Mike

Part of what’s happening here is he’s always been political, but it used to be layered into storytelling instead of being front and center. Songs like Born in the U.S.A. or The Ghost of Tom Joad were dealing with war, poverty, and working-class struggles, just framed through characters instead of direct statements. Now it feels more direct, especially with this song calling things out more openly. So, it’s not really a shift in beliefs, it’s more a shift in how clearly he’s choosing to say it.