Bruce Springsteen ‘fuelled change’ in East Germany with rousing Bob Dylan cover

Bruce Springsteen‘s cover of a Bob Dylan classic has been cited as a reason for political change in East Germany.

The Boss would take to the stage for a performance seen by as many as 500,000 people. The huge occasion marked a time of change for the European country, which would reform with West Germany in 1990. But before it did, Springsteen, along with Joe Cocker, Bryan Adams, and Dylan himself, performed in the state. Figures suggest 160,000 tickets were sold for Springsteen’s show, but Far Out Magazine reports that as many as 500,000 people found their way into the show. Springsteen has since gone on record as saying it’s the biggest crowd he has ever played to, and he used the show as a chance to cover a Dylan classic and offer an olive branch to East Germany.

Writing in his autobiography, Born to Run, Springsteen noted the reasaon for his cover choice. Chimes of Freedom, a song which features on Another Side of Bob Dylan, returned to The Boss’ setlist more recently on the Land of Hopes and Dreams tour. But Springsteen offered a performance of the song to a half million people back in 1988.

He wrote: “The largest single crowd I’d ever seen… I couldn’t see its end. Rock ’n’ roll is a music of stakes. The higher they’re pushed, the deeper and more thrilling the moment becomes. In East Germany in 1988, the centre of the table was loaded down with a winner-takes-all bounty that would explode into the liberating destruction of the Berlin Wall by the people of Germany.”

Springsteen told the crowd at the time: “I’m not here for any government. I’ve come to play rock’n’roll for you in the hope that one day all the barriers will be torn down.” He then launched into a cover of Dylan’s Chimes of Freedom.

Assessments of the performance hailed Springsteen as an artist who had managed to kindle change in the region. Rocking the Wall author Erik Kirschbaum said: “I think it really contributed to fuelling the sentiment in East Germany for change.

“A lot of reforms were going on in other Eastern European countries in ’88 but, in East Germany, it was a very stagnant situation. Springsteen came there and spoke to their hearts. He got them enthusiastic about change, and in the next 16 months, we all know what happened.”

Fans of Springsteen are still full of praise for the veteran rocker. One person commenting on a YouTube upload of the performance wrote: “I grew up in East Germany but lived in the West since 1979. Music helped bring about change in 1989. The rulers had the military, but the people had the music. In the end guns were no match for guitars.”

Another added: “I was in that crowd. What a fantastic concert that was.” A third wrote: “Bruce absolutely nails this song, he believes every word. One of the greatest covers ever sung!”

You can watch Springsteen’s cover of Chimes of Freedom below.