https://rollingstone.com.br/musica/a-complexa-relacao-de-bruce-springsteen-com-o-pai-douglas/

*By Pedro Hollanda |
Every son sees his father as his greatest hero. It was the case that Bruce Springsteen with his, Douglas. However, the relationship between the two — portrayed in the new film Springsteen: Save Me From the Unknown (2025) — was much more complicated than that, to the point where the singer also called him his biggest enemy.

The man nicknamed Dutch He had several jobs throughout his life, including being a taxi driver, a prison guard and a carpet factory worker. He had problems with alcohol throughout his life and suffered from mental health issues.

Douglas and Bruce’s relationship was complicated mainly because of the gulf between their generations. Dutch was born before the Great Depression and grew up in a completely different society. In his autobiography, Born to Runthe singer wrote about how his father offended him.

“My father called me an outcast, alienated, a weird sissy.”

Distancing and inspiration

When Bruce’s parents moved to California in 1969, the young Springsteen remained in New Jersey. The emotional distance between him and Douglas was now physical, and as he developed as a composer, the musician began to use his songs to express things he wanted to say to his father.

Bruce told Rolling Stone USA in 2010:

“Those songs were ways I could talk to my father at that time, because he didn’t open up and we didn’t talk much.”

The singer has recognized over the years that much of his stage persona in the late 1970s was an attempt to conform to standards of masculinity, to be accepted by his father. He painted himself as a working-class hero, even though he never had a traditional job in his life.

Ultimately, Bruce Springsteen started going to therapy. And this helped him find his own identity amid such a whirlwind of emotions.

Truce

The truce between the two came in 1990, after the birth of Bruce’s firstborn, Evan. Douglas made a surprise visit to see his grandson. While drinking beer with his son, he made an admission that the singer reported in his autobiography.

He said:

“Bruce, you were very good to us. And I wasn’t very good to you.”

Springsteen then wrote:

“That was it. Everything I needed, everything I needed.”

In the years following that conversation, father and son were able to repair many of the wounds caused throughout their relationship, although Bruce stated that Dutch never said “I love you” to him. The most he could achieve was “me too” when the singer attested to his love.

Douglas Springsteen died in 1998, aged 64.

Thanks to actor Stephen Graham

Bruce Springsteen made an affectionate gesture to Stephen Grahamwho played Douglas in Springsteen: Save Me From the Unknown. The two met during the singer’s visit to the set of the film, which hits Brazilian cinemas on October 30th.

In an interview with the Soundtracking podcast (transcription via Smooth Radio), the British actor said he received a message from Bruce while on his way to an airport on the same day. It was a thank you.

He described:

“The text message said, ‘Thank you so much… My dad passed away a while ago and I felt like I saw him today. Thank you for giving me this memory.'”

Graham said he cried while reading the message. In his words, it was better than any award he had won in his career.

Rolling Stone Brasil: Avenged Sevenfold on the cover

The new edition of Rolling Stone Brasil features an exclusive interview with the 5 members of Avenged Sevenfoldon the eve of his biggest solo shows in Brazil. There is also a chat with Planet Hempa special Bruce Springsteentribute to Ozzy Osbourne and much more. Buy on the Loja Perfil website.

• Bruce Springsteen

• Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere

• Springsteen: Save Me From the Unknown