Almost as soon as Born In The U.S.A. was released, people began telling different stories about what was going on with the album’s cover. Call it one sure sign of success. In somewhat the same way that Abbey Road generated interpretations, theories and myths regarding the artwork, so too did Born In The U.S.A: he’s pissing on the flag; he’s been lifting weights and wants us to see his ass; he’s a good American boy, paying tribute to his country, ball cap in his back pocket.
However ungrounded these readings, there they were. Then US president Ronald Reagan, not one for spending great amounts of time analysing album covers or rock lyrics, preferred the last of them, and publicly voiced his kinship with the artist. Springsteen, not surprisingly, wasn’t inclined to go on that blind date.
