Springsteen’s exposure to Elvis and The Beatles inspires him to pick up the guitar, the instrument most synonymous with rock and roll. He recalls every guitar he ever owned, from his first, secondhand acoustic to his more expensive Ovation and his “mutt,” a Fender Esquire. He works endlessly to hone his craft, learning from his idols: the great bluesmen and guitar icons Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix. For Springsteen, the guitar is “the master key, the sword in the stone, the sacred talisman, the staff of righteousness” (42). It embodies entry into an exciting, mysterious world of music and thrills. The guitar is an extension of his body, a third limb that he can manipulate with the grace or force of any other extremity. Watching Elvis “caressing” and “dancing” with his guitar shows Springsteen the instrument’s possibilities beyond mere strumming and picking.

The open road, stretching away toward a distant horizon, is a potent metaphor in Springsteen’s music, starting with two of his first hits, “Born to Run” and “Thunder Road.” The road symbolizes a means of escape, both literally and figuratively. He longs to escape Freehold, but in a broader sense he seeks to escape the encroaching walls of conformity and a 1950s culture that he fears will stifle his grand ambitions.