Tramps Like Us

Music and Meaning among Springsteen Fans

Nonfiction, Entertainment, Music, Pop & Rock, Rock, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Cultural Studies, Popular Culture, Music Styles
Cover of the book Tramps Like Us by Daniel Cavicchi, Oxford University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Daniel Cavicchi ISBN: 9780190284329
Publisher: Oxford University Press Publication: October 29, 1998
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author: Daniel Cavicchi
ISBN: 9780190284329
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication: October 29, 1998
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

As rock critics have noted in the past, Bruce Springsteen's songs exist in a world of their own--they have their own settings, characters, words, and images. It is a world that even those who know only a handful of Springsteen's lyrics can instantly recognize, a world of highways and factories, loners and underdogs, hot rods and patrol cars. And it is a world that stretches far beyond the New Jersey state line. Indeed, Springsteen's attention to the ideals and struggles of ordinary Americans has significantly influenced American popular culture and public debate. As a rock-and-roll troubadour, "the Boss" speaks not only for his many fans but to them, and often with a directness or sincerity that no other performer can match. But what can be said of the fans themselves? Why and how do they relate to Springsteen's words and music? Based on three years of ethnographic research amid Springsteen's fans, and informed by the author's own experiences and impressions as a fan, Daniel Cavicchi's Tramps Like Us is an interdisciplinary study of the ways in which ordinary people form special, sustained attachments to a particular singer/songwriter and his songs, and of how these attachments function in people's lives. An "insider's narrative" about Springsteen fans--who they are, what they do, and why they do it--this book also investigates the phenomenon of fandom in general. The text oscillates between fans' stories and ideas and Cavicchi's own anecdotes, commentary, and analysis. It challenges the stereotypes of fans as obsessive, delusional, and even mentally ill, and explores fandom as a normal socio-cultural activity. Ultimately, this book argues that music fandom is a useful and meaningful behavior that enables us to shape identities, create communities, and make sense of the world--both Bruce's and our own.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

As rock critics have noted in the past, Bruce Springsteen's songs exist in a world of their own--they have their own settings, characters, words, and images. It is a world that even those who know only a handful of Springsteen's lyrics can instantly recognize, a world of highways and factories, loners and underdogs, hot rods and patrol cars. And it is a world that stretches far beyond the New Jersey state line. Indeed, Springsteen's attention to the ideals and struggles of ordinary Americans has significantly influenced American popular culture and public debate. As a rock-and-roll troubadour, "the Boss" speaks not only for his many fans but to them, and often with a directness or sincerity that no other performer can match. But what can be said of the fans themselves? Why and how do they relate to Springsteen's words and music? Based on three years of ethnographic research amid Springsteen's fans, and informed by the author's own experiences and impressions as a fan, Daniel Cavicchi's Tramps Like Us is an interdisciplinary study of the ways in which ordinary people form special, sustained attachments to a particular singer/songwriter and his songs, and of how these attachments function in people's lives. An "insider's narrative" about Springsteen fans--who they are, what they do, and why they do it--this book also investigates the phenomenon of fandom in general. The text oscillates between fans' stories and ideas and Cavicchi's own anecdotes, commentary, and analysis. It challenges the stereotypes of fans as obsessive, delusional, and even mentally ill, and explores fandom as a normal socio-cultural activity. Ultimately, this book argues that music fandom is a useful and meaningful behavior that enables us to shape identities, create communities, and make sense of the world--both Bruce's and our own.

More books from Oxford University Press

Cover of the book Colombian Constitutional Law by Daniel Cavicchi
Cover of the book Unfinished Business by Daniel Cavicchi
Cover of the book Venomous Reptiles and Their Toxins by Daniel Cavicchi
Cover of the book Fatima: Oxford Bibliographies Online Research Guide by Daniel Cavicchi
Cover of the book Form-Focused Instruction and Teacher Education - Oxford Applied Linguistics by Daniel Cavicchi
Cover of the book Surviving Images by Daniel Cavicchi
Cover of the book Minds and Gods by Daniel Cavicchi
Cover of the book Antarctica by Daniel Cavicchi
Cover of the book Jane Crow by Daniel Cavicchi
Cover of the book Treatment for Hoarding Disorder by Daniel Cavicchi
Cover of the book The Digital Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy by Daniel Cavicchi
Cover of the book In Pursuit of Equity by Daniel Cavicchi
Cover of the book Martin Bucer's Doctrine of Justification by Daniel Cavicchi
Cover of the book Cold Peace by Daniel Cavicchi
Cover of the book The Throne of Adulis: Red Sea Wars on the Eve of Islam by Daniel Cavicchi
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy