Bruce Springsteen in Australia: ‘This is an immigrant song!’

by JAY LUSTIG

Bruce Springsteen at his concert today in Adelaide, Australia.

“This is an immigrant song!” said Bruce Springsteen at a concert in Adelaide, Australia, today, introducing his “American Land,” after explaining why he added the song — a rarity over the last few years — to his set.

“Tonight we want to add our voices to the thousands of Americans who are protesting at airports, around our country, the Muslim ban and the detention of foreign nationals and refugees,” he said. “America is a nation of immigrants and we find this anti-democratic and fundamentally un-American.”

“The McNicholas, the Posalskis, the Smiths, Zerillis, too/The blacks, the Irish, Italians, the Germans and the Jews/Come across the water a thousand miles from home/With nothin’ in their bellies but the fire down below,” sings Springsteen in this song (Zerilli is his mother’s maiden name).

Also: “There’s treasure for the taking, for any hard-working man/Who will make his home in the American Land.”

According to posters on the fan site Backstreets, Springsteen added “Muslims” to the “The blacks, the Irish …” line, and also changed a line of “Land of Hope and Dreams” to “This train carries immigrants,” and dedicated “Trapped” to “all the detainees.”

Indeed, the five-song segment that included “American Land,” “The Ties That Bind,” “No Surrender,” “Land of Hope and Dreams” and “Trapped,” could be seen as a response to the first week of Donald Trump’s presidency.

Kicking off his tour of Australia and New Zealand on Jan. 22 in Perth, Springsteen said that he and the E Street Band are part of “the new American resistance.”

Today’s show also included a guest appearance by former Bon Jovi member Richie Sambora (on “Tenth Avenue Freeze-out” and “Shout”) a version of Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl” with an audience member dressed as “The Honeymooners” character Ed Norton singing, and rarely performed songs such as “Racing in the Street,” “If I Should Fall Behind” and “Something in the Night.”

Below is the setlist, according to setlist.fm, and, below that, some videos.

“New York City Serenade”
“American Land”
“The Ties That Bind”
“No Surrender”
“Land of Hope and Dreams”
“Trapped”
“Spirit in the Night”
“Glory Days”
“Hungry Heart”
“Wrecking Ball”
“Youngstown”
“Something in the Night”
“Darlington County”
“Brown Eyed Girl”
“Murder Incorporated”
“Death to My Hometown”
“Racing in the Street”
“Because the Night”
“She’s the One”
“The Rising”
“Badlands”
“Thunder Road”
“If I Should Fall Behind”
“Born to Run”
“Dancing in the Dark”
“Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out (with Richie Sambora)
“Shout” (with Richie Sambora)
“Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)”

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5 comments

Raymond Zienowicz January 30, 2017 - 11:18 pm

Does anybody really care what this paid flunky has to say?

Reply
j February 3, 2017 - 2:47 pm

Nope

Reply
j February 3, 2017 - 2:49 pm

Just the have not’s !

Reply
j February 3, 2017 - 2:51 pm

or is it Knots

Reply
j February 3, 2017 - 2:51 pm

lol

Reply

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