Bruce Springsteen's memoir: 8 must-answer questions
ASBURY PARK, N.J. — The Boss talks.
Rather, the Boss writes. It’s Bruce Springsteen’s upcoming autobiography, Born to Run, due Sept. 27 from Simon & Schuster.
In the book, Springsteen “vividly recounts his relentless drive to become a musician, his early days as a bar band king in Asbury Park, and the rise of the E Street Band,” according to a posting on Springsteen’s social media sites.
What’s compelling about Springsteen is that there are parts of his life that have been laid bare — yet there are other elements that we know little about.
“Writing about yourself is a funny business,” says Springsteen in the book. “But in a project like this, the writer has made one promise, to show the reader his mind. In these pages, I’ve tried to do this.”
We’re looking forward to it. Springsteen is a compelling storyteller and perhaps his greatest story has yet to be told. Specifically, there are eight questions we would like answered in Born to Run:
• Did Springsteen, then a member of Steel Mill, throw a speaker at police during the 1970 Clearwater Swim Club melee in Middletown? OK, maybe that’s a little dramatic, but we’d love to hear his take on this infamous chapter of Jersey shore music history.
• Why did members of the early Springsteen band, Dr. Zoom and the Sonic Boom, play Monopoly on stage?
• Where and when did Springsteen first meet Clarence Clemons? Was it at the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park? Was it at the Beacon Manor in Point Pleasant?
• What happened to the piano Springsteen wrote the song “Born to Run” on in his Long Branch bungalow. OK, he probably doesn’t have the answer to that — it was left on the curb by the landlady and taken to parts unknown. But as we know a lot of about the recording of “Born to Run,” it would be neat to learn more about the writing of it.
• Why did Springsteen stop playing “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)” in concert in 1984? Also, who is the inspiration for “Rosie”?
• How much can Springsteen bench press? No arch or bounce.
• Why did Springsteen break up the E Street Band in 1989? It’s, like, 10 years we can never get back.
• Are Springsteen and Gov. Chris Christie friends or not? We’ve lost track — it’s a little confusing at this point. Seriously, the Boss has never spoken publicly about Christie’s infatuation with him — he has sung about it on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and he attacked Christie’s social policies, although he didn’t name him, in a letter to the Asbury Park Press. His side of the Springsteen-Christie story would be very interesting.
See you at the book store in September.