What are Bruce Springsteen's political views, songs? Singer backs Joe Biden in campaign ad after slamming Trump
American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen recently lent his voice to a Joe Biden campaign advertisement, just days before the US goes to the polls. The video focuses on working-class Americans while taking Biden’s hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, into the spotlight.
As random shots of Americans play in the video, Springsteen narrates, “In Scranton, good times aren’t promised. But here, and in towns across America, times are harder than they ought to be. Lives on pause, dreams on hold, futures in doubt. He’s running to change that, to give working people the shot they deserve. An honest living for honest work, and a little peace of mind at the end of the day.” The 71-year-old singer’s popular track ‘My Hometown’ his 80’s album, ‘Born In The USA’ can also be heard in the background and Joe Biden also makes an appearance in the one-minute video.
Apart from his music, the much celebrated singer has made headlines for his political views and his political songs throughout his career. The new video ad comes days after he lashed out at President Donald Trump with an audio clip posted on his official Twitter account. In the clip he says, “There’s no art in this White House, there’s no literature, no poetry, no music. Where did that country go? Where did all the fun, the joy and expression of love and happiness go? We used to have a president who calmed and soothed the nation instead of dividing it. We are rudderless and joyless.”
We are lost. We've lost so much in so short a time.
— Bruce Springsteen (@springsteen) October 28, 2020
On November 3rd, vote them out.
Hear more: https://t.co/ZacuLReNRu pic.twitter.com/jEbT0wP3Ee
According to People magazine, the singer slammed Trump a few days ago as well where he jokingly told the Australian press, “If Trump is re-elected – which he will not be, I’m predicting right now he’s gonna lose -if by some happenstance he should be, I’ll see you on the next plane.”
Political views
Springsteen is one of America's most outspoken political artistes and whether it was through his music or through his statements, the renowned singer always stayed in the limelight. According to the website Hollowverse, the singer has been cited as a hypocrite for voicing lower and middle-class Americans considering the fact he himself is quite wealthy.
The singer has always come ahead with his upfront remarks on the political scenario. Whether it was campaigning against nuclear power or doing a worldwide tour for Amnesty International or turning down millions from corporations wanting to use his songs in their advertisements, Springsteen has done it all. The Academy Award-winner has even extended his support to gay marriages. Springsteen campaigned for John Kerry in 2004. He also supported former president Barack Obama in 2008 and was spotted at various rallies in the same year. Despite saying that he would sit out the 2012 presidential election, the singer again campaigned for Obama's re-election in Ohio, Iowa, Virginia, Pittsburgh and Wisconsin. When it comes to Trump, Springsteen has been openly slamming him since the day he stood for US Presidential campaign in 2016.
Political songs
If his blunt statements were not enough, Springsteen made sure he puts the message across through his music. He has been an inspiration for the new generation of political musicians from Rage Against the Machine to The Roots. Initially, Springsteen didn’t know how to approach politics as an artiste. Speaking on the same lines, he had earlier said, “[In the early years, I was] trying to figure out now where do aesthetic issues that you write about intersect with some sort of concrete action, some direct involvement, in the communities that your audience comes from”, as published by the Hollowverse. Springsteen, who also goes by the name of “The Boss”, stamped his liberal activism with the help of his political songs. He is known for his politically inclined anthems such as ‘We Take Care of Our Own’, ‘American Skin (41 Shots)’, ‘How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live?’, ‘Roulette’, 'Born In The USA’, ‘We Are Alive’, ‘War’ and ‘Long Walk Home’ among a few others. Springsteen also released a political album in the form of ‘Wrecking Ball’ in 2012.
Apart from voicing his opinions, he slammed Ronald Reagan's campaign in 1984 for using his song ‘Born In The USA’ and he did the same when Trump played the iconic song at one his rallies during his presidential campaign in 2016. Springsteen recently released a political song, ‘That’s What Makes Us Great’ with his frequent collaborator Joe Grushecky where he labelled Trump as a “con man”. He croons, “Don’t tell me a lie/And sell it as a fact/I’ve been down that road before/And I ain’t going back,” Pitchfork reports. The song was premiered on SiriusXM and Grushecky’s website. At one point, Springsteen proclaims, “Don’t you brag to me/ That you never read a book/ I never put my faith/ In a con man and his crooks.” In 2020, Springsteen has openly supported Biden and criticized Trump on a regular basis.