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Before ‘Born to Run’, one song would change Bruce Springsteen’s life forever: “Shot straight through to my brain”
Bruce Springsteen has said Elvis Presley’s 1956 recording of ‘Hound Dog’ was a life-changing moment when he was growing up in New Jersey. He recalled that the song made him realise there was more to life, and its energy helped set him on a path towards music.
Springsteen later remained devoted to Presley: in 1977 he and Stevie Van Zandt saw him perform, and Springsteen wrote ‘Fire’ hoping Presley would record it, but Presley died before receiving the demo. In 1985, Springsteen also recalled trying to enter Graceland, Presley’s home. The article presents ‘Hound Dog’ as an early spark behind Springsteen’s musical ambitions, before his own breakthrough with ‘Born to Run’.
In short
- Elvis Presley’s ‘Hound Dog’ made a lasting impression on young Springsteen.
- Springsteen later wrote ‘Fire’ hoping Presley would record it.
- The song helped point him towards a life in music.
Explained simply
Elvis Presley was one of the most influential American singers of the 1950s, known for recordings that brought a new energy to popular music. ‘Hound Dog’, first recorded by Big Mama Thornton and made widely famous by Presley’s 1956 version, became one of his best-known songs.
Bruce Springsteen grew up in New Jersey and went on to become a singer and songwriter whose breakthrough album was ‘Born to Run’. His admiration for Presley continued into adulthood: he saw him perform, and later wrote a song he hoped Presley would record.
The story matters because it links Springsteen’s later career to an early musical influence he has described as transformative. It also places his ambitions in a wider history of performers inspiring musicians who followed them.