‘Born To Run’: Bruce Springsteen’s reimaging of ‘Rebel Without a Cause’
Last week, Far Out made Amyl and The Sniffer’s newest album, Cartoon Darkness, our album of the week. In a 4.5-star review, the LP was described as “A record where rage co-exists with joy, punk next to empowerment, silliness lives with sincerity and evolution is managed within the band’s recognisable and infectious energy.” Another part of the album which plays a huge role in the themes mentioned is escapism.
In the song ‘Big Dreams’, Amy Taylor talks about having dreams of escaping from everyday life. She references a dream destination, one that we are all trying to get to but also one where we don’t know where it is or what it looks like. Hard rock plays over her serene voice, proclaiming, “You want to get out of here.”
This isn’t a new idea in the creative world. The notion of escaping and living a better life in an unknown location has surrounded creatives for decades now. The idea of being a rock star seems so far away, so superhuman, that people who want to be one tend to see their goals as completely unachievable. This manifests as living carefree, getting out of their hometown, being on the road, and constantly striving for something intangible.
Two pieces of art that seem to directly mirror this mindset are Bruce Springsteen’s track ‘Born To Run’ and the film Rebel Without a Cause. While people might view them both completely separately, there is no escaping the fact that the sentiments buried within both creations are almost identical.
Springsteen was always adamant that the way he wrote had to be an accurate reflection of life. While rock music was always at the forefront of his mind, he would never be happy writing nonsensical music that was good to nod to. Instead, his songs had to trigger something in his listeners, be it something they were aware of or a hidden desire.
Bob Dylan was a huge inspiration for Springsteen’s better understanding of this part of songwriting. “I was very influenced by Dylan. I always thought he was the father of my country,” said Springsteen. “He initially provided me with a picture of a country that I recognised. One that feels real, feels like the truth.”
He continued: “I want people to get the same experience from listening to one of my records as I had when I listened to Highway 61 Revisited. The idea that something was revealed to them that was fundamentally true and essential and gave you a view of your world, your country, your town, your neighbours, your family.”
Springsteen channelled this visionary aspect of his songwriting in the song ‘Born To Run’. There is no song like it, one that invokes dreams of escapism and chasing dreams, despite how intangible those dreams may be. Rebel Without a Cause does the same thing, as the film invokes images of freedom, escapism, and happiness. This common thread throughout art reflects our inner desire to escape, even if we don’t know what that escape would look like.
