Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band recently kicked off their Land of Hope & Dreams Tour with a powerful message. While performing in Manchester, England, he paused for a moment to comment on American politics, specifically to call out treason.
Springsteen has long been involved in politics as an artist and supporter of democracy. Addressing the crowd, he called upon the ārighteous power of art, of music, of rock ānā roll in dangerous times.ā
He continued, āIn my home, the America I love, the America Iāve written about, that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent, and treasonous administration.ā
Before launching into the 2001 track āLand of Hope & Dreams,ā Springsteen urged the crowd, āTonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experience to rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism and let freedom ring!ā
Bruce Springsteen Slams Current U.S. Administration, Calls for Anti-Authoritarianism Support During Concert
Later in the show, Bruce Springsteen addressed the crowd again with powerful statements about the state of U.S. politics.
āThe last check on power after the checks and balances of government have failed are the people, you and me,ā he said. āItās in the union of people around a common set of values now thatās all that stands between a democracy and authoritarianism. At the end of the day, all weāve really got is each other.ā
He continued, āThereās some very weird, strange, and dangerous sāt going on out there right now. In America they are persecuting people for using their right to free speech and voicing their dissent. This is happening now.ā
Despite the fact that Springsteen was discussing American politics while in the U.K., thereās still merit to rallying the people around a common cause. People in the U.K. have been dealing with their own form of dangerous politics recently as well. Springsteenās statements are about the U.S., but they arem unfortunately, internationally relatable.