The values instilled in Bruce's music promote a positive vision of masculinity, especially for those of us who come from more middle/working class backgrounds.

Particularly songs, especially Thunder Road, emphasize a message I feel like a lot of not just young men, but also young women, about life being not a linear journey to something better or something worse but rather a dynamic and ever changing experience in which there's both heartache and opportunity around every corner.

As a gen z guy from an east coast blue color background, even decades after he wrote, I find comfort and inspiration in his music, which has been a source of strength to my mental health and personal relationships.