Bruce Springsteen said country music, older blues and folk offered a lifelong model for songwriting because they address adult problems with the same intensity as rock. The article argues that this approach helped him sustain his relevance beyond youthful rock-and-roll themes, particularly through more reflective later work.

Springsteen remained rooted in rock influences such as Elvis Presley and Roy Orbison while also engaging with punk and experimental acts including Suicide. He said he wanted to write songs he could still sing at the “advanced age” of 40, and the article links that ambition to albums such as Magic and Wrecking Ball, which apply country, folk and blues traditions to personal and social concerns.