Bruce Springsteen calls out Bush Administration: "This is a song about things that shouldn't happen here...happening here."
By John Amato Thursday Sep 27, 2007 4:45pm
Scarce sent in this video and rough transcript of Bruce Springsteen's appearance on NBC this morning. He slammed the Bush administraion over the way they have attacked our core US values. He sums it up nicely, wouldn't you say?
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"This is a song called Livin' In the Future. But it's really about what's happening now. Right now. It's kind of about how the things we love about America, cheeseburgers, French fries, the Yankees battlin' Boston... the Bill of Rights [holds up microphone, urging crowd to cheer] ... v-twin motorcycles... Tim Russert's haircut, trans-fats and the Jersey Shore... we love those things the way womenfolk love Matt Lauer.
But over the past six years we've had to add to the American picture: rendition, illegal wiretapping, voter suppression, no habeus corpus, the neglect of our great city New Orleans and its people, an attack on the Constitution. And the loss of our young best men and women in a tragic war.
This is a song about things that shouldn't happen here---happening here."
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Boss!
He's right - womenfolk loving Matt Lauer shouldn't be happening here.
The BOSS is first and right on.
I like Bruce a lot more than I used to. I guess we've both mellowed.
Of course, when you write a song called "Born in the USA" and all the right-wingers mistakenly appropriate it, I guess that gives you some perspective...
Still the Boss!
and meanwhile the narcissistic teenage girls are more concerned about getting on tv and waving to the camera to say to mom or their gf's.
now THAT'S america....so stupid and wrapped up in their own narcissism that they haven't a clue what's going on.
Far F*king out! On the Today Show? BROOOOOOOCE!
The Boss has always been for the regular guy and the working people! He never could stand elites like Bush
Tim Russert's hair cut?
Quite telling that the "Yankees battling the Red Sox" got a much bigger cheer than "The Bill of Rights". Even New Yawkers are sheep.
a guy @ 8:
he is the same brand as Bush....trying very hard to promote stupidity and folksy american pie patriotism. if he were a true revolutionary he wouldn't be trying to appeal the generic stupid masses.
Thank goodness for artists who have the courage to speak out on behalf of their country and their world. We need them.
Contrary to the idiots who say they should "Shut Up and Sing," it is artists who are best able to convey the ideas and dreams of our society and our people. We need more of them to do so. And that is why I call upon all citizens to ...
Join The Art Insurgency
LET THE SWIFTBOATING COMMENCE!!!!
Isn't that the show that Bush loving sycophant Matt Lauer's on? His head must have exploded!
Clavis @ 4:
True Conservatives or right-wingers never really read or listen to the lyrics of songs. How do you think all the protest songs got out there during the 60s and 70s? Songs like "Afternoon Delight" or "Puff the Magic Dragon"? Now, radio is all corporate and commercialized. That has been the death of American Rock & Roll, and the seemingly endless hackjobs that continue to spew forth from the radio dial and MTV.
Some douchebag uses Martina McBride's "Independence Day" as a bumper song. Of course it's cleverly cut, but the song is about a woman that puts an end to her husband's abuse.
Praise the heavens for musicians like Bruce Springsteen that don't bow to corporate pressure.
Irradiate and keep it fresh forever
Springsteen goes where others like Katie Couric fear to tread and that is a place where the truth can be sung.
I betcha the Today show didn't know he was going to do that intro before he sang. I betcha one cold as ice martini.
Where can we read the lyrics to this song? Was anyone there really listening to what he said or were they just there to see him and be seen on the Today show?
bruce...the voice of the people
i still remember how reagan stole "born in the usa" and turned it into a positive anthem, when it was really the cry of a vietnam vet who had been forgotten by his country
Gotta tune in---pico waves. Gotta tune out---PCB's
Gotta tune in---market crash. Gotta tune out---polar shift
Gotta tune in---narrow minds. Gotta tune out---space junk
Gotta tune in---bombs. Gotta turn out---atomic lasers falling from the sky
Where's my umbrella?
Hamburger ads!---Pop up in my head---
On the edge of Aquarius---I'm living on the edge
Secret wars!---Take my money away!
Nice to have a little Bruce juice on a friday afternoon. :)
can anyone post the lyrics for a deaf guy like myself?
Channel Z's all static all day forever---time to open your windows,
Let in better weather
rasta @ 11:
Rasta:
You must be a troll. Bruce wasn't born into wealth. In fact he was more like the kid in "Bronx Tale". One of the jobs Bruce's dad had was a bus driver. Folksy American pie patriotism? Did you ever read his lyrics?
paranoia @ 23:
http://www.brucespringsteen.net/
The lyrics won't be up on Bruce's site till Tuesday(That's when the new album is out).
pissed off patricia @ 18:
Patricia:
See my comment above this one.
Joe Klein's conscience @ 25:
Thank you. I came THIS close to responding. I remember when Diet Coke tried to get Clarence Clemons to do a commercial for them and the Big Man asked Bruce what he thought, Bruce said it was selling out. so Coke got a Clarence look-a-like to blow flames out of a sax. And I believe Bruce asked that Born in the USA not be used as a Republican theme song. Next thing you know rightwingers were claiming Bruce was pissing on the American flag on the cover of Born in the USA.
And he didn't get censored like Pearl Jam! Sweet! I guess Pearl Jam has gotta rock it live on the today show to not get censored.
The Associated Press
Friday, September 28, 2007
TEHRAN, Iran: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has extended an invitation to U.S. President George W. Bush to speak at an Iranian university if the American leader ever traveled to the Islamic Republic, state-run television reported Friday.
Wooo Hooo
Good for the boss. I know they were not aware that was coming and to be honest, that is exactly what it is going to take to get the real message out.
That is the reason media attempts to dog all of the talent, that are willing to take a stand for the right reasons and I can truly say the boss did it today
In your face Bush and all of the right wing idiots that refuse to see the light.
Here's a link to the lyrics.
http://www.springsteenlyrics.com/lyrics/l/livininthefuture.php
You can find the new album lyrics there as well
Springsteen has always bored me to death and I don't buy his folksy pseudo accent, but I applaud him for having the guts to seize the national forum and tell the sheep a little something.
kudos to Bruce for standing up to the junta.
So, how soon will NBC/Today Show Personal be apolgizing to
the Bush Administration...
Has Mitt condemned it yet, as coddling the Enemy?
Or, are we heading right for a "Sense of the Senate" resolution
condeming Springsteen?
John Kyl's calendar is pretty open, he can have this fleshed out by Monday?
I was driving to work the other day and the radio station was playing Pink's Dear Mr. President. And now Bruce on the Today show speaking the truth.
For the times they are a-changin'
There certainly wasn't what I would call a thunderous ovation for what he was saying. The sheeple are still asleep. They seemed to react more to "trans fat" than anything else.
Bruce sang it once before;
"War! What is it good for? Absolutely nothin'."
Nice!
Yeah, Bruce should have stood on stage holding a couple of machine guns and screamed "Hey George and Dick, suck on these."
That would have been much less "simple minded" and more befitting the party of values and civility.
Too bad it sounds exactly like 10th Avenue Freeze Out...
L.A. Confidential @ 30:
LOL Never gonna happen. Bush is too afraid.
a guy @ 10:
Sorry guy, your living in an Idol Nation...more people care about their SUV's then the Bill of Rights, most people in America don't even realize what the Bill of Rights gives them, most people don't even seem to care that their country is in trouble...I always say America is the greatest nation in the world...but too many Americans are shameful and undeserving of such a nation. even the knuckleheads who spew about the 2nd amendment to our great constitution don't even know exactly what it says. It makes me weep and it makes most other Americans yawn...and that's the sad truth.
Bruce rocks!
I love that E Street band sound.
I've never been a big fan of most of his music. But I've always held him in high regard for his support and speaking out for the working class and unions.
Rock on and keep on, Bruce!
L.A. Confidential @ 30:
Link please? Fank you.
Dahgrostab'ph-r-i @ 43:
And as long as we can view the revolution on TV from the comfort and safety of our living rooms.
Good for him...getting away with a little truth on TV.I agree with bjhart...music sounds like a tired rehash.
Not a good sign.
Well good for Bruce to at least give the masses an opportunity to wake up to what is going on....but as you can see the crowds who get up in the morning to hang out so they can get a five second mug shot on the god dammed Today show well they have to be shallow to begin with. At least Bruce was using the venue to try and shake things up inside their muddled heads before they get back in their SUV's and head down the Jersey pike back to their dismal jobs so they can pay the bills and try to shut out the reality of what this country does to other human beings so we can drive around in cars and waste waste waste and not just gasoline either. We wastte time we waste away we buy stuff we don't need that will turn into waste...
L.A. Confidential @ 47:
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
Bruce Springsteen is good but he ain't no Steve Earle or even Tonio K. Sorry if the truth hurts.
hey, when the Boss talks, people listen!
Great message, but his sound is so tired. I am nearly his age and have moved on to aternative rock. Why doesn't he hire someone to freshen up his tempo? Sorry to offend.
The real progressive in that band is "Little Steven" Van Zandt, who penned a nice anthem called "Bitterfruit" after the 50's book with that title about the US-backed coup in Guatemala in '54. The book was notable for its chronicling how the United Fruit Company enlisted the aid of all the editorial boards across the US to warn Americans of the dangers of communist incursion in central america.
"I was born lucky or so they say
I worked in these fields of plenty
Worked for a company far away,
Fruit once sweet now has bitter taste.
My father he was a union man,
Very proud and outspoken
They came and took him when I was young
I will fight till his work is done.
.. .. ..
And from the fields will come fire
Cleans the lies from all sides
Flames of freedom grow higher
until desire, desire is satisfied
And I will gather no more of your bitter fruit."
Check it out.
The Boss speaks truth. It's a shame the so-called journalist standing close by can't do the same.
.
It is about time Bruce Springsteen comes out of the political closet.
.
Bruce still has a lot of edge but you'd never know it from the music of that song. It was pretty tepid. I guess it's one way to feed the Top 40 fans a little bit of something substantive. But I hope he has something with more power and noise on the new album for the rest of us.
Love Bruce!
Rusty Shackleford @ 2:
Womenfolk. Gee, you'd never know the man is a millionaire. Lol.
Max-1 @ 56:
Didn't he support Kerry in 2004?
This guy will always be THE BOSS.
I liked his introduction to the song, better than the song itself. It's a little too obscure in message. These days the only way to get an effective "learning" situation for the masses is to repeat your SINGLE-MESSAGE-PUNCH-LINE three times in your thirty-second package... then buy time so that it appears on E-Channel, The Food Channel, and MTV simultaneously.
Springsteen's heart is in the right place. I LOVED his SEEGER SESSIONS.
Bush's attacks on our core American values is possibly the most tragic part of his legacy, although there are so many things, like the horrible way he's divided the country and the illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq. The tragedy of Iraq is that it might (and that's probably a big might) have been a success story had the commander in chief actually been competent, instead of a reckless stupid cowboy. Kudos to Bruce Springstein for having the courage to stand up. Our voices need to be heard. We're mad as hell and aren't going to take it anymore. We want our country back. We want the hope of America back. We want the Bush crime family gone.
A working class hero is something to be...JCB
if you have a podium, and an audience and you have the courage to speak out, then you are to be admired. when it all comes down, THE BOSS will be remembered as one of the true patriots. bruce has a giant set and he does what is right. support him and others who have the courage to stand.
While I agree completely with Bruce's sentiments and applaud him for using this national appearance to take a stand, his intro went over like a lead balloon.
I agree with haliker (#57), the song was pretty tepid. Plus the band played way too soft in the background while Bruce spoke. They should have been picking up the volume and the tempo. But it almost seemed like they had no idea where he was going. And I don't get the impression they were behind him.
Its to bad we only get a piece of the Podium,To speak the truth. Most of the time it is given to the Right-Wing Lackies.
Look in the Mirror Lauer,and wake up.
Where is Bob Dylan or Joan Baez when we need them?? I remember back during the 60's and the Viet Nam War there were tons of folk singers speaking out against the war and writing and singing really good anti-war songs - and the people, the American people, sang those songs when they/we were in the streets protesting that war. Ah, the good old days!
This is awesome! - thanks navyswan.
navyswan @ 50:
L.A. Confidential @ 16:
Love anyone who quotes B-52's.
Bruce's comments were out of place on the Today Show. Grant it, I agree with him to a certain extent. But NBC booked him to promote his new CD and get a little Boss-Buzz by stimulating the older soccer moms. They didn't book him to rant on about Bush. Besides...what does he know? He's a singer. I'd rather they scrap the whole Today Show format in favor of news...but that's just me.
What's more telling is Bruce stooping to the level of Bon Jovi just to sell his new CD.
Can't wait to see all the Bush supporters out on the street burning their Springsteen CDs and to hear Rush Limbaugh slamming him for being a traitor and for the radio stations quit playing his music. Think Bruce will get death threats like the Dixie Chicks did?
I'm positive the TODAY SHOW had no idea what he was about to sing,,, or the troops would have showed up halfway through the first chorus... Time to WAKE UP people,,, We ARE UNDER ATTACK at HOME.... not by terriorists from abroad, but by a man who CLAIMED the presidency 8 years ago,,, BEFORE the recounts... mmm do I hear the NSA at the door yet??
"One man with courage equals a majority"
Andrew Jackson
We may never wake up the masses but with tenacity patriots can make a big difference because we are only battling a handful of elitists. The masses will follow who is in power and the new American revolution may only be acknowledged by the participants.
Keep up the good fight.
Peace...
[...] read more | digg story [...]
the "War" in Iraq is over. All thats left is the clean up. There is nothing wrong with wire taps,,, if you have nothing to hide. These terrorist dont wear uniforms and have no equipment. What they have is sneaky ways to kill Americans. How else are you going to stop them? I saw yes to profiling,, yes to wire taps,, yes to anyway to stop the terrorists from attacking America.
chuck @ 74:
AND YES to 20 years for speaking against the establisment............
Unfortunately your logic is flawed as those "generic stupid masses" vote and are known as 'the red states'. Let's hope that Bruce can play a part in getting them to vote the right way this time.
starwheel @ 65:
The song isn't one of his best IMHO, but that said, what you're picking up could have more to do with the fact that it is a new song, it was early in the morning, and they had to be clever in order to not have those comments edited out of the later the west coast feeds.
All balls and all heart-thank you, Bruce.
There should be celebrities willing, or allowed, to speak their minds on national television. I'm surprised Bruce didn't get the Sally Field treatment. Way to go Bruce!!! I can't wait to buy the new album.
Out of the closet? Where the hell have you been?
Now there’s a fire down below
But it’s coming up here
So leave everything you know
Carry only what you fear
On this road the sun is sinkin’ low
There's bodies hanging in the trees
This is what will be
This is what will be
(C) Bruce Springsteen; Magic, 2007
Now wake up and go but the record!
chuck @ 73:
I'm sorry that you're afraid. Would you like me to hold your hand?
Are some of you people crazy? I like a lot of Bruce's music, some I don't. But he did not have to leave his millions of dollars and show up on early morning television to say what he said. He did it for this country and he did more than most of us have done. He said the things that we pay people in Washington to say. Unfortunately, they don't say them. In fact, the guys in Washington are carrying Bush's bags. So, please don't criticize Bruce at this stage of the game.
When you elect an asshole for president, shit is the payoff!
"Bruce Springsteen calls out the Bush Administration...."
All RIGHT! Now we'll get some action!!
Sigh.
zOMG. What happened to this poor man? Keith Richards is in better shape than Bruce. And more articulate, too -- even after a head injury.
What's worse, Wintersteen's fake Southern accent is becoming even faker in direct proportion to his age and irrelevancy quotient.
As for his sentiments, well, yeah, of course. Duh. Where you been, Brucie?
Oh well. Whatever. You go, you Rad Dude, you! You give them ma$$ media breakfass clubbers a piece of your fadin' mind now, y'hear?!
[OMC: At least Max Weinberg can still bang a drum. The rest of them belong at the Sleep Willows Home for Wayward Seniors. Buh-bye, boys!]
And that's why he has always been The Boss.
I actually also caught that video...and this...
And I wrote a piece on the record and its direct message to this administration here
Which also links to the huge NY Times piece on Bruce, his political thoughts and the new record that is out today....
Check it out...
Melina
Oh, and Kuahine? As some one who actually lives one town away from Richards, I have to say that "better shape" are not too words that anyone is using about him ...nor is anyone comparing his articulateness to anyone much either...but if you're a huge fan maybe Ill tell you which bar to hang around endlessly in the hopes that you might get to tell him how you think he stacks up to Bruce....
just as "fadin' mind" is not something that is said much about Bruce....nor is "fake"...whatever...very interesting backwards point of view youve got there.
"Irrelevancy" is something that you will have to look within for....;-)
[...] More proof that Springsteen is a true spokesman for working class America. Thanks to Crooks and Liars for making the clip available. These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can [...]
Listen for the most important word!
The Boss Speaks: - "What do we love about America? The Bill of Rights...IMPEACHMENT...Motorcycles!" Bless Ya Bruce!
Amitola @ 66:
There are and have been plenty of really good anti-war songs lately. Even some of the old-timers... Neil Young did a whole album last year; certainly you must have heard it? Also recently Keb' Mo', Billy Joe Armstrong, Public Enemy, Bright Eyes, Paula Cole, Beastie Boys, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Dixie Chicks, Lenny Kravitz, OutKast, John Mellencamp, R.E.M., System of a Down, and many others. There's the two "Rock against Bush" compilation CDs, the Peace Not War double-CD and the Vote for Change Concerts back in 2004. There is plenty of anti-war music out there...
The difference is largely the media outlets. Back in the 1960, there were plenty of radio station that were effectively part of the counter-culture. Now we have radio dominated by behemoths like Clear Channel, a company that openly admits not playing anything they might deem "offensive" or "controversial", at least subject to their own internal litmus test. This, of course, is the same Clear Channel that banned songs like John Lennon's "Imagine" shortly after 9/11, and sponsored the pro-war "Rally for America" events just prior to Bush's invasion of Iraq.
It's not that this music doesn't exist, it's that it's being censored, left out, not played -- you do the math. It remains to be seen if someone with the clout of Springsteen can get through this new iron curtain or not. I'll admit to listening to quite a bit of this music, I even play "When the President Talks to God" (Bright Eyes) and a few others on my own guitar and voice... but if I depended on the same channels that spread this musical word back in the 1960s, I would have been S.O.L. Well, ok, maybe reviews in Rolling Stone, now as well as then.
Bruce Springsteen is still alive? I mean I respect what he's doing and all, but you would think we'd have a better spokesperson than Bruce.
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