Bruce Springsteen described the American political landscape as ‘harrowing’ during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Monday.
The 72-year-old rocker was promoting his book and podcast Renegades, both of which he produced with the president Barack ObamaStephen, 60, and 57, asked about the book’s introduction.
Stephen said: ‘You say this is a very risky time, with everything at stake. I agree with you, but what do you mean about it specifically. I mean, it’s harrowing’, while Bruce echoed: ‘Oh, it’s harrowing’.
Despite his concerns about the political landscape, he acknowledged that the promise of youth fighting for their rights ‘gives hope’.
Harrowing landscaping: Bruce Springsteen described the American political landscape as ‘harrowing’ during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Monday
Bruce continued: ‘Do you want Marjorie Taylor Green, Matt Gaetz, Ron DeSantis and our former fearless leaders to decide the fate of the American experiment?’
Stephen asked how he maintained his hope and Springsteen replied that he should be a ‘fight optimist’, as he said: “There was an attempt to overturn free and fair elections. It failed’.
He said he remains optimistic as he has young children and will have to do so because the other option is “unthinkable”.
Bruce continued: ‘My kids were out at the George Floyd and Black Lives Matters protests. Seeing a diverse group of youth on the streets a day after the election. You know, it’s a cliché, but that’s what keeps me optimistic…
Springsteen and Obama have now teamed up to produce a podcast and the upcoming book, Renegades: Born in the USA.
‘I think there’s a big generation of young people coming out who will be interested in protecting things like American democracy and the fundamental right to vote.
‘All of which have been kind of an endangered species at the moment, so, anyway, that’s my hope’.
The Renegades is a companion book to a series of podcasts by Bruce and Obama. Bruce elaborated: ‘It was the president’s idea. He called me I thought he had the wrong number!’
With the release of the project, the former president revealed that his wife Michelle had asked him to spend more time with Bruce so that he could reflect on his ‘failures and flaws’.
Famous rockers: The 72-year-old rocker was on his podcast with President Barack Obama, 60, about his new book, Renegades, and Stephen, 57, asked about his introduction to the book.
Obama said during a CBS interview on Monday that as he was getting to know singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, his wife told him, ‘You need to spend more time with Bruce.’ ‘I said, ‘Well, why is that?’ Obama said.
She says, “You know, he understands all of his failures and flaws as a man, and you don’t even realize how messed up you are.”
Rocker and the former president reflected on how they both see themselves as outsiders. Springsteen warned that many people would feel disaffected by technological and societal changes, and Obama said change was happening “too fast” for many in America.
Bruce said: ‘And Donald Trump was, you know, he had the cynical and lascivious ability to play on that part of our weakness, you know? …
‘I think we’re going to be in a lot of trouble if you can’t find a way to include a lot of people who are feeling disaffected. Whether it is due to technological change, whether it is post-industrialisation’.
Classic song: Springsteen also performed his song The River during his visit to the CBS talk show
‘Bruce is right,’ Obama said. ‘You end up with, on the one hand, changes happening very, very rapidly for a large part of the population. For the other part of the population, it’s like, ‘You know, how long are we going to put off this dream?'”
Bruce also promoted the upcoming release of The Legendary 1979 No Nooks Concert which featured him performing with The E Street Band.
During his visit to the CBS talk show, he also performed his song The River.
With the release of the project, the former president revealed that his wife Michelle had asked him to spend more time with Bruce so that he could reflect on his ‘failures and flaws’.
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