Abstract

In this chapter, I explore the musical representation of war and trauma in the music of Bruce Springsteen. The aim is to discuss, via detailed musical examples, the significance of music as a vehicle for dealing with collective trauma and transgenerational burden, and hence as a sociocultural site for the social healing process. By examining musical examples from Springsteen’s catalogue, I simultaneously urge the reader to view this notable artist in a new light. Methodologically I combine trauma studies and cultural music analysis, focusing primarily on the sonic substance and the mechanisms therein that construct meaning. I discuss three songs by Springsteen: “Born in the U.S.A.”, “Devils & Dust”, and “The Wall”.