Bruce Springsteen wrote and composed the song "Light of Day" specifically for the film; Joan Jett performed the song for the film's soundtrack. Schrader's original working title for the film was "Born in the USA." He showed the script to Springsteen to make sure he got the details right about a blue-collar bar band. Springsteen ended up using the title for a song he had been writing about a Vietnam veteran, and as a result, the Barbusters's signature song, which he provided, gave the film its eventual title. Starting from the late 1980s and during the 1990s, Springsteen himself used the song to close his concerts.