Bruce Springsteen says he feels ‘inspired’ to do more political songwriting

Bruce Springsteen was honored by The New York Public Library, Nov. 3.

In a video recorded for The New York Public Library’s annual Library Lions gala, Nov. 3, at which he received an award, Bruce Springsteen said he now feels inspired to make more political music.

He reportedly said that when he was growing up, the library in his hometown of Freehold “gave me this greater sense of possibility … it was a sanctuary.”

He also said that in his own songwriting, “what I did was put on my father’s clothes and I wrote in his voice — a very working class voice suffering through the post-industrialization over the past half century.

“The writer is always at his best when he has something to push up against. And these days there’s a lot for an American writer to push up against in this country, so that’s what I’m inspired to do in the future.”

Springsteen also performed a solo acoustic version of “Thunder Road” at the event, whose other honorees were Shonda Rhimes, James Patterson, Daniel Kehlmann, Louise Erdrich and James McBride.

The black-tie event was held in the at the main reading room of the NYPL’s 5th Avenue branch

Springsteen reportedly said, before “Thunder Road”: “I’ve played fireman’s fairs. I’ve played bowling alleys. I’ve played pizza parlors. I’ve played hockey rinks. I’ve played weddings. I’ve played Bar Mitzvahs. I’ve played insane asylums. I’ve played football stadiums. But I have never played a fucking library.”

After the song, he reportedly urged audience members to “Read a book!”

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