Los Angeles, Jan 29 (.) In what can be described as one of the most politically charged tracks of his career, singer-songwriter and guitarist Bruce Springsteen has released a surprise protest song titled ‘Streets of Minneapolis.’
Taking to Instagram, Springsteen shared his thoughts on the track, explaining that it is a response to the “state terror” in Minneapolis and the killings of two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
“I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Stay free, Bruce Springsteen,” he wrote.
The song opens with a full-band arrangement, followed by sing-along moments as the lyrics unfold, “Through the winter’s ice and cold/ Down Nicollet Avenue/ A city aflame fought fire and ice/ ‘Neath an occupier’s boots/ King Trump’s private army from the DHS/ Guns belted to their coats/ Came to Minneapolis to enforce the law/ Or so their story goes.”
In tribute to the citizens of Minneapolis, he continues, “Against smoke and rubber bullets/ By the dawn’s early light/ Citizens stood for justice/ Their voices ringing through the night. And there were bloody footprints/ Where mercy should have stood/ And two dead left to die on snow-filled streets/ Alex Pretti and Renee Good.”
‘Springsteen’ is the latest celebrity to speak out against ICE’s actions in Minneapolis, joining the ranks of Billie Eilish, Jimmy Kimmel, Dave Matthews, Olivia Rodrigo, and Stephen Colbert.
The release comes in the wake of the deaths of two US citizens during immigration enforcement operations. Renee Good, 37, a mother of three, was shot on January 7 during protests against the administration’s militarized raids. On January 24, Pretti was killed at point-blank range after being restrained by federal officers.
This is not the first time Springsteen, nicknamed “the Boss,” has responded to the tenor of the times. His previous politically charged works include 2001’s American Skin (41 Shots), written in response to the 1999 NYPD killing of unarmed Amadou Diallo, the anti-Vietnam War anthem Born in the USA, and Streets of Philadelphia, addressing the AIDS crisis, according to Billboard.
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