E Street Band’s Steve Van Zandt has given some insights considering his close relationship with Bruce Springsteen in a recent interview by Times, saying that he was the only one who was not afraid of Springsteen.
Steve Van Zandt or Little Steven is mostly known as a member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. He was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2014 as a member of the band and has also embarked on various solo projects. Van Zandt has produced and written songs that have been covered by several artists like Bruce Springsteen, Ronnie Spector, Meat Loaf, Pearl Jam, and more.
Since 1972, E Street Band has been Bruce Springsteen’s backing band. The band has performed and recorded with numerous artists such as David Bowie, Bob Dylan, Rolling Stones, and Neil Young. According to Springsteen, the band’s new record will be released this Fall, followed by an E Street Band tour in 2022.
In an interview by Times, Steve Van Zandt delved deep into the details of his friendship with Bruce Springsteen. He recalled the time when he had to be honest about his opinions on the song ‘Ain’t Got You’ from the album ‘Tunnel Of Love’ which was written while Springsteen was dealing with marriage issues.
Saying that a best friend sometimes needs to bring the bad news, Van Zandt stated that he was the only guy who wasn’t scared of Springsteen to the extent of telling him exactly what he thought. He continued by saying that, at the time Springsteen was trying to get used to being a successful person, and wanted to reflect his experiences in ‘Ain’t Got You.’ However, Steve told him bluntly that no one cared about his personal life and how he’s come from rags to riches.
Steve Van Zandt said in the interview that:
“Part of the obligation of being a best friend is that sometimes you have to bring the bad news, to express an opinion that they’re not going to like. With success like Bruce had in the ’80s, you cannot help but lose perspective. You start thinking you’re a genius, the greatest thing in the world, and who’s gonna argue with you? The mindset is: ‘Did you just sell 20 million albums?’ I was the only guy who wasn’t scared of Bruce, so I could tell him what I thought.
We had been separate for a while at that point and he was trying to adjust from being this ridiculously successful guy, after coming from nothing. He was trying to be honest about his situation in that song, but sometimes you can be too honest. Bruce’s talent is explaining to people their lives and giving insight and perspective to the listener. I had to say to him: ‘Nobody cares about your life. Nobody wants to hear about how rich you are’.”
As for a piece of additional information, Steve Van Zandt is planning to publish his memoir titled ‘Unrequited Infatuations’ on September 28. Now available for preorder, the memoir will be about the time he spent with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, key moments from his career including acting, such as his role in The Sopranos.
