The pacifist classic that Springsteen hasn’t sung for 23 years

These are days of tour rehearsals for Bruce Springsteen, in a discreet room in Ocean Grove, on the Jersey Shore. In recent days, the arrival in a car driven by his friend and colleague Bon Jovi, who came to assist, made the news.
But the news for fans could be different: the return to the setlist of songs that the Boss hasn’t played for many years. In particular one: the cover of “War”, which last appeared in concert on the “The Rising” tour, 23 years ago – and more suitable than ever for the current times.

The rumors are reported by several pages dedicated to Springsteen, which refer to what has been collected on BruceBase, a sort of Wikipedia dedicated to the singer and usually quite reliable, which lists the rehearsals of songs that are the backbone of the “Land of Hope and Dreams” that we saw in Europe last year, but also of songs like “Rocky Ground” and “American Skin” – all absent for some time and all very political, just as the tour, which will start on March 31st from Minneapolis, will be political – the city where two people were killed by ICE and to which Springsteen dedicated “Streets of Minneapolis” – which has been rehearsed and will be in the setlist.

Returning to “War”, it was written in 1970 by Barrett Strong and Norman Whitfield – two of Motown’s most important artists – and recorded by the Temptations and Edwin Starr. Springsteen began singing it live in 1985 and his cover became the first lead single from the monumental “Live/1975–85” box set, the first quintuple live album released in 1986. It has been played about a hundred times, the last time in March 2003 in Australia. The song is centered around the phrase: “War. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing.” The 1985 version was introduced by a spoken section that said “Blind faith in your leaders will get you killed”, which exploded at the start of the song.

The “Land of Hope and Dreams” already in the 2024 version had several spoken and political sections, with an open stance against the Trump administration. Also not surprising is the recovery of “American Skin (41 Shots)”, which Springsteen wrote in 2000 telling the story of Amadou Diallo, an unarmed boy killed in Brooklyn by the police with 41 shots because he was mistaken for a threat. The performance during the 2000 concerts in New York led to an NYPD boycott: the song was later re-recorded in 2014 for “High Hopes”.

This is the message that Springsteen wrote for the presentation of the tour which will start from Minneapolis and end in the capital Washington

We are living in dark, disturbing and dangerous times, but do not despair: the cavalry is coming! Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will take the stage this spring from Minneapolis to California, from Texas to Washington, DC for the Land of Hope And Dreams American Tour. We will rock your city to celebrate and defend America: American democracy, American freedom, our American Constitution, and our sacred American dream, all under attack by our would-be king and his rogue government in Washington, DC. Everyone, no matter where you are or what you believe, is welcome – so come and join the United Free Republic of E Street Nation for an American Spring of Rock ‘n’ Rebellion! See you there!