Bruce Springsteen reacts to Born in the USA being ‘appropriated’ by the right

Bruce Springsteen has reacted to his song “Born in the USA” being “appropriated” in support of right-wing politicians.

Barack Obama can be heard asking the artist about the song in a clip from their Spotify podcast, Renegades: Born in the USA, released on Thursday. According to Rolling Stone, the clip is from the podcast’s final episode, due to air on 5 April.

Released in 1984, “Born in the USA” has been used and referenced by politicians on the right. In that context, the song has often been misconstrued as a patriotic anthem, when its lyrics are in fact a searing critique of the treatment of war veterans in the US.

“This is a song about the pain, glory, shame of identity and of place,” Springsteen told Obama.