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Bruce Springsteen is known as ‘The Boss’, and for good reason.

His songs have become household favourites across America and the world, with ‘Born In The U.S.A.’ belted out across the country every Fourth of July (along with John Denver).

Funnily enough, rather than being an ode to America, ‘Born In The U.S.A.’ actually illustrates the plight of a Vietnam War veteran who returns home to desperate circumstances and few options.

Now his lyrics are back under the spotlight, with the opening lines of ‘Thunder Road’ being picked apart.

In fact, The Boss himself might not know which is which, reports The Los Angeles Times:

The latest niche Twitter controversy began on July 3, when New York Times political reporter Maggie Haberman tweeted a photo of an empty theater stage and the words “A screen door slams, Mary’s dress sways.”

Followers understood that she was attending Springsteen’s Broadway solo show, and quickly admonished her for mangling the lyrics.

She was wrong in that the song opens with “The screen door slams”.

As for that second line, confusion reigns:

Springsteen himself has carefully removed any doubt from the matter. In the original album gatefold design of “Born to Run,” the lyrics are printed: “Mary’s dress waves.”

The booklet of the CD reissue says the same. So does his official website, brucespringsteen.net, and his official songbook, “Bruce Springsteen: Songs.”

And right here, on page 220 of his best-selling “Born to Run” memoir, Springsteen ends the argument. “‘The screen door slams, Mary’s dress sways’ — that’s a good opening line,” he writes. There you go, case closed, no need to continue this ridiculous —

Hang on – now he’s saying it’s ‘dress sways’ after it being ‘dress waves’ in the album lyrics and the official website?

Have a listen for yourself, from the 18-second mark:

I go with ‘sways’, which also seems a more likely action for a dress than ‘waves’.

Then again, what do I know?

“I can’t believe this is even up for debate,” says Caryn Rose, author of the 2012 book “Raise Your Hand: Adventures of an American Springsteen Fan in Europe” and a long-time contributor to Backstreets, a Springsteen fanzine.

“Mary’s dress waves. People who hear ‘sways’ should go get their ears cleaned out.”

In the other corner…

Mike Appel was Springsteen’s manager at the time of “Born to Run.”

“I heard him sing it I don’t know how many times, and it was always ‘sways,’” the 78-year-old says.

He submitted the lyrics when he registered the song with the U.S. Copyright Office. When I mention that the album says “waves,” he’s startled. “Really? Maybe I got it wrong, but I’m pretty damn sure it’s ‘sways.’”

There is much back and forth from various interested parties, but here’s where we now stand.

46 years after the song’s release, the lyric will be edited. Here’s Springsteen’s longtime manager and Born To Run co-producer Jon Landua, via NME:

“The word is ‘sways’” Landau said, adding that “any typos in official Bruce material will be corrected.”

…the official ‘Thunder Road’ lyrics on Springsteen’s website have since been changed from “waves” to “sways”.

Discussing the matter further, Landau said: “That’s the way he wrote it in his original notebooks, that’s the way he sang it on ‘Born to Run’, in 1975, that’s the way he has always sung it at thousands of shows, and that’s the way he sings it right now on Broadway.”

‘Sways’ wins.

Take that, Caryn (Karen?) Rose – whose ears need cleaning now?

Next up, let’s get some clarity on what the lyrics to ‘American Pie’ actually mean.

Anyway, on with the day.

[sources:latimes&nme]