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Born in the u.s.a.
The song Born In The U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen, questions the idea of patriotism and whether we really honor those who serve in the armed forces. The protagonist of the song, who Springsteen is singing about, goes to war not because that is what he believes in, but because the powers that be made a deal with him. The protagonist “got in a little hometown jam so they put a rifle in my hand” and sent him off to fight in the Vietnam War. This song present’s war in a cynical way because the hero goes off to war and finds out that his brother had a girlfriend over seas, and he seems happy with her even though she is Vietnamese. The War is over, nothing is resolved and his brother is dead. The main character of the song cannot find himself a job, and when he “Went down to see my V.A. man, he said ‘son don't you understand now’. The song Born In The U.S.A. does not seem to support the stated foreign policy because the song writer points out that the protagonist’s brother had died, and the very thing that his brother went to fight for is still going on. This song answers the question of “What is the cost of war?” because the main character at the end of the song is still having post-traumatic stress disorder, and his brother died as well. I agree with the message of this song because even today war veteran’s come home from the war and the community and even sometimes their families don’t appreciate them. Some veterans even become end up homeless because of their need of mental support and job training is not available.
| LYRICS: Born down in a dead man's town The first kick I took was when I hit the ground You end up like a dog that's been beat too much Till you spend half your life just covering up Born in the U.S.A. I was born in the U.S.A. I was born in the U.S.A. Born in the U.S.A. Got in a little hometown jam so they put a rifle in my hand Sent me off to a foreign land to go and kill the yellow man Born in the U.S.A. I was born in the U.S.A. I was born in the U.S.A. I was born in the U.S.A. Born in the U.S.A. Come back home to the refinery Hiring man says "son if it was up to me" Went down to see my V.A. man He said "son don't you understand now" Had a brother at Khe Sahn fighting off the Viet Cong They're still there he's all gone He had a woman he loved in Saigon I got a picture of him in her arms now Down in the shadow of penitentiary Out by the gas fires of the refinery I'm ten years burning down the road Nowhere to run ain't got nowhere to go Born in the U.S.A. I was born in the U.S.A. Born in the U.S.A. I'm a long gone daddy in the U.S.A. Born in the U.S.A. Born in the U.S.A. Born in the U.S.A. I'm a cool rocking daddy in the U.S.A. |