Springsteen’s Ode to Conservative Values?

Mike Brownfield / January 26, 2012

From “Born to Run” to “Born in the USA,” “Darkness on the Edge of Town” to “Human Touch,” Bruce Springsteen has brought his brand of rock from the streets of New Jersey to the farms of the heartland, speaking to the American experience as a poet with a six-string. For more than 40 years, he has carried the torch of rock-and-roll to millions of fans, and now he’s headed back on tour, this time with a new song that, believe it or not, speaks to conservative values.

Sure, it might seem to be a stretch. After all, The Boss has been known for his liberal activism. His anthem “No Surrender” was John Kerry’s campaign theme song in 2004, he headlined MoveOn PAC’s “Vote for Change” tour that same year, and he opened for President Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009.

But Springsteen’s “Take Care of Our Own”—which seems custom-made for a political campaign commercial—interestingly enough resonates with those on the right, whether Bruce realizes it or not:

From Chicago to New Orleans
From the muscle to the bone
From the shotgun shack to the Superdome
We yelled “help” but the cavalry stayed home
There ain’t no-one hearing the bugle blown
We take care of our own
We take care of our own
Wherever this flag’s flown
We take care of our own

If there is one theme that cries out, it’s that in this American community of ours, we ultimately rely on each other and, as he admits, sometimes the “cavalry” cannot come to save us. Conservatives would agree. Instead of seeking a savior in government, conservatives value self-determination, free enterprise, limited government, and individual freedom—all of which suffer when an almighty state crowds out our freedoms.

Liberals, though, first look to their cavalry—the federal government—to come to the rescue when Americans are in need rather than finding solutions in civil society — among local communities, houses of worship, schools, volunteer organizations, and neighborhoods.

We saw that philosophy in President Obama’s State of the Union address this week when he advocated for a new wave of progressive policies to bring “fairness” to America. Instead of seeking to return power to states and local communities so that people can take care of their own, he called for a concentration of more power in Washington, all paid for by confiscatory tax policies that reflect the notion that the federal government knows how to spend money better than the people do.

The President looks to the state to spur innovation and move America forward. His is an effort to make the “cavalry” bigger so that Americans need not take care of their own. Ultimately, though, that is a policy that saps individual liberties—quite contrary to what the Founders intended. It’s contrary, too, to the rugged individualism that Springsteen once sang of.

In 1975’s “Thunder Road,” a much-younger Bruce cried out to his beloved, wrenched in pain over the dissatisfaction in his life, his loneliness, his despair, and his desire for something better. And he knew it was up to him to make that change. He didn’t call for the cavalry, but he looked inward, and then he looked forward:

In the lonely cool before dawn
You hear their engines roaring on
But when you get to the porch they’re gone on the wind, so Mary climb in
This town full of losers and we’re pulling outta here to win

Moving on to find a better future—and not waiting for the government to provide it—is a truly conservative value and an American one, too.