Bruce Springsteen did not perform at the Democratic National Convention, but he is still enjoying a convention “bounce.â€
His song “We Take Care of Our Own†was played at the convention immediately after President Obama's speech on Sept. 6. By the end of the week, the song's sales had surged 409 percent, according to Billboard, with 2,000 downloads. Mr. Springsteen's latest album, “Wrecking Ball,†also saw its sales jump, rising from No. 199 to No. 112 on the Billboard 200 chart with 3,000 copies sold.
The song, from Mr. Springsteen's latest album, “Wrecking Ball,†was released in January. Upon it's release, reviews immediately linked it to the coming election, pointing to its pat riotic lyrics, “We take care of our own, wherever this flag is flown…†and to Mr. Springsteen's history with Democratic campaigns. The performer stumped for John Kerry in 2004 and Mr. Obama in 2008. In February, the Obama team placed the song on its election playlist.
Yet after extensive support for Mr. Obama in 2008, Mr. Springsteen opted to sit 2012 out. In an interview with reporters in Paris in February, Mr. Springsteen reiterated his support for the president but also expressed some disappointment, saying that “there's not as many middle-class or working-class voices heard in the administration as I thought there would be.â€
“I'm not a professional campaigner, and every four years I don't think that I'm going to go and pick a guy and go after him,†Mr. Springsteen said of his decision to remain “on the sidelines†this election.
He echoed his sentiment in July to The New Yorker, explaining, “While I'm no t saying never, and I still like to support the president, you know, it's something I didn't do for a long time, and I don't have plans to be out there every time.â€
