By: Bruce Springsteen

Tucker LanghorneBlock: 5

LyricsBorn down in a dead man town The first kick I took was when I hit the ground You end up like a dog that's been beat too much

Till you spend half your life just covering up

• Born in the u.s.a., I was born in the u.s.a. I was born in the u.s.a., born in the u.s.a.

Got in a little hometown jam So they put a rifle in my hand Sent me off to a foreign land To go and kill the yellow man

Born in the U.S.A...

• Come back home to the refinery Hiring man said son if it was up to me Went down to see my v.a. man He said son, don't you understand

I had a brother at Khe Sahn Fighting off the Viet Cong They're still there, he's all gone

He had a woman he loved in Saigon I got a picture of him in her arms now

• Down in the shadow of the penitentiary Out by the gas fires of the refinery I'm ten years burning down the road Nowhere to run aint got nowhere to go

Born in the u.s.a., I was born in the u.s.a. Born in the u.s.a., I'm a long gone daddy in the u.s.a.

Born in the u.s.a., born in the u.s.a. Born in the u.s.a., I'm a cool rocking daddy in the u.s.a.

References "Born in the USA lyrics." lyricsfreak. N.p., 2010. Web. 13 May 2010.

     <http://www.lyricsfreak.com/b/bruce+springsteen/      born+in+the+u+s+a_20024969.html>.

"Bruce Springsteen." Biography resource center. Gale, 11 Feb. 2010. Web. 14 May      2010.

Dead Town. N.d. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2010. <http://www.tndtownpaper.com/      Volume7/Bramwell.jpg>.

"Digital History." Learn About the Vietnam War. N.p., 2006. Web. 24 May 2010.      <http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/modules/vietnam/index.cfm>.

Kid's Fighting. N.d. Distractible. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2010.      <http://distractible.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/kids-fighting.jpg>.

Littaur, Joel Sommer. "Dictionary of Literary terms." Tnellen. N.p., n.d. Web.      23 May 2010. <http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/lit_terms/terms/      Literary.Terms.3.html#Tone>.

"Siege of Khe Sanh." Siege of Khe Sanh. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May 2010.      <http://www.vietnam-war.info/battles/siege_of_khe_sanh.php>.

Troops landing during Veitnam War. N.d. History King. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 May      2010. <http://www.historyking.com/images/      Why-Did-The-Us-Enter-The-Vietnam-War.jpg>.

Bruce Springsteen BiographyBruce Springsteen grew up in Long Branch, New

Jersey. Once he got his first guitar when he was thirteen, and cherished rock and roll deeply ever since then. Bruce lived in the lower class and his father struggled to support the family. While his mother worked as a legal secretary to help the family’s finances. Without any lesson Bruce had to teach himself to play the guitar. Once achieving his goal, he began to play in bands and began to see his future. In 1969 his family moved to California, Bruce decided to stay in New Jersey with his band performing at local places. This is what “The Boss’s” career originated from.

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dead man town The Vietnam veteran's returning to America

after the United States first lose at war. The towns are empty as they all get back it’s town’s with no life in them.

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You end up like a dog that's been beat too much Springsteen was referring to once the

veteran’s had come back from there first defeat in war since the World Wars. It was to show how the veteran’s felt, once they came back and due to their lose, it lead to terrible disrespect from United States.

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born in the u.s.a. Repetition- repeats a certain verse, Chorus

more than once. Born in the U.S.A. was thought by numerous American's as a patriotic song about Vietnam, but that’s what made Springsteen mad, nobody looked into it and listened closely enough, it was a song shown about American’s not caring. Still Springsteen thinks is one of his best songs ever.

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hometown jam Getting in a fight in his hometown, and put in

jail for it. Once he got in jail, they put a rifle in his hand and sent him off to Vietnam to fight for the United States.

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Sent me off to a foreign land They sent him off to go fight in the war at

Vietnam, due to his poor behavior in his hometown.

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Khe SanhWas a battle of the Vietnam war, that took

place in Khe Sanh, which was in South Vietnam. The North had gathered tons of soldiers and once South Vietnam heard, immediately started getting there troops ready.

“At Khe Sanh the U.S. achieved its most satisfying body counts and kill ratios of American deaths to enemy deaths.” by Peter Brush

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Viet Cong Terms used by the communists, that they led

guerrillas, known as Viet Cong

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Fighting off the Viet CongThey’re still there, he’s all goneCouplet- is a pair of lines that rhymeThere a few more/ other couplets in this

song- Got in a little hometown jam; sent me off to a foreign land; Born down in a dead man’s town, First kick I took was when I hit the ground.

The Viet Cong are still there today and communist today. But due to the United States backing out, Bruce’s buddy is gone. (has left Vietnam)

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SaigonA battle that took place in South Vietnam.

The North attacked this city which was the heart of the south Vietnam government. Along with that, it was also the American’s military nerve center.

Eventually the South had driven the North out ending this battle.

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Down in the shadow of the penitentiary Imagery- mental/figurative illustrationsDown in the Shadows explains the bad parts

of jail, where killing, aggressive fights and the criminals

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Born in the u.s.a., I'm a long gone daddy in the u.s.a. Tone- expresses the Artist’s opinion towards

the song.This is the end of Bruce Springsteen's song

where it skips forward to when he’s older talking about the Vietnam war to in 3rd person, feeling proud about his efforts in the war, even though the U.S.A. backed out and took it’s first defeat

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Simile Is a comparison using like or asYou end up like a dog that's been beat too

much

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