Bruce Springsteen: His 10 Best Political Songs According to Ultimate Classic Rock

In November 2025, Bruce Springsteen spoke at the New York Public Library's annual gala, announcing his intention to write more political songs. "A writer does their best work when they've got something to push against," he said on the occasion (via njarts.net). "And these days, in this country, there's plenty for an American writer to push against, and that's what inspires me going forward."

Not long after, Springsteen made good on that promise by releasing “Streets Of Minneapolis“, a new track inspired by the deaths of two local residents at the hands of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, commonly known as ICE. "It's dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, to our innocent immigrant neighbors, and to the memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good," he said in a statement. "Stay free. Bruce Springsteen."

Ultimate Classic Rock magazine decided to put together a ranking of what it considers Springsteen's best political songs, a songwriter who “has never shied away from political songwriting, having grown up admiring the work of Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan and others.”

“Of course,” the magazine continues, “there's no single definition of this kind of music: usually you know it when you hear it. And there are plenty of Springsteen songs that, depending on interpretation, could be considered political.”

So here is the ranking of Springsteen's best political songs, according to Ultimate Classic Rock (full feature here).

1. “Lost in the Flood” – da “Greetings From Asbury Park N.J.” (1973)

2. “Born in the U.S.A.” – da “Born in the U.S.A.” (1984)

3. "Roulette" – B-side (1988)

4. “The Ghost of Tom Joad” – da “The Ghost of Tom Joad” (1995)

5. “Youngstown” – da “The Ghost of Tom Joad” (1995)

6. "American Skin (41 Shots)" – from "Live in New York City" (2001)

7. "Long Walk Home" – from "Magic" (2007)

8. “Jack of All Trades” – da “Wrecking Ball” (2012)

9. “We Take Care of Our Own” – da “Wrecking Ball” (2012)

10. "Death to My Hometown" – from "Wrecking Ball" (2012)

Bruce Springsteen recently made a surprise appearance in Minneapolis at a fundraising event held in memory of Renée Good and Alex Pretti, two citizens killed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during the city's recent unrest. The event, organized by Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine at the historic First Avenue venue in downtown Minneapolis, had already fueled rumors earlier in the evening about the possibility of the rocker showing up. On stage, Springsteen played with a message clearly visible on his guitar: "Arrest the President," backing the crowd with an intense, warmly received set. Among the songs performed were several of his best-known tracks, including "The Ghost of Tom Joad" played together with Morello, and a striking solo voice-and-guitar rendition of the new protest song "Streets of Minneapolis", dedicated to the tragic outcome of the protests in the city.

Bruce Springsteen released “Streets Of Minneapolis” in response to what he called “the state terror being carried out on the city of Minneapolis.” The New Jersey artist dedicated it to the city itself, to our innocent immigrant neighbors, and to the memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, the two citizens killed in the street by federal immigration agents.

Listen to the track below.

In a statement, Springsteen said he wrote the song last Saturday, recorded it the following day, and released it immediately in response to "the state terror that is hitting the city of Minneapolis". He dedicated it to the people of Minneapolis, "to our innocent immigrant neighbors and to the memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good".

The track, partly acoustic, immediately brings to mind Springsteen's own "Streets Of Philadelphia", his celebrated song about AIDS used in the soundtrack of the film "Philadelphia". Here too the arrangement is bare and mournful, but the context is openly political and offers no room for excuses. Springsteen spares no one, stating unambiguously "ICE out now", turning the chorus into a protest slogan.

In the lyrics, Minneapolis is described as "a city on fire", the setting for a clash between "fire and ice under an occupier's boots", identified as "King Trump's private army" — that is, the Department of Homeland Security forces that arrived in the city "to enforce the law" (“A city aflame fought fire and ice/ ‘Neath an occupier’s boots, King Trump’s private army from the DHS./ Came to Minneapolis to enforce the law”). The image is that of a militarized city, treated as hostile territory rather than a civil community.

Springsteen explicitly names and pays tribute to the two people killed by ICE agents, weaving their names into a sung account that takes on the tone of an indictment: “Contro il fumo e i proiettili di gomma/ Alle prime luci dell’alba/ I cittadini si battevano per la giustizia/ Le loro voci risuonavano nella notte/ E c’erano impronte insanguinate/ Dove avrebbe dovuto esserci pietà/ E due morti lasciati a morire sulle strade innevate/ Alex Pretti e Renee Good” (“Against smoke and rubber bullets/ By the dawn’s early light/ Citizens stood for justice/ Their voices ringing through the night/ And there were bloody footprints/ Where mercy should have stood/ And two dead left to die on snow-filled streets/ Alex Pretti and Renee Good”).

In the following verse, the target becomes the system and its official narrative. Springsteen dismantles the self-defense version of events, setting the claims of political leaders against evidence produced by ordinary citizens: “La loro accusa era di legittima difesa, signore/ Non credete ai vostri occhi/ È il nostro sangue e le nostre ossa/ E questi fischietti e telefoni/ Contro le sporche bugie di Miller e Noem” (Their claim was self defense, sir/ Just don't believe your eyes/ It's our blood and bones/ And these whistles and phones/ Against Miller and Noem's dirty lies). Everyday technology — phones and amateur footage — becomes a tool of resistance against power and its version of events.

The song closes with a statement of memory and responsibility: "We'll remember the names of those who died/ On the streets of Minneapolis".

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