Bruce Springsteen allegedly took the title of his popular song from Paul Schrader
alue and traveled to Japan to work on Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters. Upon his return, Schrader discovered that Springsteen had released a hit song titled “Born in the U.S.A.,” which was the same title he had planned to use for his bar band script.
Although Schrader received credit in the liner notes of the album, it wasn’t until later that Springsteen explained the situation to him. Springsteen confessed that he had never read Schrader’s script but had seen it lying on the coffee table every day. Eventually, the title caught his attention, and he decided to use it for his song.
Springsteen, being the gracious artist that he is, offered Schrader the opportunity to use the song for his film whenever it was ready. However, Schrader asked for a new song instead, resulting in the creation of “Light of Day,” which became the title of the film when it was produced.
Looking back on the film Light of Day, which premiered in 1987, Schrader expressed some disappointment, not with the song but with his choice of leads. He admitted that casting Michael J. Fox and Joan Jett together was not ideal and may have affected the film’s success.
Despite the situation, Schrader chose not to pursue any financial gain from the use of the song title. He believed in doing the right thing and did not want to exploit Springsteen’s work for personal gain. Springsteen appreciated his integrity, and their bond remained strong over the years.
In a recent incident involving the upcoming film Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere, a script given to Springsteen by Schrader featured a map of Ohio drawn on the front. Schrader had forgotten about this detail until director Scott Cooper pointed it out, revealing that Springsteen had kept the script all these years.
With a career that includes writing Taxi Driver and Raging Bull and directing First Reformed, Schrader’s legacy continues to grow. Only time will tell if he will be credited for the title of a Taylor Swift biopic in the future.