God bless Bruce! Now, where are the women?
Have we coddled a generation of songwriters who care more about ex-boyfriends than the state of the world?
When I clicked on an Instagram story and first heard Bruce Springsteen’s “Streets of Minneapolis” on Wednesday, I experienced a burst of hope unlike anything I’ve felt in a while. When musicians write songs that criticize government and society, it makes listeners take stock and take action to improve our world — and Bruce is one of the best songwriters to meet the task, from “Born in the U.S.A.” and “Ghost of Tom Joad” to thoughtful pleas like the movie theme “Streets of Philadelphia” and “Land of Hope and Dreams.”
Although Springsteen’s words are powerful and the echoes of “ICE out now” are heartcrunching, my reaction (energy, clarity, motivation) is less about the song itself than his bluntness, and the vibe shift it ushered in — a mood which has nothing to do with partisan politics and everything to do with a desire for unity in our country.
Unity only happens when we come together around a shared ideal, a shared reality, and a shared purpose. In this case, our shared reality is that two American citizens were killed point-blank by ICE in a brutal display of cruelty captured on videos no human eye could deny. And yes, we’ve been here before with police brutality. But this is unbridled federal action taking place in our states in unprecedented ways.
Those of us who grew up in the years after the Civil Rights Movement and the end of the Vietnam War have monoculture brains hardwired for resilience and resistance — against racism, poverty, parents divorcing, bullying, career setbacks, financial crises, and the threat of nuclear war. Latchkeys love a fighter who stands up to the status quo, whether it was Kunta Kinte in Roots, The Karate Kid, or Rocky against Ivan Drago. We were raised on Motown and Woodstock-era protest songs, and don’t forget we also sent “We Are the World” to No. 1.
I have listened to Bruce Springsteen’s Minneapolis song probably 50 times this week. I loved seeing clips of him and Tom Morello playing for Minnesotans. I will always be grateful for musicians from my era who refuse to put down the banner for justice.
Here’s a list of the other protest songs/moments I saw this week: Dan Rodriguez’s “Pretti/Good;” Spike Lee’s running playlist of protest songs in the rock era; Billy Bragg’s “City of Heroes;” and the low-voices vocal group Cantus, formed by alumni of the renowned St. Olaf College choir, singing “MLK” by U2. Be sure to reply to this post and let me know what protest songs you’ve heard this week.
BUT, FIRST: Notice a pattern about everything I’ve mentioned in this post so far?
Every example I’ve provided of a song or movie hero is a man. That’s on me, but that’s also the world we live in, isn’t it? I’m not against male heroes — I have incredible men among my family and friends, and most of my favorite musicians, writers, and actors happen to be men, as well. And, lord knows, we always have enough male rock stars willing to step up and voice their opinions.
BUT, I HAVE TO ASK, WHERE ARE THE WOMEN?
Where are the protest songs from this generation of women songwriters? I can totally see Billie Eilish stepping up to the plate to provide something deep and moody about this moment. Haley Williams already gave us last year’s “True Believer.” Lady Gaga’s strong cover of Mister Rogers’s “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” is poised to make a big splash at the Super Bowl next week (thanks to a friend for the reminder). And Amy Grant – yes, AMY GRANT, has recorded one of the most thoughtful and beautiful songs of the year — a reflection on January 6th written by her family member, Sandy Lawrence.
Taylor Swift has also done her part with poetry and metaphors about voting, gay rights, and political division in the past.
But who among this generation’s young stream queens is going to give us the plainspoken, pointed folk ballad or kick-butt rock or country anthem about unity?
Please send it to me if I missed it!
To be fair, there are women artists out there who aren’t megastars and are singing their hearts out for niche audiences, many in protest of what’s happening now. Those in your bubble see you, and we thank you!
I hope this post will be out-of-date by the time it publishes, and that some big-name women songwriters have already stepped up to the plate with their entries.
In the meantime, can we pivot away from the trend of WOMEN SONGWRITERS UNDER 40 ONLY WRITING ABOUT RELATIONSHIPS AND SEX?
Yes, those are VITAL topics, especially in a MeToo age where women are focused on stripping back the stigma from mental health, women are still fighting for control over our own physical bodies, and hypermasculinity has flourished in a forest full of bro shows and pod gods.
I know feminism died, then feminism came back as sexual freedom, and now feminism is just an old ripped-up bra in a 1970s shoe box up in the attic. But young women, please listen. Quit wasting your words on your worthless ex-boyfriends. We aren’t living in that era of luxury anymore.
The present is URGENT.
USE YOUR VOICE FOR GOOD.
DON’T DO IT FOR THE MONEY OR THE CLICKS OR YOUR SOCIAL STRATEGY OR YOUR PERFUME LINE.
DON’T BE A COQUETTE.
BE AN ADULT WHO CAN WRITE A ******** SONG ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE WORLD.
Yes, we need entertainers who bring us joy and slather on the song-and-dance routine without lecturing us. And it’s true that not everyone should or wants to write songs about current events or politics. I get it. It takes guts to take a stand for something.
But AT THE VERY LEAST, stop looking in the actual mirror long enough to take the time to look around you, and simply write what you see.
There is a world outside, and it’s flaming and throbbing with life and death and art.
And aren’t you an ARTIST?
Women artists: If you don’t write about the world we live in RIGHT NOW, then the men will do it for you.
When Bruce Springsteen, thank God for him, is the bar for protest music in 2026, that means ONLY THE YOUNG can save us from here on out.
Women: Will your legacy be a portrait of the artist as a young woman or a songwriter whose music still shakes the world when you’re 76 years old?
Creating art is what this moment requires. Red lipstick is purely optional.