[includes lyrics plus article from NPR] January 29, 2026
We publish below the lyrics of a new song Bruce Spingsteen released on January 28, 2026. The Boss, as the singer is known, released “Streets of Minneapolis” as part of a protest movement across the United States demanding an end to the terror unleashed by the Trump administration through its Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol thugs against undocumented immigrants and all working people.
We also publish an article first released by National Public Radio (NPR) News announcing the song’s debut.
I’m glad to see a notable artist taking up the cause but… This track is not good. It sounds like an AI track emulating Springsteen
Its not bad. Sometimes Springsteen’s political stuff isnt great. Lost in the Flood is musically one of my favorites, but it has like the highest ratio of cringe lines likes to good lines, ever. Not as topically political as this, it’s not a protest song, but “the streets are lined with wolfman fairies dressed in drag for homicide” just doesn’t hold up, as much as I can appreciate what he was describing and as sort of poetic he was trying to be.
The fact is, good political music is an exception rather a than a rule, since McCarthyism. The creative pallette doesn’t exist for contemporary artists, and efforts often fall flat. But making something new and relevant sets a bar for other artists to follow. There’s a young musician right now who has an unhealthy obsession with the boss, that is taking notes. Nothing exists without making the effort.
Its a good song imo, but its a little flat, a little dated. That’s okay though. The spirit is right, and the meaning is solid. We talk about how the boss might be past his prime but in the domain of protest music, which is so degenerated, I think he’s pretty damn with it
For whatever reason, my brain read “Youngstown” where you put “Lost in the Flood” and I spent a good 2 minutes thinking, “What in the world is cringe in Youngstown?”
This is pretty much entirely my position, too: its existence, regardless anything else, is a net good, in the end. And hopefully juices the inclination of others to join in. Momentum is built on encouragement.
I mean, the guy is 30 years past his prime. What’s crazy is that no other pop stars are making songs about this. Back in the day we had “4 dead in ohio” and “bloody sunday” and countless others … where are the revolutionary songs these days?
I mean, there has been a lot of consolidation of the music industry. There isn’t the same kind of music apparatus like there was when those songs were written. Plus, there have been some good protest songs recently. On May 6th, 2024 Macklemore put out Hinds Hall, then in September he put out Hinds Hall 2, then 11 months ago he put out Fucked Up. He’s also not signed to a label, so maybe that’s why. Famously, groups like Bob Vylan and Kneecap have taken a lot of heat for their positions. Vylan was dropped from their label, I believe they were facing charges. Kneecap was facing terrorism charges which were eventually dropped. Sure, this isn’t explicitly ICE related, but these struggles are all connected.
Radio is basically dead, most of the US and Canadian radio stations are corporate owned. As of 2021 only 80ish US stations were independent, and 13 Canadian stations were independent. The idea that a corporate owned radio station would play a “protest” song in 2026 seems unrealistic. Plus, most people are getting their music through corporate algorithms via services like Spotify or YT Music. Maybe there is some really great protest songs, but I have a feeling they don’t get the same kind of traction in the algorithms as other forms of music.
I, for one, hope Trump goes out of his way to disrespect Kendrick Lamar. How can we have a famous diss track about Drake being a pedophile, but not one about the president? Missed opportunity…
Yeah, I share your disappointment.
jesse wells. go through the late show performers and even the ones playing older songs emphasize parts you can tell is about ice or the administration.
You expecting a rousing anthem from Katy Perry?
Past his prime is doesn’t really say much in the case of Springsteen, his new albums are still great and his concerts are incredible. But I appreciate that you’re attributing his prime to the period around the Ghost of Tom Joad, which is one of his most underrated albums for sure.
I’m saying his best material was in the 70s and 80s, that was 30+ years ago.
You might want to check your calendar. 1986 was 40 years ago. Ugh has it really been that long since I graduated high school?
Yeah, I was initially going to object that his best work was surely 44 years ago with Nebraska, but then I realized it’s only 31 years since Ghost of Tom Joad and it’s a crazy good album. But that was 1995.
Personally I’m a huge fan of his latest albums as well, but each to their own.
tull was 60’s and 70’s but anderson reformed it and I sometimes feel the zealot gene was some of their best stuff and that was more around trump one and what has happened in the millenium.
Of things I dislike, people accusing real artists doing real art of being similar to the AI slop generated by stealing their work certainly makes the list.
I mean, I’m glad he did something, but he’s really not the guy who should be doing something. There are many more relevant artists
oh man I disagree but im not a springsteen fan. sorta annoying trumps name is in a song though.
I listened and we were dancing with it playing. We liked it and thought it was good quality
I described it to a friend as “sounding like a parody” which I imagine is the same thing you’re hearing. I would never have guessed this was a Springsteen song if I heard it in passing, it lacks so much of what made him good.
I love the message and truly believe he made it for the right reasons (not a Cash grab) but…the song is not good. The melody isn’t catchy and the instrumentation is generic. The vocals are worst part - made even worse by the mixing. There was one part where his voice wobbles badly that made me think the engineers in the booth were just too afraid to ask a musical legend to do a second take.
Singers who are that far “past heir prime” need to give up on super crisp and clean vocal recording. Some muddiness would go a LONG way.
It’s funny: I agree with you but for inverse (sort of) reasons.
The music, for me, is fine; maybe not what I would’ve gone for in the current climate but fairly distinctly Bruce Springsteen and he’s done a lot with simple melodies a good amount of times. Sort of reminds me of “The Line”, off of The Ghost of Tom Joad, or some other stuff he’s done before that I can’t quite place my finger on.
It’s those lyrics; when I heard he wrote it so quickly, I was kinda like, “Yeah; this certainly feels rushed…” Especially from the artist where the writing is, generally, the most outstanding part of any song he does. I could be wrong as I’m mostly going off of my first impression but it just feels massively less inpactful than his past work. Like he slapped lyrics together so quickly that they don’t even properly fit the tune of the song (that moment in the first verse where he stretches “story” out into three syllables kills me).
That is a great observation. I don’t feel like relistening but I’m wondering if it’s the part that made me mention doing another take - it sounded like he got tickled mid sentence
Welcome to folk music dude. Some of us like it.
If you want an overly produced pop track with 15 vocals stacked on top of each other in perfect harmony you’re not gonna get it released two days after the song was written.
You misunderstand my criticism if you think I’m saying it needs more production. I’m saying the vocals would be better if they sounded less produced. The super clean vocal recording/mixing it uses is a hallmark of pop, not folk.
Folk hooks are also just as catchy as any other genre but this song just isn’t very catchy.
I am not saying you shouldn’t like it, either. I’m glad it resonates with people. I just think it’s mediocrity of being ignored because the message is good and he’s a famous musician. If it was some random dude, no one would be praising it
This exactly. I’m glad he made it, but I’d rather hear Gillian Welch do it
I’m an old-time singer, fiddler, and banjo player. Bruce isn’t attempting folk