There is a long and storied history of Republicans misunderstanding Bruce Springsteen’s “Born In The USA.” They hear the chorus and think it’s a glorious patriotic anthem, full of hope and nationalism, and totally ignore the lyrics that are about a Vietnam veteran returning home and being unable to get a job. Reagan’s use of the song in his campaign is one of the classics of the “Musician Asks Evil Republican To Stop Using Their Music” genre — and while you’d think the publicity surrounding that incident would have ceased the practice, it has continued over decades. Trump is known to play it at his rallies, including at his most recent one, despite his ongoing feud with The Boss.
At this point, it’s honestly just funny. It feels like a metaphor for the Republican Party in general — unable and unwilling to see the whole picture in any situation because they’ve latched so fiercely onto the part that makes them feel some kind of way. In fact, it has inspired me to go out and write a song that has a super patriotic chorus, but with lyrics that are a fierce condemnation of the United States healthcare system. This is what we should all be doing.
But it looks like someone over at The Federalist has read the lyrics and now, 36 years later, has noticed that they are not, in fact, very “patriotic.” Continue reading.