The six-track digital collection features two introductions that harshly criticize President Donald Trump
On May 14th, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band opened their Land of Hope & Dreams Tour in Manchester, England. Highlights from that first night are now available digitally via Columbia Records as the Land of Hope & Dreams EP – including the title track, “Long Walk Home,” “My City of Ruins” and the band’s cover of Bob Dylan’s “Chimes of Freedom.”
The tracks feature four songs and two introductions, both that harshly criticize President Donald Trump.
“It’s great to be in Manchester and back in the UK. Welcome to the Land of Hope and Dreams Tour,” he says. “The mighty E Street Band is here tonight to call upon the righteous power of art, of music, of rock and roll in dangerous times. In my home, the America I love, the America I’ve written about, that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration. Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experience to rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism and let freedom ring.”
The staunch Democrat has never been shy about stating his political beliefs publicly. Later in the set, he raged against Trump again.
“There’s some very weird, strange, and dangerous shit going on out there,” he says ahead of “My City of Ruins.” “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. And in my country, they are taking sadistic pleasure in the pain that they inflict on loyal American workers. They are rolling back historic civil rights legislation that led to a more just and moral society. They are abandoning our great allies and siding with dictators against those struggling for their freedom.”
Trump responded to the remarks by calling for an investigation into Springsteen, who he alleges was paid by Kamala Harris for an endorsement into her short-lived Presidential campaign last year.
“How much did Kamala Harris pay Bruce Springsteen for his poor performance during her campaign for President? Why did he accept that money if he is such a fan of hers? Isn’t that a major and illegal campaign contribution? What about Beyonce?… and how much went to Opray, and Bono??” he writes in all caps on his Truth social platform.
He continues, “I am going to call for a major investigation into this matter. Candidates aren’t allowed to pay for endorsements, which is what Kamala did, under the guise of paying for entertainment. In addition, this was a very expensive and desperate effort to artificially build up her sparse crowds. It’s not legal! For these unpatriotic ‘entertainers,’ this was just a corrupt & unlawful way to capitalize on a broken system. Thank you for your attention to this matter!!!”
Following the news of the EP, Trump posted an edited video of himself playing golf with the ball striking Springsteen in the back and making him fall. The clip of Springsteen falling was from an Amsterdam concert in May 2023.
- Land of Hope and Dreams (Introduction)
- Land of Hope and Dreams (Live)
- Long Walk Home (Live)
- My City of Ruins (Introduction)
- My City of Ruins (Live)
- Chimes of Freedom (Live)
