Bruce Springsteen Shares Politically-Charged ‘Land Of Hope & Dreams’ Live EP

On May 14, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band kicked off their Land Of Hope And Dreams Tour at Co-op Live in Manchester, England. Highlights from the politically-charged concert were released as a new live EP, Land Of Hope & Dreams.

Bandleader Bruce Springsteen spoke out against the Trump administration’s policies multiple times during the concert in Manchester. Springsteen’s politically-charged tour-opening address kicks off the new live EP, followed by the show-starting performance of “Land Of Hope And Dreams.”

The EP’s tracklist also includes “Long Walk Home,” which Springsteen prefaced by stating, “This is a prayer for my country.” The tracklist continues with Springsteen speaking to the audience before “My City Of Ruins.” Springsteen stated:

“There’s some very weird, strange and dangerous shit going on out there right now. In America, they are persecuting people for using their right to free speech and voicing their dissent. This is happening now.

“In America, the richest men are taking satisfaction in abandoning the world’s poorest children to sickness and death. This is happening now.

“In my country, they’re taking sadistic pleasure in the pain they inflict on loyal American workers. They’re rolling back historic civil rights legislation that has led to a more just and plural society. They are abandoning our great allies and siding with dictators against those struggling for their freedom. They are defunding American universities that won’t bow down to their ideological demands.

“They are removing residents off American streets and, without due process of law, are deporting them to foreign detention centers and prisons. This is all happening now.

“A majority of our elected representatives have failed to protect the American people from the abuses of an unfit president and a rogue government. They have no concern or idea for what it means to be deeply American.

“The America I’ve sung to you about for 50 years is real and regardless of its faults is a great country with a great people. So we’ll survive this moment. Now, I have hope, because I believe in the truth of what the great American writer James Baldwin said. He said, ‘In this world, there isn’t as much humanity as one would like, but there’s enough.’ Let’s pray.”

The Land Of Hope & Dreams EP features the subsequent performance of “My City Of Ruins.” The release ends with the show-closing “Chimes Of Freedom,” which was Springsteen’s first time covering the Bob Dylan song since 1988.

Amplifying his statements, which drew retaliatory threats from President Trump, Springsteen quickly shared official video from the Manchester concert, which can be viewed below:

Musicians have voiced their support for Springsteen following the threats made against the 75-year-old Springsteen. Canadian-born rocker Neil Young, who has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration, posted a message of solidarity with Springsteen on Young’s official website. Titled “TRUMP!!!” and signed “neil young and many others,” he posted:

“What are you worryin’ about man? Bruce and thousands of musicians think you are ruining America. You worry about that instead of the dyin’ kids in Gaza. That’s your problem. I am not scared of you. Neither are the rest of us. You shut down FEMA when we needed it most. That’s your problem Trump. STOP THINKING ABOUT WHAT ROCKERS ARE SAYING. Think about saving America from the mess you made. Taylor Swift is right. So is Bruce. You know how I feel. You are more worried about yourself than AMERICA. Wake up Trump!! Remember what the White House is?

“86/47??? That’s what you think about? You are forgetting your real job. You work for us. Wake up Republicans! This guy is out of control. We need a real president!”

Eddie Vedder used Pearl Jam's final two shows of their Dark Matter Tour in Pittsburgh last weekend to assert his support for Springsteen. Vedder played a solo version of “My City Of Ruins” at the start of the encore of the band’s first concert at Pittsburgh’s PPG Paints Arena. Vedder then spoke about Springsteen and the reaction his words received from the Trump administration at the tour closer the following night.

Here’s a transcript of what Vedder said in Pittsburgh:

“I was telling you earlier, I was thinking about a microphone and a guitar and a relationship with an audience and trust and reciprocal respect that is built over the years and the decades, and that we all get to be better for. And then the people that we know because of the music — it has nothing to do with the music — the family and the friends. And because songs have messages and writers that you care about — I just want to say how important it is and how we’ve never lost sight or forgotten for one second the privilege that it is to stand on a stage in front of an audience.

“And when a hero like Bruce Springsteen brings up issues and makes his thoughts be known and uses his microphone to speak for those who don’t have a voice sometimes — certainly not an amplified one — I just want to point out that he brought up issues. He brought up that residents are being removed off America’s streets and being deported without due process of law. That’s happening. He brought up that we’re abandoning our longtime allies around the globe and signing on with dictators. That is also happening.

“I’m here driving through all the colleges — University of Pitt and Carnegie Mellon — and the incredible area you’ve got, and thinking that they’re defunding American universities that won’t bow down to their ideologies, as Bruce said.

“Now, look, I appreciate you listening, and I bring it up because the response to all that and him using the microphone — the response had nothing to do with the issues. They didn’t talk about one of those issues. Didn’t have a conversation about one of those issues. Didn’t debate any one of those issues.

“All that we heard were personal attacks and threats that nobody else should even try to use their microphone or use their voice in public, or they will be shut down. Now, that is not allowed in this country that we call America. Am I right or am I wrong?

“Part of free speech is open discussion. Part of democracy is healthy public discourse.

“The name-calling is so beneath us. Bruce has always been as pro-American with his values of freedom and liberty, and his justice has always remained intact. And I’m saying that this now — I’m saying just to be sure — that this freedom to speak will still exist in another year or two from now when we come back to this microphone. And what better place to have a positive response than the working fucking people of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.”

Vedder and his bandmates then lit into Neil Young’s “Rockin’ In The Free World.” Watch footage from Pittsburgh below: