A candid new short film covering the origins, meanings and making of Bruce Springsteen’s new album Wrecking Ball, as well as the Boss’s early life and perspectives on the world, has premiered online.

In the premiere clip of Wrecking Ball: A Conversation with Bruce Springsteen, he explains the inspiration and deeper meanings behind many of the album’s standout tracks, such as “We Take Care of Our Own,” “Death to My Hometown” and “Land of Hope and Dreams.”

He comments on his family life, in which his mother empowered him and gave him a true identity just based on her work ethic and presence in the household.

“Lack of work creates a lack of self…Work creates a massive sense of self,” he says in the video. He also described his mother, the primary breadwinner in his family growing up, as a “towering figure.”

Perhaps helping to explain why he continues to work so hard on his music even after 17 studio albums and worldwide success, Springsteen comments on the unemployment issues facing America and work’s importance to the human condition: “The country should strive for full employment…It’s the only thing that brings self and self-esteem and a sense of place, a sense of belonging.”

Watch the video at CNN.com.

See also:

• Bruce Springsteen to Broadcast Isle of Wight Performance on TV
• Remembering Clarence Clemons: Nils Lofgren Sounds Off
• Jimmy Fallon: “I Was Putting A Wig On Bruce Springsteen”
• 20 Famous Rock Star Dads
• Bruce Springsteen Top Choice to Compose New National Anthem