Bruce Springsteen fans say The Boss must replace one song ‘done to death’ on Land of Hope and Dreams tour

Bruce Springsteen fans are calling on one song to be removed from the Land of Hope and Dreams tour as The Boss has done it “to death”.

Fans took to the r/BruceSpringsteen subreddit and aired their grievances over the ongoing appearance of the song in his setlist. While Springsteen and The E Street Band shook up their setlist from night to night at the start of the tour, it appears the band has hit on a steady pattern for their show. The setlist began with covers of Prince and a collection of Springsteen’s own deep cuts. Now, The Boss is performing the same set every night, with a rare cover of The Clash thrown in for good measure. Fans are less than pleased with the songs that remain, though, and called on Springsteen to replace some tracks.

A fan wrote: “I’ve seen the current show a couple of times now and I’ve gotta say, the lack of not even ONE setlist change up is wild. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great show, and I understand that there is a theme being presented – but why not shake it up at least a tiny bit once every few shows?

“Out in the Street for Two Hearts? Across the Border somewhere? Maybe throw in World’s Apart or Radio Nowhere? Hell – I’m still not sure how Because the Night fits the theme of this tour at all. It was a relative rarity for some years, but has kinda been beaten to death recently? Anyway, yeah, just curious if anyone is with me or has thought the same. It definitely seems a bit out of character for the band, even compared to the relatively static nature of last tour…”

Fans were quick to agree with the above post, with one Springsteen fanatic suggesting songs rehearsed for the tour were yet to appear on the setlist. They wrote: “I read somewhere that when they were rehearsing for the tour, one of the songs they were doing was Rocky Ground. Surprised it hasn’t made it to the setlist since it seems perfect for this tour.”

Another added: “He actually swapped out two or three songs in San Francisco. No idea why, but it seems the setlist has been pretty static otherwise. I love Because the Night, but I agree that it seems like an odd fit for the tour.”

A third wrote: “I mean, this is a curated thing. Have y’all seen some of the writing and notes The Boss keeps? When he thought of going on the road, I think he did it specifically by putting together this set list. And then Steve does all the arranging. I think some of the songs, specifically Because The Night, are in there because they’re part of the songs The Boss believes he shouldn’t walk out without playing, but perhaps more importantly, he is featuring all his bandmates.

“Each member has at least one or two moments to shine this set. As an aside, for what it’s worth, he did do Purple Rain in Minnesota. I think when he’s not making such a big statement or in Better Days (pun intended) you’ll see the band loosen it up and The Boss’ll call the audibles, etc.

“A lot of people here have been following this band for a long time. If Bruce was compelled to shuffle the set, he would have done it, and if he is in the future, he will. This isn’t the usual self-described ‘bar band’ tour.”