3 Bruce Springsteen Songs That Showcase a Different Side of the Rock Icon

The article highlights three Bruce Springsteen songs that reveal a quieter, more vulnerable side of the rock musician. They depart from the expansive performances and everyday storytelling associated with his best-known work, showing how his songwriting can take on loneliness, hardship and another person’s perspective.

“Stolen Car” portrays a narrator seeking to feel something through the risk of being caught, while “Atlantic City”, from the stripped-down album Nebraska, pairs acoustic guitar and harmonica with a portrait of trouble and economic strain. “Streets of Philadelphia”, written for the film Philadelphia, adopts the perspective of someone facing illness and stigma around HIV/AIDS, giving the song a distinct emotional and thematic character.