Jonathan Cain, a member of the rock band Journey, has criticized Bruce Springsteen, calling him an "annoying, bitter old man" for what Cain perceives as political lectures during his concerts. Cain, who identifies as a "diehard conservative," stated that musicians like Springsteen should "shut up" and avoid using their performances as a platform for political commentary.
Cain made these remarks during an appearance on the "Complete Disaster Network" podcast, as reported by Variety. He expressed his view that concerts should not be stages for political grandstanding, regardless of the political leaning. Cain also suggested that Springsteen's iconic 1984 hit "Born in the USA" could be interpreted as a critique of the country.
"You were born in the USA, weren't you, dude? So act like it," Cain said. "But even that song, if you look at the lyrics, I mean, it’s a kind of a diss toward our country."
Springsteen, during his "Land of Hope & Dreams American Tour" earlier this year, had described the Trump administration as "reckless and treasonous." Addressing audiences, he said, "We are living through some very dark times. Our American values that have sustained us for 250 years are being challenged as never before. We’ve got our young men and women’s lives at risk in an unconstitutional and illegal war."
Cain, who stated he was a Democrat in his earlier years but could no longer align with the party, emphasized his conservative stance and contrasted it with Springsteen's approach. "Now, people say, ‘Well, you’re a Christian and you’re conservative,’ and I’m like, ‘So what?’ I don’t preach it on stage. I don’t spend 10 minutes talking about it… And Bruce, I mean, what the heck? I used to like him, and now he’s just annoying. He’s an annoying, bitter old man. I mean, stop it. Really."