Bruce Springsteen was on 60 Minutes on last Sunday discussing his new album, Magic. There is no question that this album is an interesting reflection on the current state of affairs in the United States. However, Bruce’s mind is a little warped. I can say this because he is one of my all time favorite songwriters. We do not agree politically, obviously, but I would like to point out a few flaws in his thinking. In his interview he mentions there are so many anti-American things going on in this country. He mentions the removal of the right habeas corpus, wire tapping, torture, no right to a lawyer and voter suppression.
1) Lincoln suspended habeas corpus during our civil war, I suppose Lincoln is anti-American
2) Wire Tapping – clearly Bruce is reading the Daily Kos and not following who is being wire tapped and why. Somehow he thinks that we shouldn’t wire tap suspected terrorists in our country. Especially since most of the calls originate overseas from areas known for terrorist activity.
3) Torture – He is right about this, listening to my hero talk politics is torture. Bruce should stick with music, not politics. Just my opinion.
4) Who doesn’t have a right to a lawyer? Is he talking about Gitmo? I guess he hasn’t read any newspaper. Those prisoners have had a right to speak to a lawyer, but many choose not to. Why doesn't he write a song about our 2 border agents who are still in a federal prison for doing their jobs?
5) Voter suppression. Who is being suppressed? There used to be voter suppression in our country’s history, is this what he is talking about? Women could not vote originally. Blacks could not vote until the Voting Rights Act of 1965. I’m lost here Bruce. What is your point?
Many of you who know me know that writing this is hard. But the truth isn’t always easy to talk about. The media, as usual is hyping this album as an anti-war album and praising Bruce for it. Certain op-ed columns are saying that the right is going to blast it. I’m not blasting the album based on its lyrical content, I’m saying it’s not his best work since Born in the USA, sorry Wall Street Journal. It actually ranks a little better than Lucky Town in my opinion which was a very uninspiring album to say the least. I have listened to Magic and it’s really not that bad. If you take away all of the attention this album is receiving for what the media believes, then you have a decent record filled with O.K. songs. Even though the concept is a little warped, the E-Street Band more than makes up for that musically.
Songwriters express themselves in songs. And Bruce is one of the best, but he should stick to the writing, he certainly shouldn’t go on 60 Minutes and discuss politics, when it’s clear he only knows 1 side of the issues at hand today. It made me go back and listen to some of his older work and see that Bruce has never really been that happy with America. Maybe it’s not America Bruce, maybe it’s you. He’s come a long way from the Rising. Unfortunately where he is going is so far left he should move in with his buddy John Kerry.
