Bruce Springsteen once revealed that the song that changed his life was “Like a Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan. He first heard it in 1965 when he was just 15 years old, sitting in his car outside a drive-in in New Jersey. The moment the opening snare drum hit and Dylan’s voice came through the radio, Bruce said it was like “a bolt of lightning” that hit him. He described it as a “revolutionary moment” that made him realize the power of music and what it could do.
The lyrics, attitude, and freedom in Dylan’s voice showed Bruce that songs could be more than just entertainment—they could be personal, political, and poetic. That experience inspired him to pick up a guitar and start writing his own songs. Springsteen has called it the song that “kicked the door open” to a whole new world, shaping his entire musical journey.
Springsteen remembered how Dylan’s voice wasn’t perfect in the traditional sense, but it had something deeper—it was raw, real, and fearless. That honesty struck a chord with him. Bruce said it gave him permission to use his own voice, to tell his own stories, no matter how imperfect they sounded. “Like a Rolling Stone” made him feel that it was okay to be different, to speak out, and to chase something bigger than himself. Years later, when Bruce finally met Dylan, he told him how that one song completely changed the way he saw the world.
It wasn’t just the music—it was the freedom and courage it carried. Springsteen has often credited Dylan for opening the door for artists like himself, giving them a blueprint for making meaningful rock music. Even today, Bruce says he still listens to that song and feels the same fire he did as a teenager. It wasn’t just a song to him—it was the beginning of everything.