It’s Fourth of July weekend, and if you’re not at a barbecue where The Boss is blasting on the stereo, you’re: 1. Definitely not in New Jersey and 2. At the wrong party.

Now, before we go full throttle into a Bruce Springsteen love fest, let’s get one thing out of the way. While “Born In The U.S.A.” may sound like a patriotic ode to ‘Merica, it’s actually much darker than that. Springsteen wrote the song about a working-class Vietnam veteran who feels isolated from the government and his fellow countrymen. In

When he carried the weight of a child on his shoulders (no, really):

When he most literally inspired this girl’s entire life:

When he auctioned the shirt and guitar off his back and raised $160,000 for injured veterans:

When he proved he’s still got it by crowd surfing into the audience:

And then chugging a fan’s beer because, well, he can:

So thanks Bruce. As a nation, we salute you.