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We Take Care of Our Own: Faith, Class, and Politics in the Art of Bruce Springsteen
We Take Care of Our Own traces the evolution of Bruce Springsteen’s beliefs, beginning with his New Jersey childhood and ending with his most recent works from Springsteen on Broadway to Letter to You . The author follows the singer’s life, examining his albums and a variety of influences (both musical and non-musical), especially his Catholic upbringing and his family life, to show how he became an outspoken icon for working-class America -- indeed for working class life throughout the world. In this way, the author emphasizes the universality of Springsteen’s canon and depicts how a working-class sensibility can apply to anyone anywhere who believes in fairness and respect. In addition, the author places Springsteen in the historical context not only of literature (especially John Steinbeck) but also in the art world (specifically the work of Thomas Hart Benton and Edward Hopper). Among the themes explored in the book include community, a sense of place, America as the Promised Land, the myth of the West, and, ultimately, mortality.
- GenresMusic
168 pages, Paperback
Published September 15, 2024
2 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
June Skinner Sawyers
36 books4 followersBorn in Glasgow, Scotland, June Skinner Sawyers is the author or editor of more than twenty books, many with a Celtic theme, including Celtic Music; Dreams of Elsewhere: The Selected Travel Writings of Robert Louis Stevenson; Praying with Celtic Saints, Prophets, Martyrs, and Poets; The Road North: 300 Years of Classic Scottish Travel Writing; and The Scots of Chicago: Quiet Immigrants and Their New Society.
Her essays, Weeping Willows and Long Black Veils: The Country Roots of Rosanne Cash, from Scotland to Tennessee appeared in Walking the Line: Country Music Lyricists and American Culture and Celtic Music in America in The Encyclopedia of Music and American Culture, respectively. In addition, her work has appeared in Scottish Tradition, The Chicago Tribune, The San Francisco Chronicle, Sing Out!, Dirty Linen, Booklist and The Common Review. In 2013, she was the recipient of the Flora Macdonald Award from St. Andrews University in Laurinburg, North Carolina, which is given to a woman of Scots birth or descent who has made an outstanding contribution to the human community.
Her essays, Weeping Willows and Long Black Veils: The Country Roots of Rosanne Cash, from Scotland to Tennessee appeared in Walking the Line: Country Music Lyricists and American Culture and Celtic Music in America in The Encyclopedia of Music and American Culture, respectively. In addition, her work has appeared in Scottish Tradition, The Chicago Tribune, The San Francisco Chronicle, Sing Out!, Dirty Linen, Booklist and The Common Review. In 2013, she was the recipient of the Flora Macdonald Award from St. Andrews University in Laurinburg, North Carolina, which is given to a woman of Scots birth or descent who has made an outstanding contribution to the human community.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 17, 2024
I'm not sure that fans of Bruce Springsteen will find much surprising about "We Take Care of Our Own: Faith, Class, and Politics in the Art of Bruce Springsteen," though will likely rejoice at the ability of June Skinner Sawyers to capture the evolution of Springsteen's beliefs from his New Jersey childhood through his latest works including "Letter to You" and Springsteen on Broadway.
At less than 200 pages, "We Take Care of Our Own" is clear and concise. Sawyers follows Springsteen's life, journeys through his music, explores both musical and non-musical influences, and gives quite a bit of attention to the influence of his Catholic upbringing and how that contributed to his becoming a highly recognizable spokesperson for working-class America.
Sawyers looks at key themes often found within Springsteen's artistry - the importance of community, America as a sort of "promised land," Western mythology and imagery, life and its limitations, mortality, and much more. Sawyers also explores Springsteen's connection to other artists and the ways in which his own musical presence evolved over the years.
For anyone familiar with Springsteen, I'm not sure "We Take Care of Our Own" will be revelatory, however, what will be revelatory is just how concretely Sawyers is able to connect-the-dots and give us a crystal clear picture of the ways in which artistry and activism have intersected throughout his life.
The book ends with an essay by Andre Dubus III that nicely complements everything that came before it and has to explain why Springsteen is one of America's most essential artists and likely always has been.
By the end of "We Take Care of Our Own," I was struck by just how much of a quick read this was and just how much material Sawyers covered. It's not so much how many pieces of the puzzle that Sawyers shares with us but how she's able to put those pieces together.
Will non-Springsteen fans embrace "We Take Care of Our Own?" Oh sure, fans of music history and those who embrace the intersections of arts, social justice, and activism will find much to love here. However, for the most part this is a work for Springsteen fans that will help us all understand just why we love him so much.
And we do.
At less than 200 pages, "We Take Care of Our Own" is clear and concise. Sawyers follows Springsteen's life, journeys through his music, explores both musical and non-musical influences, and gives quite a bit of attention to the influence of his Catholic upbringing and how that contributed to his becoming a highly recognizable spokesperson for working-class America.
Sawyers looks at key themes often found within Springsteen's artistry - the importance of community, America as a sort of "promised land," Western mythology and imagery, life and its limitations, mortality, and much more. Sawyers also explores Springsteen's connection to other artists and the ways in which his own musical presence evolved over the years.
For anyone familiar with Springsteen, I'm not sure "We Take Care of Our Own" will be revelatory, however, what will be revelatory is just how concretely Sawyers is able to connect-the-dots and give us a crystal clear picture of the ways in which artistry and activism have intersected throughout his life.
The book ends with an essay by Andre Dubus III that nicely complements everything that came before it and has to explain why Springsteen is one of America's most essential artists and likely always has been.
By the end of "We Take Care of Our Own," I was struck by just how much of a quick read this was and just how much material Sawyers covered. It's not so much how many pieces of the puzzle that Sawyers shares with us but how she's able to put those pieces together.
Will non-Springsteen fans embrace "We Take Care of Our Own?" Oh sure, fans of music history and those who embrace the intersections of arts, social justice, and activism will find much to love here. However, for the most part this is a work for Springsteen fans that will help us all understand just why we love him so much.
And we do.
September 9, 2024
We Take care of Our Own: Faith, Class, and Politics in the Art of Bruce Springsteen, by June Skinner Sawyers, is an insightful look at the themes that run through Springsteen's oeuvre. While we do get some biographical information this is not meant to be a biography but a contextualization, an analysis, of what has made his body of work speak to so many for so long.
If you're mostly interested in whether you'll learn some new minutiae about Springsteen's life, you may be disappointed. If, however, you're looking to gain some understanding of why his music touches so many people and what in his life helped to enable him to create such music, you will be richly rewarded for taking the time to read this. For a relatively small time investment, this is a one-sitting or one-day read, you will walk away with ideas you will ponder well after reading.
About the act of reading this. I suggest reading straight through first, at whatever your regular pace is, then coming back to the sections that most speak to you. That allows you to get the big picture and the bulk of the nuance. After a couple days of thinking about things, come back to it and give it a deeper read, whether all of it or sections you want to dive into.
The thought I came away with has to do with groups and community. By nature a group or community is an inside/outside or us/them entity. But how w approach that is where the ideas can be positive or negative. In other words, it isn't simply "our community" and those "others," whomever they are. It is an inclusive sense of community, a dynamic community. Not one set in stone which always already excludes many people permanently, but a community that itself changes and evolves, inclusively embracing those who might enrich the community while the community also enriches those individual lives. In short, inclusive rather than exclusive, embracing rather than repelling.
I would certainly recommend this to Springsteen fans who want to understand but also those who simply want to understand how art can touch so many people at a deeply personal level while also creating a community on a more public level.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
If you're mostly interested in whether you'll learn some new minutiae about Springsteen's life, you may be disappointed. If, however, you're looking to gain some understanding of why his music touches so many people and what in his life helped to enable him to create such music, you will be richly rewarded for taking the time to read this. For a relatively small time investment, this is a one-sitting or one-day read, you will walk away with ideas you will ponder well after reading.
About the act of reading this. I suggest reading straight through first, at whatever your regular pace is, then coming back to the sections that most speak to you. That allows you to get the big picture and the bulk of the nuance. After a couple days of thinking about things, come back to it and give it a deeper read, whether all of it or sections you want to dive into.
The thought I came away with has to do with groups and community. By nature a group or community is an inside/outside or us/them entity. But how w approach that is where the ideas can be positive or negative. In other words, it isn't simply "our community" and those "others," whomever they are. It is an inclusive sense of community, a dynamic community. Not one set in stone which always already excludes many people permanently, but a community that itself changes and evolves, inclusively embracing those who might enrich the community while the community also enriches those individual lives. In short, inclusive rather than exclusive, embracing rather than repelling.
I would certainly recommend this to Springsteen fans who want to understand but also those who simply want to understand how art can touch so many people at a deeply personal level while also creating a community on a more public level.
Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley.
November 4, 2024
Anyone who has really been a fan of Bruce Springsteen over his career spanning six decades could hardly be shocked by his recent endorsement of Kamala Harris. Yet, every time he speaks out on an election, alleged fans of his try to claim that they had no idea of his political leanings and vow to never listen to him again. Even if I believed these people’s declarations, I’d give them no merit. It’s not Springsteen who has changed over the years. He has always sung songs championing the working man and those on the fringes of society; good people who haven’t reaped the rewards of the “American Dream.”
June Skinner Sawyers is a Scottish author who has written many books about music and travel, including four books now about Bruce Springsteen. In We Take Care of Our Own, Sawyers looks at what shaped the values Springsteen sings about in many of his songs. The background information is not new to anyone who has read any of the biographies out there about Springsteen, particularly Bruce by Peter Ames Carlin and his autobiography, Born To Run. Sawyers puts that biographical information in a different light, showing how the world he grew up in shaped what he would later put to words and music.
To read my full review, please go to We Take Care of Our Own: Faith,Class, and Politics in the Art of Bruce Springsteen by June Skinner Sawyers – How Springsteen Captures American Dreams
June Skinner Sawyers is a Scottish author who has written many books about music and travel, including four books now about Bruce Springsteen. In We Take Care of Our Own, Sawyers looks at what shaped the values Springsteen sings about in many of his songs. The background information is not new to anyone who has read any of the biographies out there about Springsteen, particularly Bruce by Peter Ames Carlin and his autobiography, Born To Run. Sawyers puts that biographical information in a different light, showing how the world he grew up in shaped what he would later put to words and music.
To read my full review, please go to We Take Care of Our Own: Faith,Class, and Politics in the Art of Bruce Springsteen by June Skinner Sawyers – How Springsteen Captures American Dreams
October 28, 2025
This book was very ok and not much more. The sections about the Catholic influence on Springsteen's work were very good, but the sections about modern socio-economic decay and his relationship with it were too superficial for me to enjoy and at times poorly framed. The analysis of Trump's appeal to the white working class aged like milk 8 months into his second term, but it also felt like it was still in 2017 by awkwardly ignoring the earthshaking events of January 6th 2021. Also the biographical research was sloppy at times. I know that Lizi "Thunder Road" McGhee is an outlier in the "average Bruce Springsteen knowledge" dataset but there were a couple times the author clearly shoulda read Craig Statham's work on the subject and occasionally misrepresented sections of Born to Run (2016). I wouldn't discourage people from reading it if they're interested, but I also wouldn't recommend it.
October 27, 2024
A few weeks ago, Bruce Springsteen publicly endorsed Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, and some "fans" professed shock and displeasure that he was being political. These fans clearly had not been paying attention for the past few decades. While Bruce Springsteen initially disavowed political involvement, he has become very open in his political views.
This brief book traces that evolution through his music while providing extensive historical background. While most devoted Springsteen fans will not learn anything new about him through this book, they may pick up some information on Catholic social teaching. Any book focused on Bruce Springsteen that manages to include Dorothy Day is a winner for me. Obviously, MAGAts need not read this book. #WeTakeCareofOurOwn #NetGalley
This brief book traces that evolution through his music while providing extensive historical background. While most devoted Springsteen fans will not learn anything new about him through this book, they may pick up some information on Catholic social teaching. Any book focused on Bruce Springsteen that manages to include Dorothy Day is a winner for me. Obviously, MAGAts need not read this book. #WeTakeCareofOurOwn #NetGalley
December 10, 2025
"We Take Care Of Our Own" by June Skinner Sawyers is a short book that is full of depth and insight. It's written in a very concise and to-the-point manner which I appreciated. I particularly liked the analysis around Springsteen's Catholic faith and how although he considers himself lapsed, the religion of his youth continues to inform his songwriting. It was interesting to read about the larger cultural context of Springsteen's songs, especially around the American West/cowboys, Vietnam War, and factory closings.
Any Springsteen fan will love this book.
5 stars
(I received a complimentary ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)
Any Springsteen fan will love this book.
5 stars
(I received a complimentary ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.)
August 7, 2024
More an essay than a book with only about 120 pages of actual narrative and the rest is afterward, acknowledgements, and notes. This was an interesting take on the Springsteen catalogue focusing on faith, class and politics but didn't measurably add to the information already available in more depth elsewhere. I am appreciative to NetGalley and Rutgers University Press for an advanced reader copy because I certainly would not have spent $49.99 (Amazon and Barnes & Noble) for a hardcopy. Recommended only for die hard Springsteen fans.
February 8, 2025
My music is all about the words, and this is tops for that. Springsteen stands alone at his place in contemporary music for me. THis book does what I love. It disects, challenges, interprets and lays bare the soul of his music.
February 3, 2025
Scholarly book about the influences in Springsteen’s music. Love the Boss.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews