The BOSS in the official video for ‘Born in the U.S.A.’; Photo: YouTube/Vevo


Bruce Springsteen, everybody’s favorite “cool rockin’ daddy in the U.S.A.” and outspoken critic of President Trump, said he doesn’t want to write any anti-president songs for his 19th LP and to-be-named follow up to 2014’s High Hopes, he told Variety.

“[The album is] not topical at all,” he said. “Topical writing at the moment doesn’t hold a lot of interest to me. I really got out a lot of what I had to say in that vein on Wrecking Ball. I’m not driven to write any anti-Trump diatribe; that doesn’t feel necessary at the moment.”

This may surprise some, knowing how anti-Trump Springsteen has been — whether he’s calling the president a “moron” or standing against the Muslim-targeted travel ban.

He even released a protest song called “That’s What Makes Us Great,” where he sings with Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers: [LISTEN]

It’s up to me and you, love can conquer hate

I know this to be true and that’s what makes us great

Springsteen said music lovers just want good music — not to listen to someone on their political soapbox.

“I still believe people fundamentally come to music to be entertained,” he said. “Yes, to address their daily concerns, and yes, also to address political topics, I believe music can do that well. But I still believe fundamentally it’s an affair of the heart.”

He said music transcends politics, hot-button issues, and differing opinions. “People want you to go deeper than politics, they want you to reach inside to their most personal selves and their deepest struggles with their daily lives and reach that place. That’s the place I’m always trying to reach.”

Springsteen went on to cite Woody Guthrie as a songwriter who blended politics into his songs while still putting the listener first. “They weren’t hollow, they weren’t one-dimensional; they were these very full character pieces about the times.”

“I still aspire to that, really, and if it has political implications that’s fine and if it doesn’t that’s fine too.”