I notice things.
And one thing I noticed last winter was that two very different songs were written about the same Minneapolis streets — by two very different musicians — during the same turbulent weeks of Operation Metro Surge.
As a resident of the Twin Cities for most of my life, I had been following the events closely. I published a dialogue with a friend I respect in the style of my favorite political newsletter, Tangle — trying to present both sides of what was happening honestly, in a piece called "Minnesota NICE vs. Minneapolis ICE." And as a musician who had spent decades performing in these neighborhoods, I felt something that prose couldn't quite carry. So I turned to the AI music creation program Suno.com, wrote an extensive prompt describing what I wanted to express, and the result was a song I called "The Streets We Used to Know."
Around the same time, Bruce Springsteen wrote and recorded "Streets of Minneapolis" in direct response to the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti during ICE operations in the city. He released it the following day — January 28, 2026 — via his YouTube channel, social media, and streaming services.
This article is in no way intended to compare or equate my career or songwriting talents to those of Bruce Springsteen. Let me be clear about that up front:
Bruce Springsteen (born September 23, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter and the leader of the E Street Band. Known as "The Boss," he is a central figure in American rock, celebrated for his poetic, character-driven songs about working-class life and his legendary, high-energy live performances.
- Years active: Professional recording and performing career spanning from the early 1970s to the present — over 50 years
- Records sold: Estimated at over 140 million worldwide
- Grammy Awards: 20, plus an Academy Award for "Streets of Philadelphia"
- Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Inducted 1999
I am NO Bruce Springsteen. I know that, and I'm entirely at peace with it. Nevertheless, I believe it is entirely fair to compare and evaluate the content and intent of these two songs about the same events in the same city. What each songwriter chose to say — and how they chose to say it — tells you something real about how two Americans heard the same streets.
My song was written from the inside of a long career performing in these neighborhoods — and from a conviction that the teacher on the Memphis balcony showed us a better way than broken windows and burning buildings. A few lines, for context:
with signs and chants and marching feet like we had done so many times before.
But somewhere in the fading light, the message lost its way.
And broken glass and burning bright replaced what words could say.
These are the streets we used to know,
where children played and neighbors spoke.
Now sirens wail and embers glow on promises we broke.
We had a teacher, wise and true, who showed us how the strong stand down.
But we forgot what he led us to and burned our own town.
Springsteen's song came from New Jersey, written the day after the events, and it came out swinging. A few lines:
Down Nicollet Avenue
A city aflame fought fire and ice
'Neath an occupier's boots
I acknowledge and respect Bruce Springsteen as a legend, a hero, and a national treasure. I'll leave it entirely to you to decide — when it comes to a song about the struggles in Minneapolis during Operation Metro Surge — which one speaks to you. Listen to both. Watch both videos. Read both sets of lyrics. And decide for yourself.
Listen. Compare. Decide.