The Uncanny Parallels Between Zach Bryan and Bruce Springsteen

Ever since Bruce Springsteen shared the stage at his show in Philadelphia, fans and critics haven’t been able to help themselves in making comparisons between him and Zach Bryan. Now, there are obvious similarities regarding their charismatic on-stage persona and similar fanbase appeal. However, the parallels between the two go far deeper, nearly to a subconscious level.

These subliminal similarities are seemingly entirely incidental, as neither artist had openly acknowledged any relationship prior to their recent collaboration and onstage appearance. It seems Bryan, with his own twist, has replicated certain elements of Springsteen’s career by unconscious influence.

1. Bryan & Springsteen’s America

One of the more overt parallels between the two artists is in their songs, and their most frequently visited topic—America. Springsteen and Bryan are both known for writing tunes rooted in deciphering and depicting small and forgotten sects of America. The Great American Bar Scene and Nebraska are two albums that come to mind given they both toil with microcosmic American themes and settings.

To be more specific, it seems Bryan and Springsteen utilize such landscapes for an aesthetic and metaphorical appeal demanding one to question how the lives of their songs correlate to the grander scale of America.

Its lines such as My Brother from Tulsa has got himself a warrant / But he’s on the run up in Cheyenne, from Bryan’s”The Great American Bar Scene.” And He came too drunk from mixin Tanqueray and wine / He got a gun shot a night clerk, now they call him Johnny 99, from Springsteen’s “Johnny 99,” that represents the America the two lyrically reside in. A hard, grim, raw one that lends itself to subtextual song lyrics.

2. Furrowed Browed and Full of Fight

Both Springsteen and Bryan are rooted in intense and deeply meaningful material. That said, the two mimic an ambitious energy both displayed in their lyrics and their music. A set of songs sounding like they could belong to either one of them are “Sandpaper” and “I’m on Fire.” A comparison acknowledged by many, including Billboard, the songs share the same tempo and fervor.

Numerous other songs share similar qualities, though none as uncanny as “Sandpaper” and “I’m on Fire.” Though, to Springsteen fans, Bryan reminds them of a young Bruce Springsteen. A young man who is full of masculine energy, a little pissed off, and will let you know in beautiful and original verse. The comparison is one that seemingly lurked in the shadows before the collaboration. Though, now that it has come out in the open, it’s hard for fans to unsee it.

Photo by Mindy Small/Getty Images