The media buildup for the new Bruce Springsteen album, Working on a Dream, picks up where his previous album left off: anger with the Bush administration. Springsteen has called “What Love Can Do,” the track that inspired the album, a meditation on “love in the time of Bush.”
Conservatives may roll their eyes, but the explanation perfectly encapsulates liberal thinking; when you believe so passionately in an all-encompassing government, it’s hard even to fall in love if you’re subjected to a Republican president everywhere you turn–and only love can overcome the perils an individual faces from conservative agenda items being codified into law.
Romantic, no?
(For the 1980s variation on this theme, see Don Henley’s “The End of the Innocence,” a song Springsteen has been known to perform, in which the protagonist lies in a field and looks at clouds for a respite from “this tired old man that we elected king.”)
The sentiment underscores Springsteen’s increasing willingness to engage in partisan politics–from endorsing John Kerry in 2004 and leading a cadre of musicians on MoveOn’s “Vote for Change” tour, to specific anti-Bush comments during concerts and his endorsement of Barack Obama in the primaries and performances on Obama’s behalf.
It’s not entirely new: Springsteen dedicated at least one song onstage to Bill Clinton immediately following the 1992 election and famously clashed with the Reagan and Dole campaigns over their suggestions of Springsteen’s support at events in New Jersey. Still, The-Boss-as-political is a relatively recent phenomenon. Typically, his work has contained quasi-political imagery–the “union card and a wedding coat” from “The River,” for instance–instead of overt political messages. (While the lyrics to “Born in the U.S.A.” are a far cry from “God Bless America,” that fact was easily lost in the mid-’80s hype–hype for which Springsteen himself, however uncomfortable he was with it at the time, should shoulder much of the blame. It was hard to find a Springsteen poster, button, T-shirt, or concert stage that didn’t feature the American flag; and a regrettable 12-inch remix of “Born in the U.S.A.” didn’t exactly come off as protest music.)
The recent announcement that Springsteen will perform on Washington’s Mall in one of the inaugural events makes his transformation from working-class poet to member of the Liberal Political Establishment complete. At the same time, however, to quote from his classic, “B,” “there’s trouble in the heartland.” And, as it would be for most other political figures, it involves his base.
As Springsteen became more outspoken, his fans on the left became ecstatic. Bruce, they thought, was one of them. But discontent began brewing around the final concert of his previous tour, held at a Harley-Davidson weekend in Milwaukee. After years of famously refusing anything suggesting a commercial endorsement–an admirable choice that earned him a great deal of credibility—a number of fans worried that the Boss was going corporate. It was just a single event, though, and many Springsteen classics use the open road as a metaphor; so the venue and its commercial aspects were largely ignored.
The worried fans had their fears confirmed, however, when it was announced late last year that Springsteen would perform at the Super Bowl. For most, it’s an opportunity to see another intense, if abbreviated, Springsteen performance. But to his fans on the far left, it looks as though Springsteen is endorsing the largest corporate event in the world.
But even those beginning to become jaded were unprepared for what came next: today’s release of a greatest-hits compilation available exclusively at Wal-Mart–corporate enemy No. 1 for the Left. Among die-hard lefty Springsteen fans, there was an outcry similar to the far Left’s outrage at Obama for inviting Rick Warren to give the invocation at the inauguration. Springsteen, they felt, had betrayed them by consorting with Wal-Mart. He was accused on the Huffington Post of selling out children, small businesses, unions, and LGBTs (lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and the transgendered) for the almighty dollar. And here you just wanted an inexpensive CD and maybe some tube socks.
At the discussion board at Backstreets.com, an authoritative resource for all things Springsteen, the anger was palpable. In a posting under the heading “How to ensure Bruce hears your voice re: Wal-Mart,” one fan called for anti-Wal-Mart signs at concerts to “force Springsteen to address the issue from the stage,” while another suggested boycotting Springsteen’s new album and upcoming tour. “It makes me so upset. This goes against EVERYTHING he is about. How could Bruce do this?!?!!?!?” posted a third disheartened fan. In a separate discussion of the controversy, a fan accused Springsteen of “fornicating with Wal-Mart.”
For Bruce Springsteen, the realization that he can’t please some of the people all of the time is not necessarily negative. Sales of the Springsteen catalog at Wal-Mart and other retailers will spike, exploding after the Super Bowl and pushing ticket sales. That’s what musicians do: They sell records and concert tickets.
As Springsteen prepares for what looks to be a final victory lap with the E Street Band, those upset with what they see as Springsteen Inc. must recognize they do not have nearly as much invested in him as they do in the next occupant of the White House. That’s where hopes and dreams really matter–and disillusionment comes at a much higher price than a cheap CD at Wal-Mart.
– Doug Heye is a veteran of political campaigns, Capitol Hill, and the Bush administration. He has been to more than 25 Bruce Springsteen concerts.
Editor’s Note: This article has been corrected since posting.