Anyone perplexed by Bruce Springsteen's recent letter to the editor to The New York Times, in which he rails against his image as a "saintly man of the people," might gain insight from "Bruce Springsteen: VH1 Storytellers," available Tuesday on DVD.

The nearly two-hour program was recorded April 4 at Two River Theatre in Red Bank, with Springsteen performing acoustically and talking about his songwriting process. His wife and band mate, Patti Scialfa, joined him on backing vocals.

In his discussion on "Brilliant Disguise," a hit from the 1987 album "Tunnel of Love," Springsteen said he tackled the themes of identity and love, and the dynamics between men and women, in a way he'd been unable to do before. At the time, he was 37.

There's a public self and a public face, he said. There's "Bruce Springsteen" and then there's himself. There's a guy who will half-sheepishly confess to his audience that he enjoyed going to strip clubs "before they got fancy." That guy has to deal with two people who don't want him indulging that whim ? his wife ("one whose wishes I must respect") and "Bruce Springsteen," the public self.

Springsteen recalled leaving such an establishment some time ago and being gently reprimanded by two fans who saw him ? "Bruce, you're not supposed to be here."

"I'm not," Springsteen replied. "Bruce Springsteen doesn't know I'm here. He is at home right now, doing good deeds."

Springsteen told this tale with characteristic self-deprecating laughter, but it was nonetheless a poignant moment in the program. It's so hard to be a saint in the city. A paradox of life as a famous person is that you can give yourself such a guilt trip simply by being a decent, generous person.

The program, which on the DVD also includes a question-and-answer session with the audience, revealed Springsteen's generosity as an artist. He patiently went through "Blinded by the Light" line by line and translated it until the surreal imagery crystallized into a simple tale of a young musician's life.

"Don't overthink the whole thing," Springsteen advised.

Springsteen spent most of his time talking about his lyrics and his songwriting themes, but he also brought up the music itself, which often gets overlooked by critics.

For example, the tension of "Devils & Dust," an internal monologue by someone struggling with the personal and political aspects of his situation, is aided by the repetitive strumming at the beginning of the song.

"How much of it was I thinking when I wrote the song? None of it," Springsteen said, dismissing his own analysis. "How much of it was I feeling when I wrote the song? All of it."

Springsteen, a genuinely likable person no matter what he tells the Times, manages to stage this little symposium without coming off as pretentious or didactic. It's a good primer for aspiring musicians and a treat for fans.