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The Gospel according to Bruce Springsteen: Rock and Redemption, from Asbury Park to Magic
In this engaging book, Jeffrey Symynkywicz, a minister and dedicated Springsteen fan, shows us that Bruce Spingsteen's enduring importance stems largely from the rich spiritual themes that run throughout his albums. With a lively and engaging style, Symynkywicz probes each of Springsteen's albums and shows how his music helps make sense of the many threads of our lives, including experiences of sin and redemption, fear and courage, and--above all--faith, hope, and love.
216 pages, Paperback
First published June 16, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
October 19, 2008
This was a good book, though the need to turn all things pop culture into spiritual journeys grows a tad old (The Gospel According to the Sopranos and 'The Zen of...' just about anything come to mind).
I sought this book out because I am an ardent fan of Springsteen, and have always been intrigued by his use of religious imagery, especially from a professed lapsed Catholic.
The book works when it embraces the great lyrics from songs like "The Rising", "The Devil's Arcade", "Spare Parts", "Reason to Believe", "Darkness on the Edge of Town", and other stories that capture man's struggle with faith, with one another, and with our need for hope and our quest for redemption.
It's stretched a tad thin when the author has to comment on Springsteen songs that fall outside this realm - the celebratory garage rock tunes that are nothing more than waxing nostalgic about cars, girls, and good times. "Sherry Darling", "Darlington County", and "Cadillac Ranch" aren't songs rife with searching for something bigger than the perfect car or the perfect kiss. Both of which are holy in their own right, one might argue.
The best portion, perhaps, is the final chapter, which boasts Bruce's Ten Commandments...er, Suggestions, for Spiritual Living. The author gives follow up explanations and examples for each of these, and it captures the essence of what draws so many people to Springsteen's music, and perhaps, what makes others flinch at it. It's not his voice, it's his all too real message. Some folks simply want their music to be entertainment. Springsteen works from the notion that he is creating spiritual literature on the level of Flannery O'Connor, John Steinbeck, or Walker Percy.
So, here is the short-hand version of ten themes that run through Bruce's music...and ten reasons I can't stop listening to his songs:
1. The world has gone awry.
2. There is a power within the souls of men and women to transcend the world and to achieve real victories in spite of the world.
3. The world is as it is.
4. Life without connections is empty and dangerous.
5. Our stories symbolize something deeper.
6. Life is embodied.
7. It's all about change.
8. There is no guarantee of success.
9. Hope is resilient.
10. There is always something more.
I sought this book out because I am an ardent fan of Springsteen, and have always been intrigued by his use of religious imagery, especially from a professed lapsed Catholic.
The book works when it embraces the great lyrics from songs like "The Rising", "The Devil's Arcade", "Spare Parts", "Reason to Believe", "Darkness on the Edge of Town", and other stories that capture man's struggle with faith, with one another, and with our need for hope and our quest for redemption.
It's stretched a tad thin when the author has to comment on Springsteen songs that fall outside this realm - the celebratory garage rock tunes that are nothing more than waxing nostalgic about cars, girls, and good times. "Sherry Darling", "Darlington County", and "Cadillac Ranch" aren't songs rife with searching for something bigger than the perfect car or the perfect kiss. Both of which are holy in their own right, one might argue.
The best portion, perhaps, is the final chapter, which boasts Bruce's Ten Commandments...er, Suggestions, for Spiritual Living. The author gives follow up explanations and examples for each of these, and it captures the essence of what draws so many people to Springsteen's music, and perhaps, what makes others flinch at it. It's not his voice, it's his all too real message. Some folks simply want their music to be entertainment. Springsteen works from the notion that he is creating spiritual literature on the level of Flannery O'Connor, John Steinbeck, or Walker Percy.
So, here is the short-hand version of ten themes that run through Bruce's music...and ten reasons I can't stop listening to his songs:
1. The world has gone awry.
2. There is a power within the souls of men and women to transcend the world and to achieve real victories in spite of the world.
3. The world is as it is.
4. Life without connections is empty and dangerous.
5. Our stories symbolize something deeper.
6. Life is embodied.
7. It's all about change.
8. There is no guarantee of success.
9. Hope is resilient.
10. There is always something more.
August 16, 2008
If you've ever wondered about the religious significance of "say hey hey, what do you say? Sherry darling.....".....this is the book for you.
Just kidding. Obviously, many Springsteen songs repay closer lyrical analysis, and this book is ready to provide. It's light on the personal gossip (marital transition from Julianne Phillips of Lake Oswego, Oregon, to Patti Scialfa of the E Street Band is handled in about a paragraph) and concert reviews and heavy on lyrical analysis. The author is a Unitarian Universalist minister, but I would guess that people of many faiths could find something thought-provoking here.
To stay on the right side of "fair use" legalities, the actual quoting of lyrics is restricted to very brief excerpts/phrases. As someone who saw the Boss in concert about ten times in the late 70/s/early-mid 80's and knows his first 6--7 albums cold, I found this fully sufficient for the early work. For the most recent couple of albums, though, a phrase here and there did not give me enough to go on, so that was a bit of a drawback.
But in general, this was a fun and interesting book -- it captures well the sense I have that many people of my (early-middle-years) generation take the work and persona of Bruce Springsteen more seriously and feel more strongly about it than would be the case for just another good musician.
Just kidding. Obviously, many Springsteen songs repay closer lyrical analysis, and this book is ready to provide. It's light on the personal gossip (marital transition from Julianne Phillips of Lake Oswego, Oregon, to Patti Scialfa of the E Street Band is handled in about a paragraph) and concert reviews and heavy on lyrical analysis. The author is a Unitarian Universalist minister, but I would guess that people of many faiths could find something thought-provoking here.
To stay on the right side of "fair use" legalities, the actual quoting of lyrics is restricted to very brief excerpts/phrases. As someone who saw the Boss in concert about ten times in the late 70/s/early-mid 80's and knows his first 6--7 albums cold, I found this fully sufficient for the early work. For the most recent couple of albums, though, a phrase here and there did not give me enough to go on, so that was a bit of a drawback.
But in general, this was a fun and interesting book -- it captures well the sense I have that many people of my (early-middle-years) generation take the work and persona of Bruce Springsteen more seriously and feel more strongly about it than would be the case for just another good musician.
May 26, 2013
The song-by-song analysis seemed kind of amateurish and the conclusion's 10 Commandments/Suggestions would've been better if they were explored more deeply throughout the rest of the book. The author did have some original (at least to me) takes on some songs. But, in the words of the Boss himself, the author needs to work 'neath the wheels til he gets his facts learned. Get it straight with some editing and fact-checking.
December 30, 2011
Read more like an analytical paper of his work than a spiritual journey. I wanted to like this so much more.
January 29, 2023
Ok for what is was; a breakdown of each album up through the “Magic” album. Fans of Springsteen know that from “Greetings” onward, there was always religious imagery or themes. This isn’t a comparison or lesson on where the imagery came from. There is little religious discussion in the book. The author points to big themes, but little Bible comparison.
December 31, 2019
Fantastic book - a thoughtful reflection on the music and message of Bruce Springsteen. Highly recommended!
August 23, 2008
Is it possible that I could grow to love Bruce Springsteen even more than I already do? YES! In my search for spiritual growth and fulfillment, I reached out and found...Bruce! Oh yeah. I believe I shall register him as a Church. One thing I noticed on reading this, is apparently I have neglected my catechism! I do not have all the lyrics memorized! Second item of note, I always thought Bruce was saying those things just to ME! But I'm happy to share this spiritual enlightenment with others, so gather round, all you riders on this train, & we will discuss the Ten Suggestions! I love this - it's even better than the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster! Seriously, one of the things I've always loved about Bruce is he didn't get stuck writing songs for and about teenagers (no offense to teens). As he's grown older - and as I have - he's given me food for thought about growing up, growing into middle age, love, marriage, parents, children, anger, hope, community, patriotism, politics - and I hope he lives a long, long life so he can help me get through the getting older part, too! Thanks Bruce, and thanks Debra for the gift!
December 21, 2009
Lots of great songs have been written and sung by Bruce Springsteen, and an increasing number of books have been written about Springsteen and his impact on the world. Symynkywicz is a Harvard educated, Unitarian Minister who says that most of Springsteen's songs are deeply religious and sets out to prove it in this book. He is clearly very familiar with Springsteen work, especially with the lyrics of the Boss' songs, and closely inspects every album Springsteen released from "Asbury Park to "Magic."
There is no question that Springsteen's work is deeply religious. It's one of the reasons I love to listen to him. Although I liked this book I was slightly disappointed in that it seemed to simply state the obvious about Springsteen's work. There were little or no original insights, and nothing much in depth, nothing that gives one something to think about after the book is over. However I am motivated to look at some of Springsteen's songs more closely than before, and plan to listen to some of his music especially the songs and albums that are currently unfamiliar to me.
There is no question that Springsteen's work is deeply religious. It's one of the reasons I love to listen to him. Although I liked this book I was slightly disappointed in that it seemed to simply state the obvious about Springsteen's work. There were little or no original insights, and nothing much in depth, nothing that gives one something to think about after the book is over. However I am motivated to look at some of Springsteen's songs more closely than before, and plan to listen to some of his music especially the songs and albums that are currently unfamiliar to me.
October 27, 2010
I was not sure i would enjoy this book. I was certain that a book that dissected Springsteen songs to find spiritual meaning would be dull and a bit cloying.
this Harvard educated Unitarian minister is more than just a man finding spirtual meaning in a rock icon's music. Jeffrey is a Springsteen fan.
The way he chronicles Springsteen's music over the year's in fascinating and chronicles my personal journey through life and Springsteen. the youth trying to find a place in the world, the cynical disillusioned twenty-something after they think they have the "real world" figured out, the soul looking for love and peace,the explorer of the joys and trials of marriage,true love and in Bruce's case children. Then the later more outward world looking and political.
I loved this book and the author's pointing out the spiritual themes in Bruce's music and how they relate to the every man-woman.
Bruce has really been a soundtrack of my journey through life. Glad i wasn't the only one.
this Harvard educated Unitarian minister is more than just a man finding spirtual meaning in a rock icon's music. Jeffrey is a Springsteen fan.
The way he chronicles Springsteen's music over the year's in fascinating and chronicles my personal journey through life and Springsteen. the youth trying to find a place in the world, the cynical disillusioned twenty-something after they think they have the "real world" figured out, the soul looking for love and peace,the explorer of the joys and trials of marriage,true love and in Bruce's case children. Then the later more outward world looking and political.
I loved this book and the author's pointing out the spiritual themes in Bruce's music and how they relate to the every man-woman.
Bruce has really been a soundtrack of my journey through life. Glad i wasn't the only one.
August 19, 2010
A song by song breakdown of Springsteen's work. I would have loved to see more depth on Springsteen's larger message, how his message has changed, and how it fits in the context of 20th century theologies such as Liberation or Process Theology.
Want to read
August 11, 2008This book was a topic of recent discussion on NPR's All Things Considered. The author, a Harvard educated minister, discusses the spiritual layers that are evident in Bruce's work.
December 20, 2008
Ok, I know it looks like a "Behind the Music" book, but for Bruce fans that love his storytelling it's a great examination of the stories he tells and the characters in them.
April 3, 2015
I have returned this book to the library, unfinished. I may borrow it later to finish it. Didn't quite grab me as I thought it would. Perhaps it was the writing style...
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews