Bruce Springsteen’s 1984 Song About a Vietnam Vet Takes Some Emotionally Devastating Lyrical Turns
Bruce Springsteen’s “Shut Out The Light” tells the story of a Vietnam veteran returning to the United States and struggling to settle back into civilian life. Released as the B-side to “Born In The U.S.A.”, the quieter song offers an intimate portrait of distress that contrasts with the better-known title track.
Springsteen wrote it during the lengthy recording period for the 1984 album, which involved around 70 songs over three years. He briefly considered making another quiet record after releasing *Nebraska*, and the song was intended for that project; he played all the instruments apart from Soozie Tyrell’s violin. Its verses hint at the veteran’s isolation through scenes with family and friends, while the refrains give voice to his anguish as he calls for his mother.
- “Shut Out The Light” follows a Vietnam veteran’s return home.
- The song was released as a B-side to “Born In The U.S.A.”
- Its refrains reveal the veteran’s emotional distress.
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The Vietnam War was a long conflict in which the United States fought alongside South Vietnam against North Vietnam and its allies. Many American service members returned to a country divided over the war, and some found it difficult to adjust to life at home.
Bruce Springsteen is an American singer-songwriter known for writing about working people and life in the United States. “Born In The U.S.A.” is one of his best-known songs, while “Shut Out The Light” focuses on a returning veteran and his relationships with family and friends.
The song matters as one example of how popular music has explored the lasting effects of war on individuals and their communities. Its quieter approach gives space to a personal story rather than a broad account of the conflict.