Bruce Springsteen’s new album is full of ”critical, angry patriotism.”
‘The River’ hitmaker’s ‘Wrecking Ball’, is inspired by the latest economic downturn and how it has affected the American people, and hinges on the question posed by lead single ‘Do We Take Care of our Own?’
He explained: ”The song asks the question that the rest of the record tries to answer, which is, ‘Do we take care of our own?’ and we often don’t.
”I write carefully and precisely and, I believe, clearly. If you’re missing it, you’re not quite thinking hard enough. There is a patriotism underneath all my music, but it’s a very critical, questioning, often angry patriotism.”
Bruce, 62, added the record reflects on previous difficult economic times, and they highlight the lack of justice for those that have lost jobs and homes as a result of the financial crisis.
He added to the Canberra Times newspaper: ”The idea was that the music was going to contextualise historically that this has happened before in the 1930s, the 1800s – It’s happened over and over and over again.
”People lost their homes and nobody went to jail. There was really no accountability for years.
”A basic theft had occurred that struck at what the American idea was about.
”[My songs are] always been about judging the distance between [America’s] reality and the American dream.”
‘Wrecking Ball’ was released yesterday (05.03.12).