The Boss is in Madrid. Bruce Springsteen He is currently in the Spanish capital, where last night he gave the first of the three concerts with which he returns to the European stage after a forced break due to aphonia. 57,000 people enjoyed the first of these meetings with the artist at the Cívitas Metropolitano. Fans from all over the world who follow him on each tour country after country and city after city to enjoy his music. Without a doubt, the American singer is a mass idol, but why?
Each of his fans I could answer this question with millions of different answers. But the truth is that there are few artists who have such loyal followers around the world after half a century of career. There is something in Bruce Springsteen’s songs that attracts human beings like a magnet to metals.
It is something that has intrigued psychologists during years. As much as to carry out all types of studies and interviews. Finally, it has been concluded that Bruce Springsteen attracts fans to him because he is an authentic character. His lyrics are authentic and anyone can identify with them or use them to improve his mood. It may sound like something simple, but it is clearly not. Perhaps we had not seen anything like it until Taylor Swift arrived on stage. It remains to be seen if she continues to attract the same people in 50 years, but the truth is that, in principle, she also knows how to capture the emotions of those who listen to it.
Authenticity in Bruce Springsteen’s lyrics
Bruce Springsteen released his first album in 1973. Already then she attracted attention for telling in her lyrics neither more nor less than the lives of people. humble in a humble world like the one he came from. Many artists have started like this, telling close stories, with which anyone can identify. However, with the passage of time the themes of their lyrics have changed.
In 2021, two scientists from the University of Pennsylvania They wanted to know if that was also the case with the Boss. For this reason, they analyzed the lyrics of all the songs published on the artist’s albums. In total there were 18 albums, with 208 songs, published between 1973, when it was released Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ., until 2019, the year of Western Stars.
Using computer programs, they looked for all those words that could be related to authenticity. This included everything from first person pronouns to words that suggest cognitive activity, as “cause”, “know” or “should”.
In this way, it was seen that the authenticity of Bruce Springsteen’s lyrics increased until 1984, when Born in the USA. Afterwards there was a small drop in authenticity, but it recovered to continue ascending until finding the peak of his career in the latest album he has published so far.
Another interesting fact from this study is that Bruce Springsteen’s lyrics correspond to his linguistic imprint. It is often said that all people have one. We speak in certain patterns or often repeat specific words. The fact that you can see a linguistic imprint In his lyrics he shows that he is in them. There is honesty and a reflection of the person in him. That’s why, sometimes unconsciously, people are so attracted to them.
music therapy
Music in general is great therapy. Of course, listening to music is not going to relieve us of depression. But it is true that it can help reduce anxiety in certain contexts. Furthermore, music speaks directly to our emotions. It can make us laugh, cry or take our mind to a place for a little while. place away from problems.
Therefore, it is more than clear that the music of any artist, not necessarily Bruce Springsteen, can be psychologically beneficial. However, a lot of research has been carried out with this specific singer, as it has been seen that those loyal followers have included her in their daily lives to cope with bad moments or enjoy the good ones even more.
In 2023, psychologists Lorraine Mangione and Donna Luff they published the book Mary Climbs In: The Journeys of Bruce Springsteen’s Women Fansin which the interviews carried out with a group of female fans of the singer.
Many of them, when talking about how their music makes them feel, describe it as “therapy”. Bruce Springsteen’s songs have accompanied them for years, they have inspired them and they have helped them when they needed it most. Again, this can happen with any singer, but the Springsteen fan phenomenon is very special.
Bruce Springsteen’s international family
In 2020, the Finnish psychologist Helinä Häkkänen-Nyholm conducted a study involving 600 Bruce Springsteen fans from United States, Canada, Europe, the Nordic countries, South Africa and South America. Everyone had to answer a survey that was distributed through fan forums and included questions such as the number of concerts they have seen of the artist or the number of years they have been following his music.
On average, they had been following his music for 30 years and had been in 27 concerts. More than half listened to his music daily and, on average, more than half of the music they consumed was Bruce Springsteen songs. As for the main reasons, the most common was self-knowledge. And with this the circle is closed. That study that we mentioned at the beginning spoke of the authenticity of this singer’s lyrics. The people who follow him identify with him. They know themselves and go through sweet and bitter drinks accompanied by their music.
It’s been this way for 50 years and it looks like nothing will change in the future. Everything indicates that the Glory Days of Springsteen will be forever.
