You've always got to remember, rock and roll's never been about giving up. For me, for a lot of kids, it was a totally positive force... not optimistic all the time, but positive. It was never--never--a bout surrender.

Getting an audience is hard. Sustaining an audience is hard. It demands a consistency of thought, of purpose, and of action over a long period of time.

I told a story with the E Street Band that was bigger and better than I could have done on my own.

They put a rifle in my hand, sent me off to a foreign land to go and kill the Yellow man.

Your spoken voice is a part of it - not a big part of it, but it's something. It puts people at ease, and once again kind of reaches out and makes a bridge for what's otherwise difficult music.

I think that, when you're writing your songs, there's always a debate about whether, is that you in the song? Is it not you in the song?

All you can do is show people...You tell stories that are true and compelling.