DAVID GREENE, HOST:
So back in 1984, Bruce Springsteen had a rather urgent problem.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "I'M ON FIRE")
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN: (Singing) Oh, oh, oh, I'm on fire.
GREENE: Well, it's taken a few decades, but he's finally getting some help with that.
RACHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Yeah. This week, the Jersey City Fire Department welcomed his son to its newest class.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: Firefighter Sam Springsteen.
(APPLAUSE)
MARTIN: Twenty-six-year-old Sam Springsteen was one of 15 new firefighters sworn in on Tuesday.
GREENE: And Sam, we should say, was reluctant to draw too much attention to himself when cornered by a reporter.
(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)
SAM SPRINGSTEEN: I don't have too much to say.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Was it hard becoming a firefighter?
S SPRINGSTEEN: It wasn't easy.
MARTIN: You've got to wonder where Sam Springsteen got the idea to pursue a career in firefighting.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "STREETS OF FIRE")
B SPRINGSTEEN: (Singing) Streets of fire.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "I'M GOIN' DOWN")
B SPRINGSTEEN: (Singing) Burning in some fire fight.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "DANCING IN THE DARK")
B SPRINGSTEEN: (Singing) You can't start a fire without a spark.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "JUST LIKE FIRE WOULD")
B SPRINGSTEEN: (Singing) Just like fire would, I burn up.
MARTIN: And, believe me, we could have played you more.
GREENE: Yeah, Bruce really seems to love these fire metaphors, doesn't he? So anyway, Sam's mother Patti Scialfa and Bruce were both at the ceremony. The proud papa told reporters he's not worried about his son's dangerous new job. The boss said, quote, "Sam can handle himself."
MARTIN: (Laughter).
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "FIRE")
B SPRINGSTEEN: (Singing) 'Cause when we kiss, oh, fire. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.