Bruce Springsteen Says One Beatles Song Is A “Rip-Off”

Bruce Springsteen, the legendary rock musician known as “The Boss,” recently caused a stir with his candid remarks about a Beatles classic. In a revealing interview, Springsteen expressed his opinion that one particular Beatles song was, in his own words, a “rip-off.” These comments have ignited a passionate debate among music enthusiasts and fans of both Springsteen and the Beatles, highlighting the complexities of musical influence and artistic inspiration.

Discovering the Beatles’ Rise

The Beatles’ steady rise to the top in England stood in contrast to their explosion of popularity in the United States. They went from unknown to the country’s most popular band virtually overnight. Their records flew off shelves. Young fans like Bruce Springsteen bought whatever Fab Four merchandise they could get their hands on. That included one Beatles song that Springsteen said was a rip-off that he listened to constantly anyway.

Springsteen’s Candid Assessment

Bruce Springsteen, like many others, was captivated by the Beatles when they made their U.S. debut in 1964. The band’s string of chart-topping hits earned them a staggering 64 songs in the Billboard top 100 between 1964 and 1970. Springsteen, a young and impressionable music fan at the time, was initially drawn to the Beatles’ infectious tune “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” which he heard on the radio. However, when he went to purchase the single, he had to settle for “My Bonnie,” a Beatles song that he considered a rip-off and not particularly great.

“I searched the newsstands for every magazine with a photo I hadn’t seen, and I dreamed, dreamed, dreamed, that it was me,” Springsteen said. “I didn’t want to meet the Beatles. I wanted to be the Beatles.”

“My Bonnie” was a recording by singer Tony Sheridan, with the Beatles providing backup. Although the song was a traditional folk tune spruced up to be a vaguely surf-rock sounding early rock ‘n’ roll tune, Springsteen expressed his honest opinion that the song was a rip-off and not very good at all. Despite this, Springsteen admitted that he listened to it anyway, as he preferred leaving the record store with some Fab Four music instead of none at all.

The Beatles’ Enduring Influence

Although Springsteen deemed “My Bonnie” a rip-off, his passion for music remained unwavering. The Beatles played a significant role in shaping his musical aspirations and development as an artist. Inspired by their music, Springsteen devoted himself to mastering the guitar, with the Beatles’ rendition of “Twist and Shout” being the first rock song he learned to play.

“My Bonnie” proved to be a rip-off for Springsteen, but his first Beatles album, Meet The Beatles, showed him a glimpse of his own future. The four faces staring back, each one half hidden in shadow, seemed to beckon him to join them in the spotlight. The Boss didn’t see his own face on an album cover until nearly a decade later on 1973’s The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle. Still, continued inspiration from The Beatles, rip-off song and all, helped Springsteen stay on course long enough to become a star in his own right.