Reading the autobiography of your heroes often leaves one feeling empty. All good books are supposed to provide a sense of closure, yet within the contexts of an autobiography, few do. Bruce Springsteen’s memoirs, Born to Run, most certainly falls into this category, following recent efforts by Neil Young and Bob Dylan.
Springsteen deals with a lot of topics in his book – this is not the autobiography of Motley Crue, after all. So yes, there are references to sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll. But more importantly, there are candid discussions about mental health, celebrity, family, father-son relationships, and being “Born to Run.” The Boss does find closure within those themes. He battles depression, but is winning. He fought to protect his privacy at the apex of his career and has found contentment as a citizen back in his home state. He forgives his father, loves his wife and kids, and embraces youth as the E Street Band moves through its fourth decade of pleasing their fans.
While he finds an end to those heavy ideas, most readers pick up Born to Run for E Street stories and what life as The Boss must mean. In this regards, the best chapter in the book is a short anecdote about rehearsing “Tumbling Dice” with the Rolling Stones. It’s as close to closure Springsteen comes to his career as a singer-songwriter, playing with legends he admired as a kid. In his reflection, he shares the excitement of being a fan of Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, much the same way we would be reacting to our inclusion in a jam session between him and Little Steven.
There are also heartfelt tributes to deceased E Streeters Clarence Clemons and Danny Federici. To a man (and woman), Springsteen praises his compadres in music, all the while honestly writing to his fans that they are his hired guns and that their relationship is as contractually obligated as it is genuine. Perhaps this is why the E Street Band remains to this day such a successful touring outfit; it seems everybody knows the answer to “Who’s the Boss?”
Ultimately, that story continues to this day. Springsteen just finished his The River tour that expanded from a short run of dates to over a year on the road with multiple U.S. legs. The Boss is lining up another album to be released shortly. The future is anything but written in his blue-collar rock n’ roll life. Born to Run won’t have the ending you’re most likely craving. That’s a good thing because chapters in Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band’s story remain to be written.