The new book, named for the 66-year-old’s hit album from 1975, will tell the complete story of the accomplished musician, from his childhood in New Jersey to his early struggles to become a professional musician. The book has reportedly been in the works for seven years, with work first beginning after The E Street Band played the Super Bowl in 2009, according to Springsteen.
“Writing about yourself is a funny business,” Springsteen writes in an introduction, “But in a project like this, the writer has made one promise, to show the reader his mind. In these pages, I’ve tried to do this.”
The new book will be published by Simon & Schuster, which seems to have massive faith in its sales; the company has reportedly paid Springsteen an advance in the millions.
But money has never really been a huge motivator for the songwriter, who has long prided himself — and built a staggeringly stable career — out of his relatability to the working class.
“I’m terribly burdened at night when I’m sleeping in my big house – it’s killing me, it’s a rough life, a brutal life,” he joked in an interview with The Daily Mirror several years ago. “The rock music life, it’s brutal – don’t let anyone tell you different! No, it’s a blessed life, it lets me have a conversation with my audience about things I’m interested in.”
Springsteen is currently touring to support the release of The Ties That Bind, a box set of remastered material from his early-1980s era. Born To Run will hit book and ebook stores worldwide on September 27.
