Tramps Like Us: Music and Meaning among Springsteen Fans

by Daniel Cavicchi

As rock critics have noted in the past, Bruce Springsteen's songs exist in a world of their own--they have their own settings, characters, words, and images. It is a world that even those who know only a handful of Springsteen's lyrics can instantly recognize, a world of highways and factories, loners and underdogs, hot rods and patrol cars. And it is a world that stretches far beyond the New Jersey state line. Indeed, Springsteen's attention to the ideals and struggles of ordinary Americans has significantly influenced American popular culture and public debate. As a rock-and-roll troubadour, "the Boss" speaks not only for his many fans but to them, and often with a directness or sincerity that no other performer can match.

But what can be said of the fans themselves? Why and how do they relate to Springsteen's words and music? Based on three years of ethnographic research amid Springsteen's fans, and informed by the author's own experiences and impressions as a fan, Daniel Cavicchi's Tramps Like Us is an interdisciplinary study of the ways in which ordinary people form special, sustained attachments to a particular singer/songwriter and his songs, and of how these attachments function in people's lives. An "insider's narrative" about Springsteen fans--who they are, what they do, and why they do it--this book also investigates the phenomenon of fandom in general. The text oscillates between fans' stories and ideas and Cavicchi's own anecdotes, commentary, and analysis. It challenges the stereotypes of fans as obsessive, delusional, and even mentally ill, and explores fandom as a normal socio-cultural activity. Ultimately, this book argues that music fandom is a useful and meaningful behavior that enables
us to shape identities, create communities, and make sense of the world--both Bruce's and our own.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

11 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Shannon Sauro · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was referenced in several fan studies texts and I decided to go back to the original. It's an excellent ethnography that appealed to my reading of it as a fan (interested in the stories and experiences of other fans pre-Web 2.0) and as a researcher (interested in how Cavicci interpreted and intermingled theory with fan stories). I found it a pleasurable read to want to recommend it to colleagues and friends who are fans of Springsteen themselves and might enjoy this as pleasure reading.

This review is also based on the Kindle/e-version which made for easy annotation and note-taking but was perhaps a bit less fun to read outdoors. I am considering ordering a hard copy to add to my bookshelf of research books.

[David Ressel · Rating 5 out of 5]

ok.. full disclosure: Dan is one of my best friends. Notwithstanding he is an excellent writer, diligent researcher and innovative theorist. full stop.

I thought I might be biased, but even at a Ethnomusicology conference I was at, he was cited by others and they don't even know him.

the book: be warned this is not about Bruce. But about Bruce's fans, and fans and idealogy and culture. Really a seminal book in the field. I have read others (studies on Trekkers and Sci-fi fans and slash fiction etc) but this really does take the cake. ...

one interesting tidbit. Dan follows the origin of the word "fan," typically thought to be derived from "fanatic," and makes a strong case for a derivation from the french for "the fancy."

I could glow on and on.

[Freddie Barnes · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is quite cool to read about an academic piece of writing on a topic you are particularly interested in. This is the experience I have had with this book. While sometimes the overall argument is difficult to follow, this is the most fun I have had reading academic writing.

I wish more projects like this existed.

[Tara Brabazon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Published in 1998 and based on an ethnographic study nested in a PhD, this is a solid work of cultural studies during a period where the field was dominated by good research and considered theory.

Significantly, this research is superior to the extraordinarily poor research on fandom produced since the mid-2000s, that has no theorization of the political economy or digitization.

Where this book is solid but not excellent is why fandom exists and what - precisely - the fans gain from this commitment. Also, the researcher does not fully resolve the 'problem' of his fandom - and fan knowledge - and how that plays out in his research. At times, his experience is too broadly generalized.

What this book captures though, is what we have lost in popular cultural studies. A book like this - a PhD like this - could not emerge now. That is a great shame. But this book is a testimony to a more interesting and intelligent time in the international humanities.

[reem · Rating 5 out of 5]

okay i didn't really even read this. i just thought i'd support the boss a little.