Bruce Springsteen had a birthday on Friday and to celebrate, he paid a visit to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert to talk his musical influences and to send sportswriters nationwide into a panic if they’d not yet made their deadline.
In all seriousness, The Boss wasn’t just on Colbert for some birthday fun. He also has a new book and album to promote. The book, titled, of course, Born To Run, is something of an autobiography but not just of Springsteen; it’s a chronicle of how The E Street Band came to be as well. Chapter and Verse, the companion album, is a compilation Springsteen selected personally as a way to exhibit how he feels he’s grown as a songwriter over the years and includes a handful of unreleased tracks.
The Colbert appearance featured a wide-ranging discussion focusing on a variety of topics, from religion to the Super Bowl to Donald Trump. But what was perhaps the most entertaining moment of the interview came when Colbert asked Springsteen to name his top five Springsteen tunes. The list, with which Springsteen got a bit of help from the audience, consisted of “Born To Run,” “The Rising,” “Thunder Road,” “Nebraska,” and “Racing in the Street.”
Elsewhere on the show, Springsteen talked a bit about his own experiences at his legendary concerts. There are plenty of stories springing out from folks attending his shows, but The Boss explains that they are usually something special for himself too. He also talks about why his shows are so long.
There’s also some talk about his musical inspirations, bringing up some of the repeat offenders at the top of music history: Elvis and The Beatles. There’s also some talk about the screaming girls that chased both around, but Springsteen keeps it mum.
The Boss will hit the road to support the book next week, beginning in Freehold, NJ on Tuesday, and finishing up the tour at the Harvard Coop in Cambridge, Mass. on Oct. 11.
(Via The Late Show)
