War and Trauma in the Music of Bruce Springsteen: “Born in the U.S.A.,” “Devils & Dust,” and “The Wall”

Abstract

<p>War and its traumatic aftermath for the individual is a prominent theme in the music of Bruce Springsteen. In this article, I explore the representation of war and trauma in Springsteen’s music by concentrating on three songs: “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984), “Devils & Dust” (2005), and “The Wall”<i> </i>(2014). Methodologically, I combine cultural trauma studies with cultural music analysis in order to examine the musical mechanisms by which the songs construct a discourse of trauma and remembrance. By focusing on the sonic substance and the mechanisms therein that generate cultural meanings, I aim to illuminate in a detailed way the workings of the sonic poetics of trauma in Springsteen’s war songs.</p>