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All The Songs
Bruce Springsteen: All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track
The latest in the bestselling series, is the most in-depth exploration of The Boss's music ever written.
From through , this extensive, 670-page volume provides the full story behind each remarkable cut, with illuminating insights that reveal Springsteen's creative inspiration. It's the most complete history of one of the greatest musical legacies of all time and gives you the background on all the songs leading up to the Boss's new album,
Arranged chronologically by album, authors Margotin and Guesdon explore the details behind early hits such as and , to masterpieces such as , , , and more - including outtakes, covers and rare tracks.
With hundreds of photographs and detailed analysis of every single song, this is the single-greatest record of Bruce Springsteen's music ever produced.
From through , this extensive, 670-page volume provides the full story behind each remarkable cut, with illuminating insights that reveal Springsteen's creative inspiration. It's the most complete history of one of the greatest musical legacies of all time and gives you the background on all the songs leading up to the Boss's new album,
Arranged chronologically by album, authors Margotin and Guesdon explore the details behind early hits such as and , to masterpieces such as , , , and more - including outtakes, covers and rare tracks.
With hundreds of photographs and detailed analysis of every single song, this is the single-greatest record of Bruce Springsteen's music ever produced.
- GenresMusicNonfiction
1141 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 6, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
January 26, 2021
A few years back, I picked up Brian Hiatt’s Bruce Springsteen: The Story Behind the Songs and loved it (even though, for some reason, he accidently skipped “My Best Was Never Good Enough” from The Ghost of Tom Joad.) Then in 2020, Bruce Springsteen: All the Songs – The Story Behind Every Track came out, and I wanted it more than anything else for Christmas. Apparently, books about Springsteen songs are like books about Beatles songs. I’m going to keep buying them and loving them and wanting more.
This is my first book finished in 2021, which is a little alarming since we’re halfway through the month and I haven’t yet made a dent in my 70 Books of 2021 goal. In my defense, this book is almost as gargantuan as the other book I’m currently reading: Centennial, by James Michener. I have a YA novel picked out for my next read and I’m looking forward to the break.
And how is this book? Quite good. Though I don’t really care about the tech specs – who played what guitar on which track doesn’t really interest me – I liked the actual stories behind all the songs profiled. Where authors Jean-Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin sometimes go wrong is in their interpretations of songs (how the heck is “Hello Sunshine” an ode to the joys of solitude?) … and, very occasionally, chart stats (sometimes they list songs as charting fairly high on the Billboard Hot 100, even if they were never singles; I have to guess that, because the authors are European, their default chart is different from our default chart).
The book is packed with facts and pictures – all the stuff I love – and the dedication to ferreting out all those backstories is fruitful. I spent many nights absorbed in this book, wanting to sleep but wanting to know just one … more … thing. Plus, I’ve been re-listening to Springsteen records throughout the whole process and it’s been so good to connect with the music again after reading about it. The book felt kind of interactive in that way.
I will question, though, why the authors decided to leave out the whole Ties That Bind box set, not to mention Disc 3 of Essential, all of which contain outtakes that never made it anywhere else. They got all the EPs (though didn’t mention that the American Beauty EP actually did chart on the Top 200 in the States), all the singles, all the core 19 records, but those seem like pretty big misses. (Also, and this is not their fault obviously, but Springsteen is always going to be just a little bit faster than print; Letter to You isn’t covered here, and that makes me just a little sad.)
I feel like I’m ragging on the book when it’s done nothing but entertain me in the first weeks of 2021. I really enjoyed being inside these songs and this music, and now that the barrier is broken, I can jump into more books. All of the books.
This is my first book finished in 2021, which is a little alarming since we’re halfway through the month and I haven’t yet made a dent in my 70 Books of 2021 goal. In my defense, this book is almost as gargantuan as the other book I’m currently reading: Centennial, by James Michener. I have a YA novel picked out for my next read and I’m looking forward to the break.
And how is this book? Quite good. Though I don’t really care about the tech specs – who played what guitar on which track doesn’t really interest me – I liked the actual stories behind all the songs profiled. Where authors Jean-Michel Guesdon and Philippe Margotin sometimes go wrong is in their interpretations of songs (how the heck is “Hello Sunshine” an ode to the joys of solitude?) … and, very occasionally, chart stats (sometimes they list songs as charting fairly high on the Billboard Hot 100, even if they were never singles; I have to guess that, because the authors are European, their default chart is different from our default chart).
The book is packed with facts and pictures – all the stuff I love – and the dedication to ferreting out all those backstories is fruitful. I spent many nights absorbed in this book, wanting to sleep but wanting to know just one … more … thing. Plus, I’ve been re-listening to Springsteen records throughout the whole process and it’s been so good to connect with the music again after reading about it. The book felt kind of interactive in that way.
I will question, though, why the authors decided to leave out the whole Ties That Bind box set, not to mention Disc 3 of Essential, all of which contain outtakes that never made it anywhere else. They got all the EPs (though didn’t mention that the American Beauty EP actually did chart on the Top 200 in the States), all the singles, all the core 19 records, but those seem like pretty big misses. (Also, and this is not their fault obviously, but Springsteen is always going to be just a little bit faster than print; Letter to You isn’t covered here, and that makes me just a little sad.)
I feel like I’m ragging on the book when it’s done nothing but entertain me in the first weeks of 2021. I really enjoyed being inside these songs and this music, and now that the barrier is broken, I can jump into more books. All of the books.
December 10, 2020
honnêtement, je ne l’ai pas terminé encore parce que je progresse en écoutant chacune des pièces du boss. c’est super intéressant de revisiter les chansons avec un contexte et des anecdotes et surtout de si belles photos. un no brainer pour les fans de bruce.
October 8, 2023
Dit is geen idolaat fanboek. Of wel? Misschien juist wel: werkelijk alles van Springsteen’s liedjes wordt ontrafeld, tot de losse pluisjes in de studio waar plaat 12 werd opgenomen aan toe.
Het levert mij als Springsteen-fan meer achtergrondinformatie dan waar ik ooit van heb durven dromen, maar tegelijkertijd moet ik bekennen dat het me meer achtergrond geeft dan ik ooit zou willen. Er is ook een mystiek in rock-muziek en door tot op het bot liedjes, muzikanten, tekst, instrumenten, gevoelens en alles wat de schrijvers nog meer konden bedenken te doorgronden raakt die mystiek een beetje kwijt.
Dat is mijn enige kritiek op dit boek, want verder heb ik nu weer zoveel nieuwe aanknopingspunten (films, boeken) om Springsteen’s muziek verder in te kleuren dat ik weer jaren vooruit kan.
Het levert mij als Springsteen-fan meer achtergrondinformatie dan waar ik ooit van heb durven dromen, maar tegelijkertijd moet ik bekennen dat het me meer achtergrond geeft dan ik ooit zou willen. Er is ook een mystiek in rock-muziek en door tot op het bot liedjes, muzikanten, tekst, instrumenten, gevoelens en alles wat de schrijvers nog meer konden bedenken te doorgronden raakt die mystiek een beetje kwijt.
Dat is mijn enige kritiek op dit boek, want verder heb ik nu weer zoveel nieuwe aanknopingspunten (films, boeken) om Springsteen’s muziek verder in te kleuren dat ik weer jaren vooruit kan.
Read
May 21, 2021This book is as boss as The Boss himself. For decades, Bruce Springsteen has been one of the most popular singers and songwriters of all time. His music has been in demand for five or so decades and it has passed the test of time. Hundreds of songs have been part of his repertoire with many notable lyrics.
In the book BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN ALL THE SONGS, we get to see precisely what the lyrics signify thanks to the careful analysis of every song. It is a monster of a book, a coffee table classic in every sense of the word. The beginning of the book offers a short but concise biography of Springsteen including how he did odd jobs so he was able to purchase his first guitar. Then in 1964 around Christmas, his mother gave him half of the $69 he needed to purchase his first electric guitar.
He was part of various bands that performed at clubs, high schools, drive-ins, and even psychiatric hospitals. As time progressed his name became better known and it was Mike Appel noted as the man who discovered Springsteen and brought him to the attention of Columbia records. It all began with the release of Greetings from Ashbury Park N.J. The song Blinded By The Light did not appear on the original album. Clive Davis was not pleased there were no potential hit singles on Greetings From Ashbury Park. This was added and became a hit for Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, heading to number one.
The album was the launching pad for Bruce, giving way to Born To Run and as they say the rest is history. What is most impressive about the book (besides its size) is the manner in which the authors get into such detail with every song. From the album covers to the sleeve inside, they detail every aspect of the songs, but the emphasis is on the lyrics. Springsteen has always been a voice for social commentary and justice in the world, and his songs resonate that very loudly and very clearly.
Any Springsteen song you ever loved you will find here and the lesser known ones also. This is a music lovers dream come true, a book filled with musical memories, a glowing tribute to a musical Boss and genius!
In the book BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN ALL THE SONGS, we get to see precisely what the lyrics signify thanks to the careful analysis of every song. It is a monster of a book, a coffee table classic in every sense of the word. The beginning of the book offers a short but concise biography of Springsteen including how he did odd jobs so he was able to purchase his first guitar. Then in 1964 around Christmas, his mother gave him half of the $69 he needed to purchase his first electric guitar.
He was part of various bands that performed at clubs, high schools, drive-ins, and even psychiatric hospitals. As time progressed his name became better known and it was Mike Appel noted as the man who discovered Springsteen and brought him to the attention of Columbia records. It all began with the release of Greetings from Ashbury Park N.J. The song Blinded By The Light did not appear on the original album. Clive Davis was not pleased there were no potential hit singles on Greetings From Ashbury Park. This was added and became a hit for Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, heading to number one.
The album was the launching pad for Bruce, giving way to Born To Run and as they say the rest is history. What is most impressive about the book (besides its size) is the manner in which the authors get into such detail with every song. From the album covers to the sleeve inside, they detail every aspect of the songs, but the emphasis is on the lyrics. Springsteen has always been a voice for social commentary and justice in the world, and his songs resonate that very loudly and very clearly.
Any Springsteen song you ever loved you will find here and the lesser known ones also. This is a music lovers dream come true, a book filled with musical memories, a glowing tribute to a musical Boss and genius!
February 16, 2021
If you're interested in a book like this, you'll love it. The best part is that it ticks the highest possible praise from me on all levels: thorough, amply and beautifully illustrated, and not too "fan boy" to be cloying or annoying. It's certainly appreciative and sometimes superlative about Bruce's work, but isn't afraid to tell it like it is for tracks that weren't as popularly received (whether for good or for ill).
How thorough is thorough? 5-6 page introductions to every official release (except Letter to You which postdates the book), with double page overviews of every track (including official B sides!) and in some cases 4 page overviews for a few dozen of the major tracks. The write-ups are actually really insightful looks at the lyrical content and what they refer to (often substantiated with the artists' own words) as well as deep dives into the best lyrics. Most of the tracks have optional text boxes with side factoids for the big fans, as well as a look into the audio construction of each song. A huge kudos to the author for pointing out mistakes that made the cut as well as moments when the artist or the band perhaps don't quite achieve what they set out to do or overcome their own limitations. The author also points out members of the band who offer significant contributions to certain tracks, and it isn't always obvious.
The illustrations are high quality and ample. This doesn't mean there are hundreds of pictures of Bruce, however. In fact, there are many illustrations of artists who inspired tracks. It isn't just a love letter to Springsteen. In some ways, this makes it a large coffee table book.
Indeed, this would belong in any music lover's library, but especially if you are quite the fan of Springsteen. I learned a lot from the book (and I thought I knew a lot), and with its "dictionary" or "encyclopedia" feel, I will be returning to it often. You want to know "the story behind every track"? This book delivers on that promise and more.
How thorough is thorough? 5-6 page introductions to every official release (except Letter to You which postdates the book), with double page overviews of every track (including official B sides!) and in some cases 4 page overviews for a few dozen of the major tracks. The write-ups are actually really insightful looks at the lyrical content and what they refer to (often substantiated with the artists' own words) as well as deep dives into the best lyrics. Most of the tracks have optional text boxes with side factoids for the big fans, as well as a look into the audio construction of each song. A huge kudos to the author for pointing out mistakes that made the cut as well as moments when the artist or the band perhaps don't quite achieve what they set out to do or overcome their own limitations. The author also points out members of the band who offer significant contributions to certain tracks, and it isn't always obvious.
The illustrations are high quality and ample. This doesn't mean there are hundreds of pictures of Bruce, however. In fact, there are many illustrations of artists who inspired tracks. It isn't just a love letter to Springsteen. In some ways, this makes it a large coffee table book.
Indeed, this would belong in any music lover's library, but especially if you are quite the fan of Springsteen. I learned a lot from the book (and I thought I knew a lot), and with its "dictionary" or "encyclopedia" feel, I will be returning to it often. You want to know "the story behind every track"? This book delivers on that promise and more.
April 26, 2025
This is a very thorough book providing details on the writing and recording of each and every official track by track release by Bruce. I could do without the author's assessments-the word "excellent" gets thrown around a bit much. But if you're deeply interested in the process of each song, you'll get a much more than casual look. It goes from his earliest recorded work up to the Western Stars album including his cover of "Rhinestone Cowboy". There are also insightful little anecdotes along the way including a brief focus on each of the original E Street members. About the only areas not touched on in this book are his guest appearances on other artists' recordings and the deluge of live recordings made available on his website. That would take a book by itself. A look at his discography on Wikipedia will point you in that direction. I was prepared to dock this book a star for the unnecessary opinions but its thoroughness makes up for that. Combined with a lyric site, and streaming source (Access to YouTube might also come in handy as specific live performances and demos are referenced.), this book is all you need for an in-depth perusal of his work. Absorb this and you'll come away an expert. Then you can form your own opinions.
December 23, 2023
This was a great music book that I converted into a daily reading book, since Bruc Springsteen recorded about 366 songs!
I would read about one song per day, then listen to it on Spotify while reading the book. The Boss has an incredible discography and I really enjoyed spending a year with his music. I also felt inspired to read the book Born to Run (see that review) as a result of this reading (and listening experience.)
I saw him in concert in Detroit in the early 1990s. It weas a fantastic concert and the book provided a lot of background to the music that I wish I had known 20 years ago when I saw him.
I rated this 4.5 stars (actually had to choose a 5) but if I had one suggestion it would be to update at least the Kindle version with the several albums that Bruce Springsteen cut AFTER the book was published. (I am still listening to a song per day until the end of 2023, but just using Blogs to read about the newer releases.)
I would read about one song per day, then listen to it on Spotify while reading the book. The Boss has an incredible discography and I really enjoyed spending a year with his music. I also felt inspired to read the book Born to Run (see that review) as a result of this reading (and listening experience.)
I saw him in concert in Detroit in the early 1990s. It weas a fantastic concert and the book provided a lot of background to the music that I wish I had known 20 years ago when I saw him.
I rated this 4.5 stars (actually had to choose a 5) but if I had one suggestion it would be to update at least the Kindle version with the several albums that Bruce Springsteen cut AFTER the book was published. (I am still listening to a song per day until the end of 2023, but just using Blogs to read about the newer releases.)
July 3, 2025
This is an exhaustive look at every song Bruce Springsteen has recorded and released between his first album, Greetings from Asbury Park, through Letter to You. We are given performer spotlights, and each album receives a nice introduction, followed by a song-by-song analysis, which first examines the creation and lyrics, then the production.
It's interesting to trace the development of Springsteen both as a songwriter and as a performer. You forget that there was a decade when he recorded on his own, leaving the E Street Band to pursue their own careers.
Obviously, you have to be a serious fan to invest the time and money to read this, but for those, like me, it's a real treat and an education.
It's interesting to trace the development of Springsteen both as a songwriter and as a performer. You forget that there was a decade when he recorded on his own, leaving the E Street Band to pursue their own careers.
Obviously, you have to be a serious fan to invest the time and money to read this, but for those, like me, it's a real treat and an education.
October 31, 2024
This has been quite a journey! I’ve been reading a song a day for over a year now. I learned a lot about his process and how he evolved over the years. I have to knock a star off though because of typos, occasionally clunky writing and a few mistakes. These seemed to be about ancillary topics but for example there were times when they indicated actors in movies as being the films’ directors. Overall though if you are a fan I’d recommend it as a good deep dive.
February 25, 2026
The Boss all the songs.
A great and extremely interesting book covering everything that Bruce has written and performed over his long and illustrious career.
A must read for anyone who enjoys the truly extraordinary catalogue of his music over the years.
A forensic examination of all the albums and songs that the Boss produced.
I really enjoyed this book learnt numerous gems of information from the extremely knowledgeable author.
A great and extremely interesting book covering everything that Bruce has written and performed over his long and illustrious career.
A must read for anyone who enjoys the truly extraordinary catalogue of his music over the years.
A forensic examination of all the albums and songs that the Boss produced.
I really enjoyed this book learnt numerous gems of information from the extremely knowledgeable author.
September 2, 2024
No I have not read this book from cover to cover but I will be returning to it again and again. It has a chapter on every studio album up to 2019's Western Stars and information about the genesis of and musicians on each track. You could read up on each album in order but I have been dipping in to focus on whatever takes my fancy, often a track or an album I have recently listened to. A pity that due to Bruce's creative genius it is no longer up to date as I wanted to read up on The Priest which isn't there! One for Bruce fans(obviously 😄)
December 8, 2020
A must for true Bruce fans! So many fun facts that you learn.
April 7, 2024
Whether you want to know where the albums were recorded, the origin of the lyrics, or which instrument was played on each song, this book is for you.
August 14, 2024
Everything you ever wanted to know about each and every song‘s history in the Bosse‘s repertoire. Just the lyrics themselves are missing from this epic book.
October 31, 2021
I skimmed this before buying and wasn’t impressed. Then I bought it. This had more interesting stories and facts crammed in than it appears upon first glance. You get bios of the bands, what songs were based on, and instruments. There are studios and producers.
There are some typos but in 670 pages it’s not that bad. For $60 it should’ve been perfect though.
The author really likes the material, in some cases more than I do. He had plenty of good things to say about Lucky Town and some of the end of the River.
I was pleasantly surprised that I found this better than I thought I would.
Four stars
There are some typos but in 670 pages it’s not that bad. For $60 it should’ve been perfect though.
The author really likes the material, in some cases more than I do. He had plenty of good things to say about Lucky Town and some of the end of the River.
I was pleasantly surprised that I found this better than I thought I would.
Four stars
April 11, 2021
An exhaustive view of all of Springsteen's albums - also contains some biographical content. I read this all the way through but I think it may be a good one to dip in and out of possibly whilst listening to the albums.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews