Bruce Springteen suffered from depression

New York - A history of depression lies behind Bruce Springsteen's manic, high-energy concert performances, the singer told The New Yorker in an interview.

The intense rock star, who typically puts on three- or four-hour non-stop shows, was quoted saying that at one point he was driven by "pure fear and self-loathing and self-hatred".

"My issues weren't as obvious as drugs," the famously health-conscious and abstemious Springsteen said in the latest issue of The New Yorker. "Mine were different, they were quieter."

From nothing to something

A biographer and friend, Dave Marsh, told The New Yorker that Springsteen felt suicidal in 1982 as fame swept over him.

"He was on a rocket ride, from nothing to something, and now you are getting your ass kissed day and night. You might start to have some inner conflicts about your real self-worth."

Troubled by memories of a difficult relationship with his father, Springsteen started seeing a psychotherapist in 1982, the magazine reported.