Springsteen, The Writer

Dwight Garner channels Richard Ford on Springsteen: It is a uniquely American celebrity, rewarding excellence that's unquestionably native, prizing an apparently natural phenomenon that turns out to be wonderful, as if a kid could sign up for metal shop and in a few semesters produce a Henry Moore. We like our excellence even better with history, confident that what we're seeing and liking so much is a product of years' work performed in obscurity, of dues-paying. In Springsteen's case, this lets us believe he's earned us – though there's an answering generosity in his music that offers everyone a sweet insider's feel, an assurance that no matter when we first took notice, we were in on things from the ground floor.

And here's my favorite YouTube clip.