When I saw this vibrant graffiti image, my first association was to Bruce Springsteen’s song, Born in The USA. His gritty image and concern for the common man, those who stuggle for their existence is a great match for this worn and rusted image. It also represents our country’s tarnished image in the world today after eight years of destruction and misuse of power by the destructive actions of the Bush administration who favored the rich and destroyed lives in our country and abroad. Born in the U.S.A. is an album painted in big, broad strokes. But it was still too subtle for some- namely politicians who tried to tap the title track as a jingoistic anthem when it is in fact a bitter diatribe by a Vietnam War vet whose country forgot him. The rest of the album is a glorious grab bag of radio-ready populist anthems-his best display of pure pop songwriting ever-including “No Surrender,” “Dancing in the Dark,” “Bobby Jean,” and “Glory Days” alongside more circumspect numbers such as “My Hometown” and “I’m On Fire.” It’s not true that there’s no arguing with success, but in this case Springsteen’s widespread acclaim was warranted. With Born in the U.S.A., all those predictions from a decade earlier-that Springsteen was the future of rock—had come true. This image is also a great abstract. I see a blue dog in the background on the right, possible a sad spirit who was also lost and forgotten. Born down in a dead mans town The first kick I took was when I hit the ground You end up like a dog thats been beat too much Till you spend half your life just covering up Born in the u.s.a., I was born in the u.s.a. I was born in the u.s.a., born in the u.s.a. Got in a little hometown jam So they put a rifle in my hand Sent me off to a foreign land To go and kill the yellow man Born in the u.s..a…. Come back home to the refinery Hiring man said son if it was up to me Went down to see my v.a. man He said son, dont you understand I had a brother at khe sahn Fighting off the viet cong Theyre still there, hes all gone He had a woman he loved in saigon I got a picture of him in her arms now Down in the shadow of the penitentiary Out by the gas fires of the refinery Im ten years burning down the road Nowhere to run aint got nowhere to go Born in the u.s.a., I was born in the u.s.a. Born in the u.s.a., Im a long gone daddy in the u.s.a. Born in the u.s.a., born in the u.s.a.