Springsteen Disappoints: Warning Label For New Release

Early in June last summer, Bruce Springsteen officially came out of the political closet when he posted an Al Gore speech on his website. Gore's remarks to a MoveOn.org audience at NYU were exceptionally unhinged. Of course, long time fans were not surprised to learn of Springsteen's leftist leanings. His politics were no secret, with many of his songs revealing his views.

However, prior to that time, Springsteen expressed his political views to his audience mainly through his music, not by actively campaigning for a candidate or posting partisan messages on his website.

Many loyal fans were taken aback by his decision to get into bed with the extremists of MoveOn. To use Laura Ingraham's line, many wished he would just "shut up and sing."

Now that Springsteen is on a media frenzy promoting his new album, Devils and Dust, blatant political statements aren't on his site. There's no obvious Bush-bashing outside of the discussion forums.

With the new album, Springsteen has achieved another career first--a parental advisory label.

From rollingstone.com

Among the standout tracks is "Reno," a disquieting ballad about a man's visit to a prostitute - with an explicit reference to anal sex that won the album an "adult imagery" warning on its back cover. ("It's just what felt right for the song," Springsteen says.)

"Reno" lyrics--you be the judge.

Disquieting? Yes, but I'd take it a step further and call it "disgusting."

From Matt Lauer's Dateline interview with Springsteen:

Lauer: “When's the last time you had a label on the back of the CD that said, ‘This song contains some adult images’?”

Springsteen: “I don't know if I ever heard that one before.”

Lauer: “The song they’re referring to is about a man's time with a prostitute… want to go back to that whole-- writing these in hotel rooms after the ‘Tom Jode tour.’ I'm imagining this is fiction right?”

Springsteen: “Yes, absolutely.”

Lauer: “What's that song about?”

Springsteen: “Actually, it's a love song.”

Lauer: “It's a graphic love song.”

Springsteen: “It just comes at it from a different point of view.”

Lauer: “But why did it have to be so graphic. I mean, sexual intercourse images. You know, could you not have told the story without those things?”

Springsteen: “No.”

Lauer: “No? Just leave it off the album?”

Springsteen: “No, I don't think so. And the label is to say if you're going to hand it over to your 10-year-old kid. It sort of lets the parent know along the way this story comes up. It was just part of the story. It made the story real.”
_______________________________

If Hillary Clinton is the Democrats' nominee for president in 2008, something tells me she won't be tapping Springsteen's "Reno" for her campaign theme song, as Kerry did with "Glory Days."

On this one, it's not a matter of "shut up and sing."

In my opinion, I think Springsteen purposely went for shock value to draw attention to his new release. I can't believe this was a serious expression of artistic vision he felt compelled to produce.

When it comes to "Reno," I wish he would just shut up.