Bruce Springsteen calls ‘Crush On You’ the worst song he has ever written – but fans disagree

Bruce Springsteen’s hate of Crush on You has struck a nerve with fans, who believe it is one of his better songs.

The Boss has claimed it is one of the worst songs he has written and called it “the stupidest song we’ve ever recorded” but fans of his music suggest it is far stronger than he lets on. A post to Springsteen’s subreddit has seen fans defend Crush on You, the song which features on double album The River. Users believe it is now a “slept on” classic in Springsteen’s discography, and they cannot get their heads around why the songwriter would be so dismissive of it.

One user wrote: “Ever since Bruce made some casual remarks about how it was the worst song he ever wrote I feel like it’s somehow become vague consensus that it’s a bad song? I’ve seen people on this board do condensed/reshuffled versions of The River/Tie That Binds/Tracks era songs and it’s almost always left off. I think the song ROCKS! It’s not the deepest on the album but who cares?

“That balance of simplistic down-and-dirty rock banger with more profound epics is what makes that album so rewarding. I wish I had some deeper explanation other than ‘I run to it all the time and it gets me going’ but that’s a lot more than other songs I can mention. I’d rather some of the ‘dumb’ tracks like that or I’m A Rocker than some of his more ambitious but possibly misjudged epics.”

Fans agreed with this user’s assessment of Crush on You and called it a “slept on” song. They wrote: “Completely agree man. It’s slept on nowadays.” Another user wrote: “It’s an absolute banger.” A third suggested Springsteen’s hate for the song is misguided and another song should be taking the heat instead.

They wrote: “Yeahhh I don’t understand the hate for this one at all when I Wanna Marry You exists.” Another added: “I agree with you, this song is just pure fun. I never skip it, it puts a big smile on my face.” Some fans even went as far to say it was one of their favourite Springsteen songs.

Why is Crush On You so dismissed?
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One claimed: “It’s terrific. It’s the only song on that album where the guitars are loud and dirty and Bruce is just shouting the whole time. It’s great.” Another added: “It’s always been a favourite of mine.”

Not everyone was as positive about the song, with one user suggesting it was “filler” from The River. They wrote: “Far from the worst song but it’s the definition of filler. It’s not bad, kind of catchy, but ultimately adds nothing to the album. If it was taken away, the album would still be great.”

Another wrote: “Fun songs are fun. I don’t know why people have to drag on things. Oh, and I always liked the line ‘my brain takes over just to give my heart more room’.” A third suggested hate for Crush on You could be because of the songs cut to make space for it. They wrote: “He threw off songs that people think are stronger for it. That’s a large part of it.”