‘Bruce Springsteen Songs’ book commemorates Boss’ 25th year as recording artist (1998)

This story originally appeared in the Asbury Park Press on Aug. 9, 1998.

“Bruce Springsteen Songs,” a luxurious coffee-table book chock-full of Springsteen’s recorded lyrics and portraits of the artist as a young man, is due for publication this fall by Avon Books.

The book commemorates Springsteen’s 25th year as a recording artist with the complete collection of his lyrics, from “Thunder Road” to “The Ghost of Tom Joad.” This fall also marks Springsteen’s anticipated nomination to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

More than 200 photographs of Springsteen fill the book. Many, including family photos, are previously unpublished, while others are familiar portraits by Annie Leibovitz, Bruce Weber and others.

The 304-page hardcover book was created under Springsteen’s direction, and it includes musings by the Jersey-born superstar on the origins of his lyrics — the song titles, the imagery, his influences.

“In the early and mid-’70s,” Springsteen writes, “I wasn’t as deeply into rock ‘n’ roll as I had been in the ’60s. Rather than listen to artists and bands I wasn’t particularly interested in, I went back to music that had more resonance for me. I was attracted to romantic drama, especially the way Roy Orbison portrayed it.”

Springsteen also writes about how the words to “Born to Run” came into his head while “living in West Long Branch, just up the road from Asbury Park.”

“Bruce Springsteen Songs” will retail for $50. The publication date is Nov. 11.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Bruce Springsteen book features, lyrics, portraits