The star’s urgent and to-the-point protest song is not subtle about its target and right now that’s why it works so well
Bruce Springsteen’s new protest song isn’t open to interpretation.
In Streets of Minneapolis, the Boss condemns “King Trump’s private army from the DHS” that “came to Minneapolis to enforce the law – or so their story goes”. He names Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both killed by federal agents amid protests. He rages against “Miller and Noem’s dirty lies”, referencing the faces of the Trump administration’s onslaught against immigrants.
In its familiar structure, with chords any beginner musician can play, it echoes protest songs of the 1960s. But unlike Blowin’ in the Wind or A Change Is Gonna Come, it doesn’t speak in metaphor. That probably means no one will be singing this song around the campfire 50 years from now; we can only hope the youth of tomorrow will be unfamiliar with private DHS armies. But it also leaves no doubt about its message. Springsteen, who says he wrote and recorded the song in the span of a weekend, has no time for ambiguity, and the result is a sense of urgency and genuine fury. Streets of Minneapolis sacrifices timelessness for raw feeling.
That’s not to say the song lacks lyricism. Springsteen stages the scene on Minneapolis streets as a battle between the people and their violent oppressors, with images of “fire and ice” and “an occupier’s boots”. It’s rooted in the folk tradition, with references to the US national anthem – “Against smoke and rubber bullets / In the dawn’s early light” – and echoes of the Bible – “We’ll take our stand for this land / And the stranger in our midst.” The title itself harkens back to Springsteen’s own hit Streets of Philadelphia, which addressed the Aids crisis. And, importantly for a protest song, it’s highly singable, with a verse-chorus structure and a built-in chant: the recording features voices yelling: “ICE out!” (It also has a big harmonica solo, essential to any 60s-style anthem.)
