Bruce Springsteen paved the way for a brand new style of rock named heartland rock which combines mainstream rock music with narrative songs about working-class American life. As a pioneer of this style, Springsteen gained attention with his poetic and socially conscious lyrics, which allowed him to bond with his audience further.
In addition to his down-to-earth songs that pretty much everybody can relate to, Springsteen has also developed a reputation for his energetic and long-lasting live performances. While many musicians prefer to stay on stage only for two hours the most, the Boss has given live shows of up to four hours.
To maintain such long live performances, a musician has to have a strong motivation along with dedication and stamina, which Springsteen has obviously worked for. However, his hard-working personality isn’t the only asset that allows him to have four-hour-long shows. Let’s break down his primary reason to perform with such joy and how the musician once said its loss could also cause his career to end.
Bruce Springsteen Revealed His Motivation For Live Shows
By 1978, Bruce Springsteen had already released three studio albums, all of which led to the breakthrough success of his band entitled E Street Band. In addition to those successful albums, the rocker also built a reputation as a legendary performer. During a 1978 interview right after a live show that lasted about three hours, the interviewer couldn’t help himself but talk about the musician’s admirable energy on stage.
Springsteen said that one of the initial things he aims for while playing is to have fun. The musician continued his words by saying that he started his music career by wanting to have fun which was one of the biggest reasons he was still doing. To stress the importance of enjoying oneself while on stage, the Boss stated that he wouldn’t continue playing if he didn’t have fun while performing for his fans.
When the interviewer mentioned the joy he had on stage, Springsteen said:
“You know, one of the initial things, I want to have fun. I just started doing it for fun. That’s a big reason why I still do it. I’m lucky I can make a living at it now, you know. The day it stops being fun, probably the day I’ll stop doing it.“
Fortunately for all Bruce Springsteen fans, the musician has been enjoying himself during live shows for the past four decades. Since this interview, the rocker hasn’t given up on rocking the stage with his applauded energy, which has not decreased at all even though the musician is currently 72 years old.
You can watch the interview down below.
