Bruce Springsteen has long been a symbol of the American working man sensibility, with the iconic “Born In The USA” burned into the hearts of every red-blooded American who was alive in the 80s. But is it possible that he may have played a role in bringing down the Berlin Wall?
According to a new book by journalist Erik Kirschbaum called Rocking the Wall, he did. Springsteen’s July 1988 concert in East Berlin is conveyed as serving as a catalyst for bringing down the wall that separated East and West Germany for almost 27 years. Springsteen played for more than 300,000 fans at the landmark concert event, with millions watching on television. During the performance, Springsteen delivered a brief speech in German, which Kirschbaum asserts had a powerful impact on East German citizens, inspiring them to push for freedom.
“It’s great to be in East Berlin,” Springsteen said that day 25 years ago. “I’m not for or against any government. I came here to play rock & roll for you, in the hope that one day all barriers will be torn down.” He then launched into a cover of Bob Dylan’s poignant “Chimes of Freedom,” a musical political statement if there ever was one, when presented to hundreds of thousands of people who had lived under the shadow of political oppression for decades.
“It was a nail in the coffin for East Germany,” Joerg Beneke, who was present at Springsteen’s show, told Kirschbaum. “We had never heard anything like that from anyone inside East Germany. That was the moment some of us had been waiting a lifetime to hear.”
Less than two years after Springsteen’s visit, the Berlin Wall had been reduced to rubble, the Cold War died an inglorious dinosaur death and Germany was made whole once more.
“What is beyond doubt is that Springsteen’s 1988 concert is a glorious example of the influence that rock ‘n’ roll can have on people who are hungry and ready for change,” Kirschbaum explained. And while it may not be reasonable to suggest that Springsteen’s visit was the one event to set things in motion to bring down the Wall, his show undoubtedly stood as a reminder, an awakening to those who had forgotten what the term “freedom” really meant when applied outside the cheap mucosal sheen of political finger-wagging.
If only a song could have that kind of impact in America today. If only the word “freedom” weren’t co-opted by political and religious zealots who seek anything but true freedom for all in America, backed by a monolithic culture of glossy distraction and encouraged short attention spans in a wash of pharmaceutical escapism. Hell, Rage Against The Machine can’t even get their act together at a time when the youth of America needs, now more than ever, a face-slapping awakening from their coma of complacency.
The power of music in 2013 is, sadly, no match for a chemical-fad infestation and a 24 hour news cycle of hype-bursting distraction. But many of us can still recall a time when a song could stop us in our tracks, challenge our concepts of reality and inspire change.
Picture: Herbert Schulze
