Bruce Springsteen’s political commentary has sparked loads of debate lately, and one other fellow musician has now joined the growing list of critics.
Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain recently argued that politics has no place on the concert stage, saying artists should give attention to entertaining audiences quite than sharing their personal views.
His comments not only took direct aim on the rock legend but in addition echoed concerns Mick Jagger recently raised about Springsteen’s increasingly political performances.
Bruce Springsteen’s increasingly political live shows have change into a talking point beyond his own fan base, with fellow rock legend Mick Jagger offering a distinct perspective on how artists should approach the stage.
During an appearance on The Recent York Times podcast “The Interview” earlier in July, the Rolling Stones frontman was asked about Springsteen’s habit of addressing political issues from the stage.
While avoiding a direct personal attack, Jagger made it clear that his own philosophy was very different.
“The underside line of my thing, really, is that my job within the live music world is [for] those folks that come is to have the perfect time they possibly can,” he said, explaining that audiences should give you the chance to forget “all their problems” for a number of hours.
Jagger added that while he occasionally included political themes into his songwriting, he didn’t consider live shows were the place for prolonged commentary, concluding, “You don’t wish to lecture them.”
Jonathan Cain Says Bruce Springsteen Should Leave Politics Out Of His Shows
Jagger isn’t the one rock legend to query Springsteen’s increasingly political performances. Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain soon weighed in with a much more direct assessment.
The 76-year-old didn’t mince words while discussing Springsteen during an appearance on “The Complete Disaster Network” podcast.
Although Cain acknowledged that he held firm political opinions, he insisted he had never felt the necessity to turn his live shows into political platforms.
Reflecting on his own views, Cain explained, “I was a Democrat back within the old days, but I couldn’t go there anymore, you understand? I’m a diehard conservative.”
He then argued that Springsteen should adopt an analogous approach, saying, “And guys like Bruce Springsteen should shut up. You understand, really, truthfully, shut up, Bruce, you understand? Him and who’s the opposite one? Robert DeNiro. I mean, who cares, guys? Do your art. I attempt to keep politics out of my music.”
The musician added that while he once enjoyed Springsteen’s work, he now saw the singer as “an annoying, bitter old man.”
Cain Explains Why He Keeps His Personal Views Separate From Music
While criticizing Bruce Springsteen’s approach, Jonathan Cain also emphasized that his own political and non secular beliefs remained just personal.
The “Separate Ways” singer said fans attended live shows to listen to music, not political speeches.
“People say, ‘Well, you’re a Christian and also you’re conservative,’ and I’m like, ‘So what?’” he explained, adding, “I don’t preach it on stage. I don’t spend 10 minutes talking about it.”
For Cain, live performances should provide an escape from on a regular basis divisions quite than reinforce them.
He argued that audiences come together through shared songs and memories, no matter where they stand politically, which is why he believed entertainers should resist using their performances to advertise personal ideologies.
Cain Also Took Aim At Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born In The usA.’
Cain’s criticism prolonged beyond Springsteen’s recent public comments, reaching back to one in every of his biggest hits.
Discussing “Born in the united statesA.,” the keyboardist argued that the song itself reflected a message he believed was overly critical of America.
“You were born within the USA, weren’t you, dude? So act prefer it,” Cain said before adding, “But even that song, for those who have a look at the lyrics, I mean, it’s a sort of a diss toward our country.”
By pointing to the decades-old anthem, Cain suggested that Springsteen’s political messaging didn’t begin together with his recent speeches but had been embedded in his music for years.
Jonathan Cain Believes Music Should Unite, Not Divide
Reasonably than using live shows to point out political differences, Cain said he believed music should bring people together.
Citing Paul McCartney for instance, he recalled, “I mean, Paul McCartney said, ‘Hey, after I sing Hey, Jude, Democrats and Republicans all sing together.’”
Cain said he strived to create that very same atmosphere at any time when Journey took the stage.
“And I feel the identical way with Journey,” he explained. “We’ve our parties on the market within the audience, respective parties, and so they’re singing Don’t Stop Believin.”
For the veteran musician, that sense of unity was what made live performances memorable, no matter fans’ political affiliations.
Summing up his perspective, Cain argued that entertainers risked undermining that shared experience after they ventured into politics, concluding, “I just don’t think it’s cool to have celebrities going there. It’s a foul look.”