Young Guitarist Said 'Born to Run' Was Easy — Bruce Springsteen Was Standing Right There

Derek was twenty-two, genuinely good, and completely sure of himself. So when someone asked about Springsteen, he said what he thought: "Born to Run is like a beginner song if you actually know what you're doing." The man at the back of the crowd didn't say anything. He just picked up a Telecaster and played it for ninety seconds. What Derek heard in those ninety seconds changed how he played for the next sixteen years. This is the story of the difference between simple and easy — and what it costs to learn it.