
I was pleasantly surprised at this book which instead of being a thematic exploration undertook an incomplete biography of The Boss with a zoom-focus lens on his lyrics and suitably pretty writing. I did come away with a psychological imprint of the man himself. Despite all this, I can’t forgive the author for referring to Secret Garden as “plodding”.
February 19, 2018
I'm late to the party but after seeing Springsteen live in Tulsa, Oklahoma a few years ago, I can say I've jumped on the band wagon! This was a very well-written and researched book by an author who has been a Springsteen fan since childhood. Bruce Springsteen's life, relationships, creative processes, and tribulations are chronicled in a way that left me flipping the pages for more.
February 27, 2016
the poetry and power of born to run lie in its unwillingness to compromise, in the refusal of its protagonists to accept passively the hand dealt to them by circumstance. they lie in the passion brought to common struggles, a passion that is mirrored by the ferocious roar of the music. mary, terry, wendy, and the magic rat are consistently searching within themselves, hoping to find the emotional resources — the love, the hope, the faith — to become their own heroes, to go on dreaming in the face of broken dreams. the album's stories are internal monologues and dramatic renderings of springsteen's own personal struggles with his parents, with authority, with women, and with the expectations of the world, universalized and ennobled through the language of the radio on top of his mother's refrigerator. it is an album about the unsung heroism of everyday life, the quiet glory of unflinching personal integrity in a world where virtue is deemed to be its own reward.published in 1999 (just following bruce's reunion with his e street bandmates), eric alterman's it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive offers the usual biographical details of springsteen's personal life, professional dealings, and musical output. longtime fans, surely familiar with springsteen's background, may find scant novelty, but, as a rock bio, it's as good a place to begin as peter carlin's bruce for the uninitiated. where alterman's book shines brightest is in his situating of bruce's music and lyrics within their social context and cultural milieu. when alterman applies reasoned analysis and critical thought (benefiting from decades elapsed) to the success of bruce's songwriting and global fandom, his perspective brings great depth and understanding. as much a love letter to springsteen as it is a proper bio or critique, it ain't no sin to be glad you're alive is a strong entry in the canon of literature venerating, who may well be, the finest american songwriter of the past half-century.
the songs on darkness [on the edge of town] are about the characters born to run left behind. the record turns on an axis of anger; each song focuses on the desire to break bonds that have become chains, while lamenting the losses such a break necessitates. it is about recognizing that anger and hatred and the turning away of one's heart are the logical responses to the forces that claw away at your soul, but not the only possible ones. it is an album about the power of individual faith, of perseverance, of heart (but not, quite clearly, of love), to find a place to make a stand, however small and unlikely to succeed.
September 10, 2013
Personally, and for what its worth, short of an 'Introduction,' I'd never give full marks to any book on Bruce Springsteen that doesn't manage at least 500 pages. I'm saying this as a pop music fan. The idea that that artist, the E Street Band, his work and all can fit in a medium size book is absurd. Not that I've read a lot of books on Bruce but I'm taking my chances.
The Promise is very good, though. Easy to read, part criticism, part biography, it tracks the man's career from the teenage years up until that messy American Skin deal in 2000. Eric Alterman, a liberal, if there ever was one, seems generally restraint, and that is good. He mostly focuses on the music, with excellent passages on the Boss' better albums, even praising The Ghost of Tom Joad. He writes with genuine love and admiration using his own experiences as well as those of other people, and even finds the heart to negatively criticize Bruce Springsteen the person.
I enjoyed this very much and I think hardcore (is there any other kind) fans and the curious alike would enjoy too.
The Promise is very good, though. Easy to read, part criticism, part biography, it tracks the man's career from the teenage years up until that messy American Skin deal in 2000. Eric Alterman, a liberal, if there ever was one, seems generally restraint, and that is good. He mostly focuses on the music, with excellent passages on the Boss' better albums, even praising The Ghost of Tom Joad. He writes with genuine love and admiration using his own experiences as well as those of other people, and even finds the heart to negatively criticize Bruce Springsteen the person.
I enjoyed this very much and I think hardcore (is there any other kind) fans and the curious alike would enjoy too.
October 11, 2010
An excellent testimonial for Bruce Springsteen. This book is an informative account of the times that informed the sublime music of the E-Street poet, and reveals why the artist is as important now as he ever was; it is also a surprisingly touching and honest account of Springsteen's influence on the life of the author. This is not a boring rock biography by any means as it is as much an account of its author's life as it has been informed by the music of the great man. An important document that illustrates why the man is called the boss.
March 30, 2012
Bruce Springsteen is one of my guilty pleasures; his music brings back memories of road trips from Washington state to Utah and back during my teenage years. A road trip,even today, is not complete without his music on.
This book was written by a true afficionado of Springsteen's. I've never read about his life or delved into the deeper meanings of his lyrics (I was usually passed out in the back seat of the car or am just jamming out to keep myself awake) so it was new information for me.
This book was written by a true afficionado of Springsteen's. I've never read about his life or delved into the deeper meanings of his lyrics (I was usually passed out in the back seat of the car or am just jamming out to keep myself awake) so it was new information for me.
September 6, 2008
You don't need to be a Springsteen fan to enjoy this, although being the fan I am I found it to be an awesome tale of the Boss's life and provided some extra insight into both the life and music of the man this legend really is.
If you're a music fan of any type or genre you are bound to enjoy this book as it delves into the life and creation of the man we all know as Bruce "The Boss" Springsteen.
If you're a music fan of any type or genre you are bound to enjoy this book as it delves into the life and creation of the man we all know as Bruce "The Boss" Springsteen.
March 22, 2010
This is book is a great beginning portrait of this American singer-songwriter, arguably the best rock and roll song writer. Eric Alterman follows Springsteen's life from his pre-Greetings days up until the reformation of the E Street Band. The book goes super fast, especially if you're interested in the artist.
September 21, 2010
I came across this book unexpectedly and ended up loving it. Told from a fan's perspective, I found it a little different than most of the books I'd read about Bruce Springsteen. I found it at a time when I'd almost forgotten the excitement I felt whenever a new Springsteen album came out. It renewed the thrill for me and I'm grateful
October 18, 2012
This is a great book and I am a BIG fan. To me Bruce is poetry turned into Rock and Roll. The lyrics can tug at your heart, make you want to party, appreciate family, friends, life. And understand how different, yet the same we all are.
I recommend reading while back ground music is the live album collection. The Boss. Yes, he is.
I recommend reading while back ground music is the live album collection. The Boss. Yes, he is.
September 15, 2017
The author normally writes on politics, so is presumably just writing as a fan of the Boss. It is a thorough study of the background to Springsteen's work. Unfortunately it is low on biographical detail compared to others but he has a feel for why exactly Springsteen is so special. At the of the day it is just another book about the Boss.
December 12, 2009
A valuable book for anyone wanting insight into what possibly makes Bruce Springsteen whatever great thing it is that he is and what possibly makes his music transcendent. The second half of the title is a perfect summation of the book: The Promise of Bruce Springsteen.
April 13, 2010
I was raised on Springsteen, so I've always loved him and his music. His music means so much. I don't have the right words to convey what he means to me, but Eric Alterman does. This book is fantastic. And I need to see him again in concert.
January 18, 2011
As a Springsteen biography, Alterman delivers but doesn’t really get into the personal details. There were also parts that really seemed contradictory, and fell flat as I read it. An interesting read, but not one I’d return to.
September 18, 2007
Lots of interesting stuff in this, but at times it felt like a big boring research paper.
September 13, 2007
Best Bruce book I have read!
April 5, 2008
A great book on Springsteen but more importantly on being a Springsteen fan, why people feel so deeply attached to his music etc.
June 12, 2008
I was already a fan of Alterman's political writing before he took on the Boss. The combination of author and subject is seamless.
July 18, 2008
I really enjoyed this book. Half Springesteen biography and half analysis, it's a very insightful look at the Boss's life and work.
September 21, 2012
Great book for all fans of the Boss!
May 10, 2013
Good book about Bruce's life, how he was knocked about by the industry, and his eventual success.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews