Whether you grow up to become a musical superstar like Bruce Springsteen or simply a devoted fan, there’s always one band that hits you at the right moment and changes the way you see the world. For an entire generation in the 1960s, that band was The Beatles, and the impact of their reign has left an indelible mark on the soul that will never fade.
When The Beatles first began their decade of dominance, it was difficult for any youthful individual not to get swept up in the chaos. At the time, Springsteen was yet another adolescent caught up in their barnstorm of culture-changing brilliance back in the early ’60s when their Promethean brand of pop music seemed to be grabbing the world by the lapels at every possible occasion.
In the modern era, it’s challenging to comprehend the Fab Four’s vast impact on the world or foresee anything on that scale ever occurring again. The Beatles had a universal appeal, quickly making them four of the most famous individuals on the planet with an influence that transcended music. Not only did they shape the sounds on the airwaves, but also the way people dressed and behaved.
One notable fellow they shook up was a 15-year-old Springsteen, who can still vividly recall when they entered his life. “I saw Elvis on TV and when I first saw Elvis, I was nine but I was a little young, tried to play the guitar but it didn’t work out, I put it away. The keeper was in 1964, ‘I Wanna Hold Your Hand’ on South Street with my mother driving,” Springsteen once told Rolling Stone.
From that moment, he was hooked on their brand of rock ‘n’ roll. Springsteen may not have yet seen an image of their faces, but he was desperate to uncover as much information as possible. He added: “I immediately demanded that she let me out; I ran to the bowling alley, ran down a long neon-lit aisle, down the alley into the bowling alley. I ran to the phone booth, got in the phone booth and immediately called my girl and asked ‘Have you heard this band called The Beatles?’ After that, it was nothing but rock ‘n’ roll and guitars.”
Over the years, Springsteen has shared his love for The Beatles on plentiful occasions, and his mind consistently wanders back to his earliest entry point to the band, such as when he appeared on the BBC radio programme Desert Island Discs.
When appearing as a guest on the famous series, he was asked to name his eight favourite songs of all time, and unsurprisingly, Springsteen chose ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ as one of his selections. “This was another song that just changed the course of my life,” Springsteen declared when speaking to the famed show.
Elaborating on why it’s such a sacred song to him, Springsteen added, “The harmonies were very unusual. It was a very raucous sounding record when it came out on the radio in 1964, and once again I went for another shot at the guitar and this time, I kept playing it and it was really this song that inspired me to play rock ‘n’ roll music.”
Like thousands of other whippersnappers around the globe, Springsteen was stirred up by the simple power of The Beatles’ music. Nobody was left untouched by their revolutionary way of operating, but few had their lives changed as considerably as Springsteen. “I got a small band together and started doing small gigs around town. It was a very beautiful and life-changing record,” he added of their impact.
His love of The Beatles eventually led Springsteen to release his debut record in 1973. While he’s achieved everything there is to do in the music industry, few victories are sweeter than his opportunities to perform live with Paul McCartney.
The duo delighted the crowd at London’s Hyde Park with a splendid rendition of ‘Twist and Shout’ in 2012. Furthermore, when McCartney headlined Glastonbury Festival a decade later, Springsteen joined him to perform ‘Glory Days’ and The Beatles’ ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’.
While ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ was the song that started his journey, it’s a track that he adores for more than sentimental purposes. As ‘The Boss’ once said of the group, “If you listen to the great Beatle records, the earliest ones where the lyrics are incredibly simple. Why are they still beautiful? Well, they’re beautifully sung, beautifully played, and the mathematics in them is elegant. They retain their elegance.”
Similarly to The Beatles, Springsteen has mastered the art of simplicity and knows the most crucial ingredient is the ability to connect with listeners on an emotional level, making many others feel as he did as a 15-year-old upon hearing ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’.
