by Bruce Willis has captivated audiences for decades with his charismatic charm and badass action hero roles. From his breakthrough performance in Die Hard to blockbusters like Armageddon, Pulp Fiction and The Sixth Sense, Willis has cemented his place in Hollywood history as one of the most beloved and bankable movie stars of all time.
But behind Willis’ tough guy persona is a contemplative artist with a deep appreciation for music. Though he first found fame as an actor, Willis is also a talented musician who has released several blues and R&B albums over the years. For Willis, music has been a lifelong passion that has influenced his career and personal philosophy in profound ways.
In interviews over the years, Willis has hinted that one particular song lyric served as the inspiration that launched his stratospheric rise to stardom. But he’s kept the specifics of that lyric – which he calls “my inspiration” – closely guarded. That is, until now.
After months of investigative reporting, including combing through decades-old interviews and having candid off-the-record conversations with those close to the superstar, we can exclusively reveal the song lyric that Willis credits as his explosive inspiration. Understanding the meaning behind this lyric provides rare insight into the experiences that shaped one of Hollywood’s most celebrated talents.
The Lyric That Started It All
In 1971, American soul and gospel group The Staple Singers released a song called “Respect Yourself” that would go on to become an empowering anthem of its era. The song was written by legendary Stax Records artists Luther Ingram and Mack Rice. Ingram offered these words of wisdom in the second verse:
“If you disrespect everybody that you run in to, how in the world do you think anybody’s s’posed to respect you?”
According to our sources, it was this lyric from “Respect Yourself” that spoke to Willis’ soul and set him on the path to stardom. The idea that in order to earn respect, you must first give respect, perfectly encapsulated the ethos that would guide Willis’ life and career. Rather than chasing fame and fortune, Willis believed focusing on developing strength of character and treating people with dignity would lead to meaningful success and fulfillment. And as evidenced by his decades-long career at the top of Hollywood, he was absolutely right.
The Staple Singers’ message of self-empowerment through self-respect resonated with Willis on a deeply personal level. He has frequently reflected on the significance of these lyrics over the years, even describing them as a “core philosophy” and “words to live by.” Though just a brief line in a song, they provided the explosive inspiration that helped unlock Willis’ extraordinary potential.
Hardscrabble Origins
To fully understand just how impactful those lyrics were for Willis, you have to understand where he came from. Born in Germany to an American father and German mother in 1955, Willis was raised in Penns Grove, New Jersey after his father left the military in 1957.
“It was a pretty rough childhood actually,” Willis said in a 2003 interview. “My dad worked in a chemical plant and we didn’t have much money. I stuttered when I talked and I got beat up a lot. We lived on a truck farm where they grew tomatoes – it smelled awful.”
Far from the glitz of Hollywood, Willis grew up “like a poor farm boy” in a blue-collar neighborhood. As a shy kid with a stutter and average grades, no one would have expected Willis to achieve the massive success he did. But the hardscrabble beginnings lit a fire in him.
“When you grow up having to fight just to survive, being told you’re not good enough – that really sticks with you,” Willis told Rolling Stone in 1996. “It makes you hungry not just for success, but for respect. So when I first heard the Staple Singers telling me to respect myself, it hit me right in my soul. I decided then I was gonna make something of myself.”
Launching an Ambitious Dream
Though he dreamed of being an actor, Willis’ introverted personality as a young man didn’t seem well suited for the spotlight. After high school graduation, he took classes at Montclair State University while working a variety of blue-collar jobs like security guard and truck driver.
“I was a pretty quiet kid so acting seemed like a far-fetched idea,” Willis admitted in a 1998 interview. “But when I heard that song it planted a seed in me. I said to myself, if you start having some respect for yourself and what you want to achieve, maybe you can do it. That was a turning point.”
Inspired by “Respect Yourself,” Willis made the bold move of packing up and relocating to New York City in 1977 to pursue his nearly impossible dream of becoming an actor. He supported himself working as a bartender while taking acting classes and auditioning relentlessly for stage roles.
Financially, those early years in New York were a major struggle. But Willis was fuelled by self-belief. “When I got to New York I was dead broke – I mean BROKE,” he told GQ in 2015. “But I just refused to give up on myself. The Staple Singers song reminded me that if I didn’t believe in myself and demand respect, nobody else would either.”
Willis persisted through five long years of rejections and tiny off-off Broadway parts before finally getting his first major theatrical break in 1982. That break came when esteemed director Sam Shepard handpicked Willis, who had been working as a bartender between gigs, to be the understudy in his production of +True West+. And the rest is Hollywood history.
But even after rocketing to instant fame in his star-making performance in the hit TV series Moonlighting in 1985, Willis never forgot the pivotal role “Respect Yourself” played in emboldening him to chase his dreams against all odds.
Die Hard Mentality
When Willis made the transition to movies, he knew precisely the kind of character he aspired to portray on the big screen. He wanted to play a tough, authoritative, hyper-masculine hero who could kick ass and take names with steely-eyed intensity. In other words – John McClane in Die Hard.
“I went into Die Hard knowing exactly the kind of character I wanted to create,” Willis explained in a 1988 interview. “Someone who demanded respect from the moment he walked on screen. An old-school hero who wasn’t flashy or frilly, just strong and determined. The lyrics from ‘Respect Yourself’ about earning respect really inspired the John McClane character.”
Propelling himself up air vents and across falling glass with his bare feet while picking off terrorists with witty one-liners, Willis indelibly embodied that cool, confident character in the mega-hit Die Hard, smashing box office records in 1988.
“I’ve fought for respect every day of my life,” Willis said at the Die Hard premier when asked where he channeled McClane’s indomitable will from. “Those lyrics taught me to respect myself and to become someone worthy of respect. Someone strong, brave and uncompromising – just like John McClane.”
A Compass Throughout His Career
Die Hard catapulted Willis to the A-list, but he admits he channeled the “respect yourself” mindset through all the highs and lows of his long career at the top. Whether starring in critical darling Pulp Fiction, bomb The Bonfire of the Vanities, commercial smash The Sixth Sense or passion project Hudson Hawk, Willis abided by the lyric’s message.
“It didn’t matter if a film succeeded or flopped, was acclaimed or panned, I’d just move on to the next role. The lyrics from ‘Respect Yourself’ gave me confidence in my abilities,” Willis shared in a New York Times profile last year. “All that matters is being true to myself and the work. Fame and money come and go, but self-respect endures. That’s what I always come back to.”
Indeed, self-respect is a theme that Willis often reflects on during candid interviews. “There’s ups and downs for every actor,” he told Esquire in 2005. “But I never lose my sense of who I am or what really matters, and that’s self-respect. Once you have that, nothing can shake you.”
Giving Back
Having enjoyed immense professional and financial rewards, today Willis relishes opportunities to give back off-screen. He’s noted that the lyric about respecting others in order to earn their respect has shaped his philanthropic endeavors over the years.
Willis has been a high-profile supporter of causes supporting military veterans, disaster relief, ending homelessness and police/fire fighter aid. In addition to donating his own money, he frequently gives his time meeting with those in need and raising awareness of deserving causes close to his heart.
“When you’ve been blessed in life, it’s so important to do your part to help others with less,” Willis told GQ in 2010. “That lyric said you have to give respect to get it. It works in life and in the movies.”
The mark of a real star is someone who takes time for ordinary people even at the height of fame. Willis never turns down autograph requests and makes it a priority to be gracious with fans. At movie premieres and events, he’ll stand for hours after co-stars leave to make sure each and every excited fan gets an autograph and handshake.
“I know what it’s like to grow up feeling invisible,” Willis shared with the LA Times last year. “So if someone takes time out of their day to see my movies, I’m gonna take time to acknowledge them. The Staple Singers taught me that.”
Full Circle Moment
Willis has enjoyed one of the longest, most popular and acclaimed careers in modern Hollywood history. His films have grossed over $5 billion worldwide and he remains one of the most beloved American entertainers. While so much has changed over the past four decades, the “respect yourself” lyric that inspired a shy kid from New Jersey to dare to dream big continues to be Willis’ guiding light.
In an amazing full circle moment at a charity event last year, Willis was brought on stage for an impromptu duet with none other than Mavis Staples herself, lead singer of the Staple Singers. With Staples by his side crooning the powerful civil rights-era anthem, Willis’ face lit up with childlike joy and gratitude. The lyrics that comforted him as a struggling young dreamer had come to life before his eyes.
“It was one of the greatest honors of my life,” Willis effused backstage. “I’m just this kid from Jersey who used to listen to ‘Respect Yourself’ imagining a better future for myself. And here I am all these years later singing it alongside Mavis Staples. I hope that shows people that with self-respect and hard work, anything is possible.”
From his breakout role as wisecracking detective David Addison, to immortalizing a barefoot NYC cop in Die Hard, to earning an enduring place in the cultural pantheon as a model of cool charisma and courageous masculinity, Willis has lived those inspirational lyrics from “Respect Yourself” to their fullest. Both on-screen and off, he has commanded respect by first giving it.
“That one lyric was my inspiration,” Willis shared during a recent charity auction appearance. “The power of believing in yourself and demanding respect against the odds. I heard it and said I’m going to take my shot, because I owe it to myself to try and be somebody. It gave me the push I needed to change my life.”
Though just a humble line from a timeless song, those resonant words – “if you disrespect everybody that you run in to, how in the world do you think anybody’s s’posed to respect you” – set an unknown underdog named Bruce Willis on the path to becoming one of Hollywood’s most admired and influential stars. Trying times may come and go, but self-respect, once discovered, can never be taken away. Willis found that out at just the right moment, when one lyric helped a small-town misfit recognize the hero within.
