A rock legend, Springsteen—whose music has been part of the American cultural landscape for half a century—reveals in his memoir the personal, cultural, and political forces that have shaped his music. Born in Freehold, New Jersey, to parents of modest means, he discovers rock music at an early age and is so enraptured by its energy, driving rhythms, and overt sexuality that he knows he must be a part of it. While many kids pick up guitar and play in garage bands, music is life or death for Springsteen. A self-described “entitled” child, he wants two things: to play music and to get out of Freehold—and he sees music as his only escape hatch. These factors, combined with his father’s emotional distance and mental health condition, often leave young Springsteen to fend for himself. By the time his parents and younger sister move to California, he’s already independent (though with few life skills, like managing money and paying bills).

By age 18, Springsteen has already been paying his dues, playing gigs for small crowds at bars and clubs. It’s the familiar tale of any artist clawing a way out of obscurity—the hard work of touring, personnel changes, artistic self-doubt—but his single-minded devotion to the music, to improving himself as a musician and songwriter, keeps him going.