Bruce Springsteen offers 'prayer for my country' following Trump assassination attempt
Prayers up on E Street.
Bruce Springsteen gave the United States a special dedication at the E Street Band show on July 15 in the Strawberry Arena near Stockholm for the song “Long Walk Home.”
“This is a prayer for my country,” said Springsteen before the rendition.
Fans in the arena were aware of recent events in the American political world, including the July 13 assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump's ear was bloodied, and spectator Cory Comperatore and the would-be assassin, 20-year old Matthew Crooks, were killed.
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“We all know what’s going on in the U.S.A. and, I can’t talk for everybody, but I know that I am very concerned and worried about the development — the guns and the violence,” said Springsteen fan Anna Lind, a native of Gothenburg, Sweden, who was at the show.
She writes the Stray Bullet Springsteen blog.
“How could something like that happen — no matter where you stand politically — with all the security and everything surrounding the event?”
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Springsteen offered no other comment on the matter. Check out a fan YouTube of the performance here. “Long Walk Home's” protagonist wanders untethered from a home where love and ideals are lost, but despite the abandonment there is “a reason to begin again.”
The Stockholm version included an uplifting gospel revival segment that featured the E Street Choir. “Long Walk Home,” released on the 2007 album “Magic,” was also performed at the July 12 show in Helsinki.
Springsteen had spoken out against Trump in the past, but not since he left the presidency in 2021. Trump attacked Springsteen's crowd sizes during a May 11 campaign stop in Wildwood.
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In related news, the Springsteen and Zach Bryan collaboration “Sandpaper” debuted at No. 26 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs, a first appearance for the Boss on the Country chart.
The track debuted at No. 71 on Billboard's Hot 100. “Sandpaper” is included on Bryan’s new album, “The Great American Bar Scene,” which debuted at No. 2 on the Hot 200 album chart.
Up next for Springsteen and E Street is another night at Strawberry Arena on Thursday, July 18.
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Chris Jordan, a Jersey Shore native, covers entertainment and features for the USA Today Network New Jersey. Contact him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Bruce Springsteen offers 'prayer' after Trump shooting
