There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind that Bruce Springsteen is one of the best rock songwriters of his era. But, ever the humble guy, the Boss has sung the praises of more than a few of his songwriting contemporaries through the years. If you need a little bit of inspiration for your own songwriting efforts, check out what Bruce Springsteen had to say about the following three inspirational songwriters!
Paul McCartney
Well, this isn’t surprising. What songwriting from the late 20th century has The Beatles’ Paul McCartney not inspired? According to Macca himself, Springsteen sang his praises when they first met. And being an honest guy, Springsteen admitted that he initially thought McCartney’s music was “soppy.”
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“I remember Bruce Springsteen coming up to me at one of those Rock & Roll Hall of Fame awards and saying, ‘Hey man, you know that song of yours, ‘Silly Love Songs?’’” McCartney recalled Springsteen saying. “‘When it came out, I thought it was a bit soppy,’ or whatever the word he used was. He said, ‘I didn’t get it, but I really get it now, man.’ And it’s something that happens. He’s fallen in love, he’s had kids, and he’s more able to accept that thought, which bothered a lot of people at the time.”
Joe Strummer
Joe Strummer of The Clash was a pretty big influence on Bruce Springsteen, even though their music isn’t entirely similar. In fact, Springsteen was already a big deal by the time The Clash started to gain traction in the music industry. Here’s a great tip for any songwriter today: Continue to find inspiration in music, whether that music is old or new.
“Joe Strummer, my great, great departed friend and brother that I never had,” said Springsteen after Strummer’s passing in 2002. “You have been my inspiration for the past 40 years.”
Roy Orbison
Perhaps no one is a bigger fan of Roy Orbison than Bruce Springsteen. Springsteen has sung this songwriter’s praises before, even going as far as to say he changed music, as a whole, for the better. You can also hear Orbison’s influence in his own music, particularly when it comes to his darker and more emotional pieces.
“Roy’s ballads were always best when you were alone and in the dark,” said Bruce Springsteen of Roy Orbison being one of his favorite songwriters. “Roy scrapped the idea that you needed verse-chorus-verse-chorus-bridge-verse-chorus to have a hit. His arrangements were complex and operatic; they had rhythm and movement, and they addressed the underside of pop romance.”
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