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There Was Nothing You Could Do: Bruce Springsteen’s “Born In The U.S.A.” and the End of the Heartland Hardcover – May 28, 2024

by Steven Hyden (Author)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 169 ratings
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A thought-provoking exploration of Bruce Springsteen’s iconic album, Born in the U.S.A.—a record that both chronicled and foreshadowed the changing tides of modern America

On June 4, 1984, Columbia Records issued what would become one of the best-selling and most impactful rock albums of all time. An instant classic, Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the U.S.A. would prove itself to be a landmark not only for the man who made it, but rock music in general and even the larger American culture over the next 40 years.  

In There Was Nothing You Could Do, veteran rock critic Steven Hyden shows exactly how this record became such a pivotal part of the American tapestry. Alternating between insightful criticism, meticulous journalism, and personal anecdotes, Hyden delves into the songs that made—and didn’t make—the final cut, including the tracks that wound up on its sister album, 1982’s Nebraska. He also investigates the myriad reasons why Springsteen ran from and then embraced the success of his most popular (and most misunderstood) LP, as he carefully toed the line between balancing his commercial ambitions and being co-opted by the machine.

But the book doesn’t stop there. Beyond Springsteen’s own career, Hyden explores the role the album played in a greater historical context, documenting not just where the country was in the tumultuous aftermath of Vietnam and Watergate, but offering a dream of what it might become—and a perceptive forecast of what it turned into decades later. As Springsteen himself reluctantly conceded, many of the working-class middle American progressives Springsteen wrote about in 1984 had turned into resentful and scorned Trump voters by the 2010s. And though it wasn’t the future he dreamed of, the cautionary warnings tucked within Springsteen’s heartfelt lyrics prove that the chaotic turmoil of our current moment has been a long time coming.

How did we lose Springsteen’s heartland? And what can listening to this prescient album teach us about the decline of our country? In There Was Nothing You Could Do, Hyden takes readers on a journey to find out.
 
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  1. Print length
    272 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Da Capo
  4. Publication date
    May 28, 2024
  5. Dimensions
    6.35 x 0.94 x 9.4 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0306832062
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0306832062
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From the Publisher

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"The best music writing can make you hear an album you’ve listened to hundreds (or thousands) of times in a new way. Steven Hyden has done just that with There Was Nothing You Could Do, his exhaustive and highly entertaining deep dive into Bruce Springsteen’s massive and often misunderstood commercial peak, Born in the U.S.A. Well-researched and thought-provoking, the book also uses that landmark album and its fallout to examine the changes we have undergone as a culture, and the price we’ve paid as a people and a country. Highly recommended."―Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers

“An instant classic from Steven Hyden. Definitive and elegant and essential. Hyden shows how Born in the U.S.A. changed Springsteen and us—and at what cost.”―Seth Wickersham, ESPN writer and New York Times bestselling author of It’s Better to Be Feared

“This book offers you the rare possibility—you can listen to Bruce Springsteen and feel like you are in his brain as he makes the music. Steven not only gets under the hood of creativity, but he separates Bruce from his contemporaries by better understanding them. It makes you want to listen to Bruce again with fresh ears. I love it!”―Benny Safdie, director and writer of Uncut Gems

“Steven Hyden could write about my least favorite band and I'd gobble it up because he's just so good at writing about music. But when he tackles one of my favorite living artists, The Boss, he sends me to heaven. This book is such a gift: Hyden contextualizes one of Bruce's biggest and least understood records by taking us back to the ’80s and into the heartland and Bruce's headspace. This isn't a ‘making of’ book, it's a meditation on who we thought we were and how we may have lost that identity, all told through Hyden's experience with the record. It's entertaining, heartbreaking, and makes a great case for Bruce Springsteen as one the great artists of our time.”―Tim Heidecker, comedian, writer, and musician

“Steven Hyden’s There Was Nothing You Could Do honors and understands Bruce Springsteen and his music. It’s for Springsteen fans, but even better, it’s about Springsteen fans: Why he matters to us, what he represents, how every person can feel like his songs were written individually for them. Hyden’s writing makes you want to tap the steering wheel right along with him and The Boss.”―Will Leitch, author of How Lucky and The Time Has Come

“Hyden scores good points …Fans of the Boss will find arguable interpretations on every page, but definitely a book worth their attention.” ―Kirkus

“Balancing a fan’s enthusiasm with a critic’s attention to detail, Hyden sheds light on Springsteen’s legacy and the political moment that allowed him to occupy the cultural ‘center of American life.’ Fans of the Boss will want to add this to their bookshelves.” ―Publishers Weekly

"A damn fun read."―Aquarian

"But with the passion of a lifelong fan who first heard the cassette in a very-Springsteen way... and the keen mind of a music journalist, Hyden’s book is about far more than a dozen tunes produced in the mid-‘80s. And it’s a very welcome addition to the Boss Bookshelf."

―Houston Press

“Even longtime Springsteen fans will learn a thing or two from Hyden’s entertaining examination of the man and his music.”―Booklist

“[Hyden] is an imaginative cultural omnivore…[the book] is an astute and briskly written look at the circumstances and legacy of an album whose outsize popularity has made it paradoxically divisive among Tramps Like Us.”―Washington Post

“Fascinating…A very well written, wise, and insightful book.”―Washington Examiner

"Steven Hyden writes about Bruce Springsteen’s monumental 1984 record as a watershed moment—for American culture, for Springsteen, and for the author himself. Hyden... mixes memoir, sociological observation, and good old-fashioned journalism to explore how this blockbuster album defined a decade and created—and in some ways ended—the Bruce Springsteen persona."―AV Club

“There Was Nothing You Could Do explores how the album channeled our hopes for common ground while foreshadowing today’s extreme political polarization. It uses classic songs like 'Dancing in the Dark' to dissect the arc of Springsteen, rock culture and politics with an amusing blend of cultural criticism, music journalism and personal vignettes."―Wall Street Journal

“Hyden’s thoughtful… deep dive explores how the Boss and his 'ass-cheeks' triumphed and yet proved the last time heartland rock could convincingly champion an ameliorative account of the American way. Four stars!”―MOJO

"An easy and enjoyable read."―Americana UK

"Steven Hyden‘s excellent new book... traces the pop-cultural and political impact of that album."―Rolling Stone

About the Author

Steven Hyden is the author of Long Road, This Isn’t Happening, Twilight of the Gods, Your Favorite Band Is Killing Me, and (with Steve Gorman) Hard to Handle. His writing has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Washington Post, Billboard, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Grantland, The A.V. Club, Slate, and Salon. He is currently the cultural critic at UPROXX. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota with his wife and two children.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Da Capo (May 28, 2024)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0306832062
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0306832062
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.01 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.35 x 0.94 x 9.4 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 169 ratings

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Steven Hyden

Steven Hyden

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Steven Hyden is the author of "Twilight Of The Gods" and "Your Favorite Band Is Killing Me." His writing has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Washington Post, Billboard, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Grantland, The A.V. Club, The Ringer, Slate and Salon. He is currently the cultural critic at UPROXX, and the host of the Celebration Rock podcast. He lives in Minnesota with his wife and two children.

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Andrew Rooney
    5.0 out of 5 stars Part Biography, Part Cultural Analysis, All Joyous
    Reviewed in the United States on August 21, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I consider myself something of an 'OG' Hyden fan, following his work since he was with The Onion! This is perhaps my favorite work of his to this point. In some ways it functions as a biography of Springsteen around the Born in the USA era and then succinctly goes through the second half of his career. In some ways, this is a look at the influence of BITUSA, both on Springsteen and on culture and politics, in general. In all ways it works excellently. Highly recommended.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Rebecca
    5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome book!
    Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    It’s Steven Hyden writing about Bruce! What’s not to love? Great author. Recommend everything he writes!
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  • MB Sanok
    4.0 out of 5 stars How this popular album shifted culture and Bruce in a new direction
    Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2025
    In There Was Nothing You Could Do by Steven Hyden, the author examines the legacy of Bruce Springsteen's seminal album, Born in the USA, and its effects on culture, society, and even politics. You'll also learn how the author feels it affected Bruce--in some ways, positively, and, in others, to his detriment. This is not just a biography of the Boss or a multi-page review of this record-breaking and wildly popular album that spawned a ton of hits and drove Bruce into a new direction. It's a remembrance of another time, another place, and the future that was yet to come.

    Although I've been a New Jersey native for most of my life, I'm not a huge Bruce fan. Yes, I have a few favorite songs of his like Rosalita and Tunnel of Love and Glory Days and his version of Santa Claus is Coming to Town, but I've never seen him in concert and really don't care to...maybe. I do have a lot of respect for his music and his songwriting. Frankly, he could have become a published author with the thoughtful lyrics that he has written since he started.

    I picked this book because I love this author's writings about pop culture and different musical acts and periods of time. He's only a few years younger than me, and really targets some profound points about whatever subject he covers, whether it's Pearl Jam, classic rock, or alternative rock. He doesn't just talk about the music--he talks about how it affected him and how he feels it affected society. It's much deeper than a biography or music book. Also, since I was at an impressionable age when Born in the USA came out, it sincerely is a part of my childhood and my musical identity.

    What I liked about this book is that it's not straightforward--it covers all kinds of territory and does not cover every song on the album in a linear way. He talks about Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Michael Jackson, MTV, Bon Jovi, and all sorts of other pop culture moments and personalities around the time that this came out and before and after that. He discusses the evolution of the Boss and how his earlier works led to this album. On the flip side, he discusses how this, many times, adversely and positively affected Bruce in his future recordings. It really made you think and pause about the enormity of what this album did, whether you like it or not.

    I enjoyed reading it although some of the passages about albums I was not familiar with or songs that I didn't know about slowed the book down for me. The author's final pages really grip you because they go back to the real thing--his love for Bruce and the one thing that Bruce can do at a concert. It made me want to see him because it almost mirrors a religious experience except I don't think Bruce would want to hear that. If you're a Bruce fan, you'll find this interesting. If you're an erstwhile fan but grew up around the time Born in the USA became popular, it may be something to check out.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Bryan W. Meng
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
    Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    For a 14 year old from Indiana, Born In The USA was a massive influence, musically and culturally. After 40 years burning down the road, it’s probably not in the top 20 Bruce albums I listen to (including bootlegs there, maybe a technicality but you get my drift.) Steven Hyden has captured the thrill of the album, the cultural influence, the backlash, Bruce’s own misgivings, and the deterioration of the heartland with skill, humor and wisdom. It arrived this afternoon, and I read it in one sitting. A pleasure.
    13 people found this helpful
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  • Bookman Henry
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book for Fans
    Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    If, like me, you love Bruce and Rock & Roll do yourself a favor and buy this thoughtful fantastic book.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Jason D. Kahn
    3.0 out of 5 stars not what I expected (or wanted at this time)
    Reviewed in the United States on January 1, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    My hope was for a Bruce book on Born in the USA and the immediate aftermath. What I got was a sprawling decades long look at Bruce that spends far too much time reviewing other artists work (in relation to Bruce) but not enough, for me, on the album, the tour and the few years after.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Jeff
    5.0 out of 5 stars Born in USA 40 years on
    Reviewed in the United States on June 17, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    Very good look at where we were and where we are as a society 40 years on
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Meghan
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2025
    "There Was Nothing You Could Do" by Steven Hyden was a brilliantly written book about Bruce Springsteen's "Born In The USA" record and its surrounding cultural impact. I've read several books by Hyden and all have been excellent; he's a great music writer. This book was more than just a fact-based rundown of how "Born In The USA" was made and received. The cultural commentary Hyden includes is fascinating and kept me turning the pages.

    One thing I didn't expect about this book was the discussion of other artists that were huge at the time (Michael Jackson, Bon Jovi, George Michael, Guns N Roses) or that had a great impact on Bruce as a musician (Elvis, Bob Dylan). In my opinion that added a lot to contextualizing Bruce's success and the musical landscape at the time of the mid to late 1980s.

    5 stars, Highly recommend to all Springsteen and music fans.
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