Bruce Springsteen fans believe the veteran songwriter will not pass up the opportunity to perform two deep cuts taking aim at President Donald Trump. The Boss and President of the United States have exchanged barbed insults with one another over the last few years. Trump called Springsteen a “dried up prune” earlier this year, accusing the Jungleland hitmaker of having “an incurable case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.” Springsteen, in turn, has dedicated his whole North American tour, Land of Hope and Dreams, to criticising the Trump administration. His latest song, Streets of Minneapolis, criticised the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents responsible for the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
Fans believe that an upcoming show in Washington D.C., which will plant Springsteen and the band just three miles from Trump’s White House, will have The Boss and The E Street Band perform a few deep cuts. The politically charged show has featured the likes of Born in the U.S.A., The Ghost of Tom Joad, and American Skin (41 Shots). But Springsteen could go deeper if fans discussing the upcoming show on the r/BruceSpringsteen subreddit are believed.
One person wrote: “Human Touch was rehearsed, Rosalita was performed during a soundcheck. Do you think we could get either tomorrow or Saturday? These are two songs I would love to hear live. I’m wondering if he was going to perform them but decided against it, or if he will in the last two shows.”
Springsteen’s performance at the National Parks arena in Washington, D.C., will be the penultimate show on the tour. It was meant to be the final performance of the tour but dates were changed and Springsteen will appear for a further three shows, with one being a part of the Land of Hope and Dreams tour.
Another fan wrote: “To be fair, I think there will be some deviation from the typical setlist for DC, given the point of this whole tour. Minneapolis got Purple Rain. I don’t have any serious speculation on what that might be though. My completely wild-ass guess would be a cover akin to War, like Fortunate Son or Masters of War.”
While a cover of Bob Dylan’s Masters of War may be unlikely given Springsteen already performs Chimes of Freedom to end his set, other fans have suggested deep cuts a-plenty from Springsteen. One person wrote: “Come on – the only stadium stop on the tour, what was supposed to be the last date and three miles from Trump? I’m expecting Jungleland tomorrow night!”
Another was less optimistic about hearing new songs on the set, with a fan writing: “Extremely doubtful. I think the most DC and Philadelphia could get is Rocky Ground, and even that is a long shot.” Of the two mentioned by the original poster, fans have tipped Human Touch to feature, if there is time for it.
One fan wrote: “Considering the theme of the setlist, I’d say Human Touch feels more likely than Rosalita. But Rosie coming out is always fun, so it could maybe slip into the encore during one of these last two shows, though. Who knows? Either way, the current setlist is phenomenal even without those songs.”
Another agreed, adding: “They haven’t played Clampdown at every show, so they might replace that one with something like Human Touch, though maybe not in the same place. Either that or they’ll just play 28 songs instead of the usual 27.”
A third shared: “I hope for the fans at this Capitol show he does a little something extra. And maybe he’ll do something special for the folks at home there this weekend. But whether he does or doesn’t, this week of shows is historical, and it’s going to be legendary either way. Just enjoy whatever it is he does. He’s a living legend, especially right now.”
What Springsteen played on the last Land of Hope and Dreams tour
A setlist for Springsteen’s most recent performance, at the TD Garden in Boston, was praised for a “commanding”, politically charged momentum. A full setlist from the show can be found below.
- War (The Temptations cover with Tom Morello)
- Born in the U.S.A. (with Tom Morello)
- Death to My Hometown (with Tom Morello)
- Clampdown (The Clash cover with Tom Morello)
- No Surrender
- Darkness on the Edge of Town
- Streets of Minneapolis
- The Promised Land
- Two Hearts
- Hungry Heart
- Youngstown
- Murder Incorporated
- American Skin (41 Shots) (with Tom Morello)
- Long Walk Home (with Tom Morello)
- House of a Thousand Guitars
- My City of Ruins
- Because the Night (Patti Smith Group cover)
- Wrecking Ball
- The Rising
- The Ghost of Tom Joad (with Tom Morello)
- Badlands (with Tom Morello)
- Land of Hope and Dreams (with Tom Morello)
- American Land (with Tom Morello)
- Born to Run
- Dancing in the Dark
- Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out (with Tom Morello)
- Chimes of Freedom (Bob Dylan cover with Tom Morello)
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