Why is 'Born in the USA' in the Bruce Springsteen movie about 'Nebraska'? Patrick Ryan, USA TODAYOctober 24, 2025 at 7:15 AM 0 Spoiler alert! We're breaking down a key scene from the Bruce Springsteen biopic "Deliver Me From Nowhere" (in theaters now). ASBURY PARK, N.J.
- - Why is 'Born in the USA' in the Bruce Springsteen movie about 'Nebraska'?
Patrick Ryan, USA TODAYOctober 24, 2025 at 7:15 AM
0
Spoiler alert! We're breaking down a key scene from the Bruce Springsteen biopic "Deliver Me From Nowhere" (in theaters now).
ASBURY PARK, N.J. − One of Bruce Springsteen's most iconic songs almost sounded extremely different.
"Deliver Me From Nowhere" traces the son of New Jersey (played by Jeremy Allen White) as he creates the most introspective album of his career, 1982's "Nebraska." But the new movie also mines the origin story of "Born in the U.S.A.," a deceptively joyous, widely misinterpreted anthem about a Vietnam War veteran returning home to financial hardship and neglect.
In 1981, writer and director Paul Schrader approached the Boss about writing the title track for his music drama "Light of Day," which was originally titled "Born in the U.S.A." Springsteen declined to participate in the film, but still decided to use that title for a song he had been writing about a disillusioned vet.
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Jeremy Allen White portrays rock legend Bruce Springsteen in the new movie "Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere."
He recorded a solo acoustic demo of the track at his home in New Jersey, but the song was shelved after co-producer Jon Landau suggested that it didn't gel melodically with the rest of his "Nebraska" album. (He eventually released the demo on his 1998 compilation album "Tracks.")
What is the true story behind Bruce Springsteen's 'Born in the USA?'
Months later, "Born in the U.S.A." roared back from the dead during an electrifying, impromptu recording session at New York's Power Station studios in April 1982. As seen in the film, Springsteen and Landau (played by Jeremy Strong) were walking through Midtown Manhattan late one night, feeling nostalgic for a younger, simpler time before the fame.
On a whim, they went upstairs to Power Station and commiserated with the E Street Band, who had already been helping Springsteen re-record his "Nebraska" demos as full-band versions to no avail. That night, they decided to take a crack at "Born in the U.S.A."
"That's exactly how it happened," filmmaker Scott Cooper says. "What Bruce would do is he'd record things himself and then take them to the E Street Band, and have them bring these songs to life in a very rock way. 'Born in the U.S.A.' is no different. Bruce said to me it's the only time in 50 years that they felt like, 'My God, we just caught lightning in a bottle.' "
The Bruce Springsteen Archives: Take a deeper dive at Asbury Park Press
Bruce Springsteen performing onstage in Toronto in 1985.
The scene in the movie was filmed in the exact same room at Power Station, and Cooper called on Springsteen to help reconstruct the session to a tee. He asked Springsteen where he was standing that day and how all the musicians were placed in the studio.
"That's what's great about having access to Bruce, because I recreated it in the very room with the same lighting, the same instrumentation, everything," Cooper says. "You could feel the ghosts. I mean, I got a chill up my spine when Jeremy Allen White delivered that searing, incredibly powerful and honest rendition of 'Born in the U.S.A.' "
Why was the song included in new movie 'Deliver Me From Nowhere?'Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere" and more celebrities, beginning with Jeremy Allen White and Bruce Springsteen, walking the red carpet for the film's headline gala at the 69th BFI London Film Festival at The Royal Festival Hall on Oct. 15, 2025, in London.The film traces the creation of the musician's 1982 "Nebraska" album.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>See the stars of "Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere" and more celebrities, beginning with Jeremy Allen White and Bruce Springsteen, walking the red carpet for the film's headline gala at the 69th BFI London Film Festival at The Royal Festival Hall on Oct. 15, 2025, in London.The film traces the creation of the musician's 1982 "Nebraska" album.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/vEGaqYC class=caas-img data-headline="See Jeremy Allen White and more celebrities on the Bruce Springsteen biopic red carpet" data-caption="
See the stars of "Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere" and more celebrities, beginning with Jeremy Allen White and Bruce Springsteen, walking the red carpet for the film's headline gala at the 69th BFI London Film Festival at The Royal Festival Hall on Oct. 15, 2025, in London.The film traces the creation of the musician's 1982 "Nebraska" album.
">See the stars of "Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere" and more celebrities, beginning with Jeremy Allen White and Bruce Springsteen, walking the red carpet for the film's headline gala at the 69th BFI London Film Festival at The Royal Festival Hall on Oct. 15, 2025, in London.The film traces the creation of the musician's 1982 "Nebraska" album.
" src=https://ift.tt/vEGaqYC class=caas-img>Jeremy Strong Strong portrays Springsteen's manager Jon Landau.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/icbpUdJ class=caas-img data-headline="See Jeremy Allen White and more celebrities on the Bruce Springsteen biopic red carpet" data-caption="
Jeremy Strong Strong portrays Springsteen's manager Jon Landau.
">Jeremy Strong Strong portrays Springsteen's manager Jon Landau.
" src=https://ift.tt/icbpUdJ class=caas-img>Springsteen gave his gratitude to Graham "for being the living embodiment of my late father, who had a very difficult life but was a good-hearted man," Springsteen said.
" style=padding-bottom:56%>Stephen Graham, who portrays Springsteen's father, and his wife, actress Hannah Walters. Springsteen gave his gratitude to Graham "for being the living embodiment of my late father, who had a very difficult life but was a good-hearted man," Springsteen said.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/saNC0tJ class=caas-img data-headline="See Jeremy Allen White and more celebrities on the Bruce Springsteen biopic red carpet" data-caption="
Stephen Graham, who portrays Springsteen's father, and his wife, actress Hannah Walters. Springsteen gave his gratitude to Graham "for being the living embodiment of my late father, who had a very difficult life but was a good-hearted man," Springsteen said.
">Stephen Graham, who portrays Springsteen's father, and his wife, actress Hannah Walters. Springsteen gave his gratitude to Graham "for being the living embodiment of my late father, who had a very difficult life but was a good-hearted man," Springsteen said.
" src=https://ift.tt/saNC0tJ class=caas-img>Jeremy Allen White, Bruce Springsteen and Stephen Graham.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/DMQnEtA class=caas-img data-headline="See Jeremy Allen White and more celebrities on the Bruce Springsteen biopic red carpet" data-caption="
Jeremy Allen White, Bruce Springsteen and Stephen Graham.
">Jeremy Allen White, Bruce Springsteen and Stephen Graham.
" src=https://ift.tt/DMQnEtA class=caas-img>Jeremy Allen White, who plays Springsteen
" data-src=https://ift.tt/WZJUARy class=caas-img data-headline="See Jeremy Allen White and more celebrities on the Bruce Springsteen biopic red carpet" data-caption="
Jeremy Allen White, who plays Springsteen
">Jeremy Allen White, who plays Springsteen
" src=https://ift.tt/WZJUARy class=caas-img>Odessa Young portrays Springsteen's love interest Faye Romano.
" data-src=https://ift.tt/PdjBVKA class=caas-img data-headline="See Jeremy Allen White and more celebrities on the Bruce Springsteen biopic red carpet" data-caption="
Odessa Young portrays Springsteen's love interest Faye Romano.
">Odessa Young portrays Springsteen's love interest Faye Romano.
" src=https://ift.tt/PdjBVKA class=caas-img>Another view of Young's dress
" data-src=https://ift.tt/EFhs5wR class=caas-img data-headline="See Jeremy Allen White and more celebrities on the Bruce Springsteen biopic red carpet" data-caption="
Another view of Young's dress
">Another view of Young's dress
" src=https://ift.tt/EFhs5wR class=caas-img>Jeremy Allen White and Bruce Springsteen onstage
" data-src=https://ift.tt/ctpqEmZ class=caas-img data-headline="See Jeremy Allen White and more celebrities on the Bruce Springsteen biopic red carpet" data-caption="
Jeremy Allen White and Bruce Springsteen onstage
">Jeremy Allen White and Bruce Springsteen onstage
" src=https://ift.tt/ctpqEmZ class=caas-img>Anthony Russo and Ann Russo
" data-src=https://ift.tt/AkMluj5 class=caas-img data-headline="See Jeremy Allen White and more celebrities on the Bruce Springsteen biopic red carpet" data-caption="
Anthony Russo and Ann Russo
">Anthony Russo and Ann Russo
" src=https://ift.tt/AkMluj5 class=caas-img>Tanya Burr
" data-src=https://ift.tt/gotJsYT class=caas-img data-headline="See Jeremy Allen White and more celebrities on the Bruce Springsteen biopic red carpet" data-caption="
Tanya Burr
">Tanya Burr
" src=https://ift.tt/gotJsYT class=caas-img>Thomas Meacock
" data-src=https://ift.tt/DMSq2Vh class=caas-img data-headline="See Jeremy Allen White and more celebrities on the Bruce Springsteen biopic red carpet" data-caption="
Thomas Meacock
">Thomas Meacock
" src=https://ift.tt/DMSq2Vh class=caas-img>Bob Geldof
" data-src=https://ift.tt/tXshOlb class=caas-img data-headline="See Jeremy Allen White and more celebrities on the Bruce Springsteen biopic red carpet" data-caption="
Bob Geldof
">Bob Geldof
" src=https://ift.tt/tXshOlb class=caas-img>Jeremy Allen White
" data-src=https://ift.tt/HOFKCZo class=caas-img data-headline="See Jeremy Allen White and more celebrities on the Bruce Springsteen biopic red carpet" data-caption="
Jeremy Allen White
">Jeremy Allen White
" src=https://ift.tt/HOFKCZo class=caas-img>
1 / 13See Jeremy Allen White and more celebrities on the Bruce Springsteen biopic red carpet
See the stars of "Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere" and more celebrities, beginning with Jeremy Allen White and Bruce Springsteen, walking the red carpet for the film's headline gala at the 69th BFI London Film Festival at The Royal Festival Hall on Oct. 15, 2025, in London.The film traces the creation of the musician's 1982 "Nebraska" album.
Although Springsteen was excited by the result, he held off on releasing the song as he focused on finishing "Nebraska." "Born in the U.S.A." was eventually included on his 1984 album of the same name, and the heartland stomper hit No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Feeling bad for stealing Schrader's song title, he also did write a new title track for "Light of Day," which was recorded by stars Michael J. Fox and Joan Jett.
"Deliver Me From Nowhere" follows the emotional journey of "Nebraska," but Cooper ultimately thought "Born in the U.S.A." was integral to the biopic. At the time, Springsteen was grappling with whether he should make "Nebraska" a double album.
"He was like, do I include 'Born in the U.S.A.' on that as an acoustic (track), which he now says he wishes that he had?" Cooper says. "Even though Jon Landau and everybody who heard it thought this is going to be an iconic song, Bruce said, 'No, we're not releasing that. We're putting that on the shelf and releasing "Nebraska," which is an incredibly personal and intimate record.'
"That speaks not only to Bruce's creative risk, but commercial risk and the courage to stick to his convictions."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The true story of 'Born in the USA' in 'Deliver Me From Nowhere'
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