During a recent appearance on The Tucker Carlson Show, Staind frontman and conservative rocker Aaron Lewis offered a strong critique of Bruce Springsteen, accusing him of being a “disgusting display” of someone who doesn’t appreciate the success he has achieved in the United States. Lewis‘s comments reflect a long-standing political divide between the two musicians, which Lewis has previously addressed in his solo music.
Lewis stated that he believes Springsteen has lost touch with his working-class roots. “I think that he is a disgusting display of not appreciating what was handed to him, in this country as being an American, the success that he has had,” Lewis said. He went on to criticize Springsteen’s famous song, “Born in the U.S.A.,” calling it “one of the most anti-American songs ever.” Lewis expressed his frustration with having believed for so long that Springsteen was a “representation of blue-collar America.”
He continued by suggesting that Springsteen‘s fame and wealth have disconnected him from the realities of everyday life. “I think that [Springsteen] has forgotten where he came from,” Lewis said. “I think that if you’re not careful doing this, this career that that me and him have both been so blessed to have had, if you’re not careful, it will consume you. And it’s obvious that it creates a situation where you’ve lost sight of the reality of the country that you live in because you’ve lived such a cush… you’ve had so much, you have so much that it’s really easy to take a stance that is so anti everything that you were lucky enough to have, lucky enough to create, lucky enough to change your situation in life. And he’s just lost touch with the struggles. He’s lost touch with the struggle.”
Lewis linked Springsteen‘s political views to what he sees as a larger trend among those who have lost touch with reality, saying: “It seems like most people who have lost touch with the true struggle of life, those are the people that vote for these f***ing id*ots.” He accused such individuals of “virtue signaling” and feeling “guilty for the success that they have had, so they somehow have to make it up with this nonsensical bulls**t”
He also referenced the famous “Born in the U.S.A.” song, which Lewis believes is a betrayal of its working-class themes. In his 2016 memoir, Born to Run, Springsteen himself called the track “a protest song,” explaining that its lyrics tell the story of a Vietnam War veteran who is abandoned by his country.
This is not the first time Lewis has publicly taken aim at Springsteen. In his controversial solo single “Am I the Only One,” Lewis included a lyric that sings: “Am I the only one who quits singin’ along every time they play a Springsteen song.” During an interview on The Daily Wire’s Candace Show in 2021, Lewis explained his decision to call out Springsteen, citing a 2020 comment Springsteen made about moving to Australia if Donald Trump was re-elected “How American is that?” Lewis asked at the time. “You’re gonna bail on America just because you don’t like the guy that may have gotten into office?”
