Many artists in the rock genre have used their music as a platform to address social and political issues, such as John Lennon, Bob Dylan, and Bruce Springsteen. These artists have often used their music to express their perspectives on the struggles and experiences of working-class people and to raise awareness of important issues. Their lyrics often combine poetic language with powerful imagery to convey their message.
Bruce Springsteen has used his platform as a musician to speak out about political and social issues, often expressing support for progressive causes and criticizing conservative politicians. He has particularly been vocal about his dislike of former President Donald Trump and has advocated for equality, workers’ rights, and the protection of American citizens’ rights. Despite the patriotic themes present in many of his songs, the Boss is not always an advocate of American nationalism and has been critical of the corruption of the American Dream.
Bruce Springsteen has a history of using his music as a means of expressing his views on American society and culture. He often incorporates themes of working-class struggles and societal issues into his lyrics and has been vocal about his political beliefs. Springsteen has been a vocal supporter of political figures such as Barack Obama and has been critical of Donald Trump. Additionally, his album cover for “Born in the U.S.A.” featuring a picture of him facing the American flag, has become iconic. Despite his tendency to romanticize American themes in his music, Springsteen also recognizes the corruption of the American dream at times.
In an interview with Robert Santelli of Grammy in 2014, Bruce Springsteen discussed his album ‘Wrecking Ball’ which was released in 2012. The album was considered by many as one of Springsteen’s angriest and it reflects his frustration with the factors that led to the financial crisis in America. The album features songs about individuals facing economic challenges and received a lot of attention for its tone.
“Yeah, I suppose it is,” Springsteen stated that “Wrecking Ball” was one of his most furious albums, expressing his dissatisfaction with the factors that led to the economic crisis in America through its lyrics and tone. “There’s a lot to be angry about, you know. The distortion and corruption of the American dream and a certain way of life, the loss of the full meaning of community. To me, those things felt under attack. My concern was that this all added up to a nation in decline.”
He added, discussing the sources of the motivation behind the creation of the album.
“Like other people, I know folks who were affected by the financial crisis, who lost their homes, lost their retirement savings. So it was all very, very real for me. You can have these feelings of frustration and not be able to write about it. That happened to me before. But in this case, I was working on another record that wasn’t about those things. Then I wrote a song that moved in that direction, and the rest came very quickly.”
Bruce Springsteen created the album ‘Wrecking Ball’ during the height of the global financial crisis, and the songs on the album reflect his anger and disappointment towards the bankers responsible for the crisis. The opening track ‘We Take Care of Our Own’ and ‘Death to My Hometown’ specifically express his frustration towards Wall Street bankers. Despite the negative tone of these songs, ‘Land of Hope and Dreams’ has a more uplifting and optimistic message, centered around Springsteen’s perspective on the American dream.
When creating ‘Wrecking Ball’, Springsteen felt a sense of anger towards the decline of the American dream and the erosion of community values. He believed that the corruption of these ideals was a major factor in the country’s decline, and felt compelled to write about these issues as he had witnessed the struggles of Americans firsthand.