The News Life

Bruce Springsteen Shares the Story Behind His Biggest Hit, Written in Just “2 Minutes”: “Didn’t Even Think About It.”.Linh

by

The Boss opened up about how his songwriting magic happens

Sometimes greatness works quickly.

Rock and roll legend Bruce Springsteen poses for a portrait in 1984 in Los Angeles, California.

Bruce Springsteen revealed in a new interview that one of his most popular songs, “I’m on Fire” from 1984’s Born in the U.S.A, was also one of the songs he wrote the quickest.

In a Rolling Stone interview with singer Zach Bryan, published on Oct. 16, the two musicians discussed the next album Bryan is working on and decisions the 28-year-old would make about songs. Then Bryan asked Springsteen, 75, about “I’m on Fire.” He asked, “When it came to ‘I’m on Fire’ — the synth, did that come first or was it what you’re missing after?”

Photo of Bruce SPRINGSTEEN; Bruce Springsteen performing on stage, full length

The “Dancing in the Dark” singer explained, “That was literally a song I wrote in two minutes. Didn’t even think about it. Didn’t think it was ever going to be on a record. And in the studio, there’s me playing that Johnny Cash Tennessee Three guitar. And then there’s the synthesizer, and there’s Max [Weinberg] playing a bass foot. I think that’s all that’s on that record.”

“There’s nothing on that record,” he continued. “Wrote it in two minutes. And if you go to iTunes now, it’s the No. 1 favorite song out of every song I’ve written. I wrote that in two minutes!”

“I’m on Fire” was the fourth of seven singles released from Born in the U.S.A. Released in 1985, it hit No. 6 on the Hot 100 and topped charts in Ireland, The Netherlands and Belgium. It was also boosted by its music video, which won the MTV Video Music Award for Best Male Video. All seven singles from Born in the U.S.A. reached the Top 10 of the Hot 100 and the album itself hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It is Springsteen’s best-selling album, and its songs — including “I’m on Fire” — remain favorites amongst The Boss’ fans.

Back in July, Springsteen and Bryan released a duet together, “Sandpaper,” on Bryan’s album The Great American Bar Scene. They also have performed together at Bryan’s concerts.

The duo shared some of their songwriting process in their Rolling Stone interview. “Sometimes I’ll write a song in two minutes and it’s ‘Oh, this is going to be great.’ And then I’ll write a song in three months … and then I’ll throw it away,” Bryan shared. Bruce Springsteen performs onstage as USC Shoah Foundation Hosts 30th Anniversary Gala "Ambassadors For Humanity" at New York Hilton on October 13, 2024 in New York City.

“That’s just the way it is,” Springsteen said. The “Thunder Road” singer shared that his songwriting shifted after he wrote “The River,” which was also the name of his 1980 album. “It was the first song where I wrote in kind of character, with a lot of detail, and after that I said, ‘I really like writing like this.’ On [the album] Nebraska, I ended up writing all those detail-filled songs.” He also shared that during that time, he started listening to more Hank Williams and Johnny Cash music, which impacted his songwriting.

Springsteen’s life and career will once again be in the spotlight in the documentary Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, which will premiere on Disney+ and Hulu on Oct. 25. In the trailer, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer shared why he continues to release music and hold concerts around the world: “I plan on continuing until the wheels fall off, and for as long as the audience will follow me. That’s my job.”