In our speculations on Devils & Dust we wrote, that the album must be expected to make some kind of comment on Springsteen's engagement in the American election - not that it "may" be expected to do so, nor that it "could" be expected to, but that it must. The reason is that Springsteen's involvement with politics was such a major event that it can drastically change his significance as an artist and his relationship to his audience. A lot of people will be eagerly searching for a reflection of these developments in his new songs - and they will inevitably find one. For in this case the old existentialist dictum seems to hold true, that not to choose will also count as a choice: Even in the instance of Devils & Dust being absolutely silent about politics this would also be interpreted as a kind of statement - e. g. as an acceptance of the claim made by rude republican fans that Springsteen should "shut up and sing", or as a signal of aesthetic withdrawal from a political world gone mad.
Oddly enough, the background for this delicate situation doesn't go very far back. Though Springsteen has always been a Democrat and has, at least since the late seventies, made a bunch of songs dealing with political issues, his music has never been really controversial. Springsteen is obviously not the kind of artist that takes delight in dissociating oneself from broad segments of the American population, and through a certain tact concerning political issues (some would add "ambiguity" and think about Born In The USA) he has managed to keep an audience of diverse political convictions. To our notice the first sign of an emerging crisis in the relationship between Springsteen and his conservative fans came in 2000, when Springsteen wrote the song American Skin (41 Shots), released in a live version on Live In New York City (2001). Besides being a great piece of music American Skin was also a harsh comment on the killing of an unarmed black man by the New York police. The song struck a note of political satire, which brought reminiscences of Bob Dylan's Hurricane but seemed rather untypical for Springsteen. The New York Police reacted strongly against the song, conservative fans began to loudly express their opposition when it was performed at concerts, and on Springsteen's home page a rapidly expanding discussion forum sprang up from the question, whether it is possible to be a Republican and a Springsteen fan at once.
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