The drummer in my first band was killed in Vietnam. He kind of signed up and joined the marines. Bart Hanes was his name. He was one of those guys that was jokin' all the time, always playin' the clown. Bruce Springsteen More Quotes by Bruce Springsteen More Quotes From Bruce Springsteen [People] are trying to - they're trying to create something that solves a series of very complex problems inside of them or in their history. And I think when I unknowingly - when I went to do that, that's what I was - I was trying to integrate all of these very difficult things that I'd been unable to integrate in my life and in my life with my parents. Bruce Springsteen parent people thinking The first thing that I do when I come out every night is to look at the faces in front of me, very individually. Bruce Springsteen faces night looks Out of the east on an Irish stallion came bounty hunter Dan His heart quickened and burdened by the need to get his man He found Pete peacefully fishing by the river, pulled his gun and got the drop He said, "Pete, you think you've changed, but you have not. Bruce Springsteen heart men thinking I tend to be not my own best company. I can get a little lost when - if I don't have my work to occasionally focus me. Bruce Springsteen focus lost littles That Elvis, man, he is all there is. There ain't no more. Everything starts and ends with him. He wrote the book. But for him, I'd be selling encyclopedias right now. There have been a lotta tough guys. There have been pretenders. And there have been contenders. But there is only one king. Bruce Springsteen kings men book I'm interested in what it means to be an American. I'm interested in what it means to live in America. I'm interested in the kind of country that we live in and leave our kids. I'm interested in trying to define what that country is. Bruce Springsteen mean country kids Blame it on the lies that killed us. Blame it on the truth that ran us down. Bruce Springsteen blame honesty lying When I look at myself, I don't see the man I wanted to be. Bruce Springsteen honesty men looks Some guys they just give up living, and start dying little by little, piece by piece. Bruce Springsteen giving-up guy death No, I always felt that amongst my core fans- because there was a level of popularity that I had in the mid '80s that was sort of a bump on the scale- they fundamentally understood the values that are at work in my work. Bruce Springsteen levels fans bumps Madman drummers, bummers, Indians in the summer with a teenage diplomat. In the dumps with the mumps as the adolescent pumps his way into his hat. Bruce Springsteen teenage poetry summer If you have written really well, people will swear that it happened to you. Bruce Springsteen swear wells people The first day I can remember looking into a mirror and being able to stand what I saw was the day I had a guitar in my hand. Bruce Springsteen guitar mirrors hands Most artists I know had one person in their life who told them they were the second coming of the baby Jesus, and another person that told them they weren't worth anything, and they believed them both, you know? Bruce Springsteen artist baby jesus Most bands don't work out. A small unit democracy is very, very difficult. Bruce Springsteen work-out band democracy They say "ya gotta stay hungry"... Hey Baby...I'm just about starvin' tonight! Bruce Springsteen hey tonight baby I wanted to be the reasonable voice of revenge for what I'd seen [my father] life come to. Bruce Springsteen voice revenge father Well now everything dies baby that's a fact Bruce Springsteen someday baby facts Mama always told me not to look into the sights of the sun. Oh, but mama, that's where the fun is. Bruce Springsteen sight fun looks Politics and life go hand in hand. Bruce Springsteen hand-in-hand hands