This week marks the 30th anniversary of the release of Bruce Springsteen”s “Born In The U.S.A.” The album, which sold more than 15 million copies in the U.S. alone, is not only his best-selling title, it is likely his most misunderstood. The title track, about the disillusionment of the American Dream as seen through the eyes of a soldier returning from Vietnam, became a controversial lightning rod after then-president Ronald Reagan and other conservatives embraced it as a patriotic anthem.
The album boasted a staggering seven top 10 singles (a record shared with Michael Jackson”s “Thriller” and Janet Jackson”s “Rhythm Nation 1814”) and catapulted Springsteen from star to stadium-filling superstar.
Here”s a look back at the 10 best lyrics from the album.