Bruce Springsteen has recently been in the news when he posted a video clip of himself criticizing Donald Trump during a May 14, 2025, live performance in Manchester (also included in the recently released Land Of Hope & Dreams live EP). Receiving backlash from Trump and MAGA supporters, many have lost sight that Springsteen has always been political. Part of his appeal was his ability to articulate the plight of the working man, and even when he wasn’t explicitly political, there was often an element of social commentary and awareness. As an example of the fact that he was never one to shut up and sing, here is a selection of 15 of his protest tunes.
Lost In The Flood (1973)
This tune from his debut album, Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J., shows he has been political from the beginning. He relates the experiences of a Vietnam veteran returning home, only to find a country that is plagued by violence, drug abuse, and religious hypocrisy. Disillusionment and frustration in the wake of Vietnam is a theme he revisited on multiple occasions.
The Promised Land (1978)
This tune is from his 4th album. Darkness on the Edge of Town. The promised land well describes the elusive American dream. The narrator tries to remain optimistic (“and I believe in a promised land”), but he also has to confront the fact that he is “chasing some mirage.” The lyrics relate an important message of resilience in the face of adversity, which continues to be relevant.
Johnny 99 (1982)
This tune is from Nebraska, probably Springsteen’s starkest album. The lyrics deal with a man who was laid off from an auto factory, and while drunk, he ends up killing a night clerk. Instead of being sentenced to 99 years in prison, he pleads with the judge to receive the death sentence instead. Lyrics such as “I had debts no honest man could pay. The bank was holdin’ my mortgage and they was takin’ my house away,” are a sobering reminder of the situations that can contribute to individuals hitting rock bottom and acting out of desperation.
Born in the U.S.A (1984)
The title track to his biggest commercial album, at one time it was one of the most misunderstood songs ever recorded (enough people have written about it being misunderstood, that it is no longer the case). Politicians like then-US president Ronald Reagan attempted to co-opt the song (much to Springsteen’s chagrin), missing the fact that instead of being a patriotic anthem, it was a scathing indictment of how the country turned its back on returning Vietnam veterans.
Also, he performed a stripped-down version, which appeared on the 2018 soundtrack to Springsteen On Broadway. This version makes the intent of the lyrics clearer.
Seeds (1986)
This tune is an outtake from the Born In The USA sessions. Even though the studio version has never been officially released, it was included on the Live/1975-85, and he continues to periodically perform it at his concerts. The lyrics highlight the enormous wealth disparity between the rich and poor, which only continues to get worse.
War (1986)
This cover of Edwin Starr’s 1970 classic anti-war tune also appeared on his ‘Live 1975-85’ box set. Along with the blistering guitar work by Nils Lofgren, it features a powerful introduction in which Springsteen states, “blind faith in your leaders, or in anything, will get you killed.” Just like with Trump’s America, he wasn’t afraid to speak up during Reagan’s America.
Roulette (1988)
Originally recorded in 1979 after participating in the No Nukes concerts, this song was in response to the Three Mile Island meltdown on March 28, 1979. The song was from the perspective of someone who had to evacuate his home with his family, and the powers that be are providing no answers. It remained unreleased until 1988, when it was released as the B-side to ‘One Step Up.’ It got increased exposure when it appeared on the 1998 Tracks box set.
The Ghost of Tom Joad (1995)
From the album of the same name, Springsteen uses the protagonist from John Steinbeck’s 1939 classic novel The Grapes of Wrath as a metaphor for the fight against social injustice. He received inspiration from Woody Guthrie’s “Tom Joad Part 1 and 2”, which appeared on Guthrie’s classic 1940 album, Dust Bowl Ballads. Springsteen effectively builds on folk idioms to link the past with the present and future. The spirit of Tom Joad continued in bands such as Rage Against The Machine, who reworked the tune for their 2000 cover album Renegades.
Youngstown (1995)
Another tune off The Ghost of Tom Joad, Springsteen details the historic rise and fall of Youngstown, Ohio. After the 1803 discovery of iron ore in 1803 it became an important manufacturing hub, especially in terms of war weaponry. The decline of the steel industry in the 1970s left the town devastated. The lyrics are also a strong denunciation of the military-industrial complex (“These mills they built the tanks and bombs. That won this country’s wars. We gave our sons to Korea and Vietnam. Now we’re wondering what they were dyin’ for.”)
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band – American Skin (41 Shots) (2001)
This tune was written in response to the February 4, 1999, murder of Amadou Diallo, a 23-year-old unarmed Black man who died when the NYPD fired 41 bullets at him. Springsteen debuted the powerful tune during the E Street Band’s 2000 reunion tour. Despite backlash from police organizations that called for concert boycotts, Springsteen persisted in performing the tune, and the lyric “It ain’t no secret/You can get killed just for living in your American skin” resonated. Originally released on the Live in New York City album, the studio version was widely released for the first time on his 2014 album, just in time for the genesis of the BLM movement.
How Can A Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live? (2006)
This appears on the American Land bonus track edition of the album We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions. Originally composed in 1929 by Blind Alfred Reed, Springsteen added additional lyrics to give it modern-day poignancy that sadly continues to be relevant.
Long Walk Home (2007)
We already established that Springsteen has been critical of American presidents long before Trump. This tune, which appears on the album Magic, is a rebuke of George W. Bush’s presidency, and it calls to task those who failed to uphold the Constitution. It also holds out hope that, after much hard work, things will get better. The song’s message is even more relevant now.
Death To My Hometown (2012)
This tune appears on Wrecking Ball, an album that resonated in the wake of the Occupy movement. With a Celtic-punk feel, reminiscent of the Dropkick Murphys, the lyrics deal with the economic collapse of 2008. was the result of a bloodless war waged by greedy bankers against innocent citizens. He indicts the modern-day “marauders” and “robber barons” who pillage the working class.
Jack Of All Trades (2012)
Also from the album Wrecking Ball, the protagonist of this tune is a blue-collar worker who struggles to find odd jobs to support his family. It contrasts how “the banker man grows fat” while the “working man grows thin.”
That’s What Makes Us Great (featuring Bruce Springsteen) – Joe Grushesky and the Houserockers (2017)
Journeyman rocker and longtime friend of Springsteen, Joe Grushecky has been plugging away since the ’70s. He wrote an anti-Trump tune and asked Springsteen (who produced Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers’ 1995 album, American Babylon) to join forces with him. The song’s title is a play on Trump’s “Make America Great” slogan, and it addresses that the USA is a country built on immigration.
