After 'Born to Run,' I had a reaction to my good fortune. With success, it felt like a lot of people who'd come before me lost some essential part of themselves. My greatest fear was that success was going to change or diminish that part of myself.

You can't start a fire without a spark

Roy Orbison is singing for the lonely, hey, that's me and I want you only.

I looked at myself, and I just said, well, you know, I can sing but I'm not the greatest singer in the world. I can play guitar very well, but I'm not the greatest guitar player in the world... And so I said, well, if I'm going to project an individuality, it's going to have to be in my writing.

I know your mama she don't like me, cause I play in a rock and roll band.

I was the only person I'd ever met who had a record contract. None of the E Street Band, as far as I know, had been on an airplane until Columbia sent us to Los Angeles.

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?