The Glory Days: ‘Deliver Me From Nowhere’ Proves Why ’80s Music Still Rocks

Bruce Springsteen was synonymous with America in the 1970s. Donning a Dylan-inspired newsboy cap, black leather and a head full of curls, he defined the era’s musical landscape with albums like Born to Run (1975) and Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978). But by the early 1980s, the world was changing (politically, culturally, musically) and so was The Boss.

A little thing called the Internet was on the way, synths were everywhere, hair was big, and radio stations were playing anthems that promised escape from the decade’s growing restlessness. Yet in 1982, on the cusp of global stardom, Springsteen stripped it all back. Instead of producing another huge rock record that his label wanted, he locked himself in a New Jersey bedroom, pressed record on a four-track cassette deck, and came out with Nebraska, an acoustic, vulnerable reflection of working-class America.

There was none of the big energy or production polish audiences expected. Just a man, his guitar, and the weight of success on his shoulders. Now more than four decades later, Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere — the new biopic starring Golden Globe Award® Winner Jeremy Allen White (The Bear) as Springsteen and Jeremy Strong (Succession) as his longtime manager— revisits that pivotal moment.

Written and directed by Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart), the film recounts the making of Nebraska while capturing the spirit of a decade that produced some of the most emotionally charged and enduring music ever made.

While artists like Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson and Duran Duran were redefining pop-stardom, others like Springsteen, The Cure and U2 were searching for something more introspective. On one hand, it was an era of MTV gloss, bold fashion and excess. On the other, it still held the kind of warm, analog authenticity the modern world longs for.

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Ultimately, that tension contributed to the decade’s long lasting influence. Today, the ’80s can be heard in Jack Antonoff’s synth-heavy Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter productions, Chappell Roan’s big, catchy choruses and stage outfits, and indie singer-songwriters recording in their bedrooms.

That’s what Deliver Me From Nowhere captures so well. It isn’t nostalgia for the ’80s as much as it is a reminder of what the decade stood for. Even in a modern world built on digital precision, the crackle of tape in Springsteen’s music and the imperfection of a live take still resonate.

At its core, Deliver Me From Nowhere is the story of an artist going his own away and choosing heart over expectation. White’s performance channels Springsteen’s conflict with stardom with quiet intensity. But most of all, the film promises to humanise him, revealing where the rawness of Nebraska came from.

In the recent Behind The Rolling Stone Cover podcast, Australian music legend Paul Field explained his longtime fascination with Springsteen. “He was an interesting mixture of quite serious writing but also quite joyful,” he said. “[Seeing him] live, it was a journey. It was a religious experience.”

Now, Deliver Me From Nowhere brings that same experience to the big screen. Whether you grew up in the ’80s or discovered it through your parents’ CD collection, Deliver Me From Nowhere taps into what was great about that era, reminding us that the pursuit of truth and emotion in music never goes out of style. And few albums, or artists, captured that better than Nebraska.

Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere is in cinemas October 23. Book tickets now at springsteenmovie.com.au