The following represents the opinion of the student reporter and does not represent the views of Loyola University Maryland, the Greyhound, or Loyola University’s Department of Communication.
For a long time, Bruce Springsteen has been viewed as an iconic piece of Americana and nothing more, with many ignoring the deep political meanings behind his songs. What you may not know is that Springsteen’s songs are often used as a political anthem. This is not a new phenomenon; throughout his career, Springsteen has written songs critiquing the Vietnam war, covering police brutality, and even the ongoing failure of the government to properly address the AIDS crisis. So, it is no real surprise that Springsteen did not remain quiet when it came to the recent events in Minneapolis.
The song titled ‘The Streets of Minneapolis’ purposefully harks back to his song ‘The Streets of Philadelphia’. It is an all too timely reminder that the issues of the past do not simply go away. While the AIDS crisis and the atrocities committed by ICE may seem disconnected, the common theme of the government failing to listen to the voices of the people remains a constant throughout time, and is more relevant than ever.
Elizabeth Dunni ‘29, an honors student at the University of Maryland’s business college, enjoys the song as a second-generation immigrant who found the events in Minneapolis upsetting.
“It was eerily reminiscent of the George Floyd murder on a much larger scale. To me personally, Minneapolis happened due to the country’s overall attitude and beliefs regarding immigrants,” Dunni said.
Because of this deep injustice, Springsteen was unable to remain silent when this tragedy struck. The singer’s deep connection to his working class family helps him relate to the struggles of the working man, in a way that most musicians may have not experienced. He continues to live in his hometown of Freehold, New Jersey, remaining deeply connected to his roots, more than many musicians.
As an artist, Springsteen has historically used music as a way to voice the frustrations of the working man. These include the grueling 9-5 experienced by many, and feeling helpless as the best parts of your life slowly pass you by. His connection to the plight of the working man makes his work political in nature. Dunni feels the cultural impact in Springsteen’s new song.
“Music has the ability to strongly influence culture: even becoming an anthem for various political movements. Specifically, songs like ‘Alright’ by Kendrick Lamar have been embraced by the Black Lives Matter movement and other Black liberation groups,” Dunni said.
Many ignore the political meaning behind his songs, with ‘Born in the USA’ being the most famous example, being a song which many interpret as being a source of American pride, while in reality, it is about the mistreatment of Vietnam veterans post-war. The obliviousness to these political themes is so ingrained in society that ‘Born in the USA’ as a song can often be heard on the 4th of July despite the deep irony.
Braeden DiFranceisco ’26, a Loyola student and New Jersey native, believes the messaging of Springsteen’s songs is more relevant now more than ever.
“While the song might not be his best lyrically, the political message within his song remains more relevant and timely than ever. This is no surprise as Bruce has since the beginning of time used his art to speak out about what’s going on in the world,” he said.
‘The Streets of Minneapolis’ is one of his most politically charged songs, with Springsteen even going so far within the song to call out the Trump Administration’s intimidation tactics by identifying the ice agents as ‘Federal Thugs’.
“Historically, music and pop culture have a significant impact in shaping society. Musicians with the platforms that they have have the opportunity to speak to injustice. What I worry about is that these actions are purely performative because they don’t want harm to their reputation,” DiFrancisco said.
Through his commitment to speaking truth to power over the years, Bruce Springsteen proves that the lyrics of his songs are anything but performative. This makes his discography more than just a piece of Americana, but a genuine work of political art that positively impacts cultural consciousness as a whole.