Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain had some strong words for Bruce Springsteen. The seventy-six-year-old musician appeared on The Complete Disaster Network podcast, where he called out Springsteen, also seventy-six, for mixing politics with his music. Cain’s remarks came on the heels of Mick Jagger’s own criticism of the rock icon for taking a political turn with his material.
Jonathan Cain didn’t hold back on the podcast, revealing that his own political views have shifted considerably over the years.
“I used to be a Democrat back in the old days, but I couldn’t go there anymore, you know? I’m a diehard conservative.”
He then directed his frustration squarely at Springsteen, as well as actor Robert De Niro, adding that
“Guys like Bruce Springsteen should shut up. You know, really, honestly, shut up, Bruce, you know? Him and who’s the other one? Robert DeNiro. I mean, who cares, guys? Do your art. I try to keep politics out of my music.”
Cain also shared that his opinion of Springsteen has changed drastically over time. He said he “used to like” the rock legend, who has been outspoken about his liberal beliefs for decades, but now finds him to be
“an annoying, bitter old man.”
Jonathan Cain says he keeps his conservative beliefs off the Journey stage:
As per a report shared by Variety, Jonathan Cain is married to Trump administration advisor and pastor Paula White-Cain. Despite his strong personal beliefs, Cain was clear on the podcast that he deliberately keeps them away from his work onstage.
“People say, ‘Well, you’re a Christian and you’re conservative,’ and I’m like, ‘So what?’ I don’t preach it on stage. I don’t spend 10 minutes talking about it.”
Cain also took aim at Springsteen’s 1984 classic Born in the U.S.A., suggesting the song carries an anti-American undertone.
“You were born in the USA, weren’t you, dude? So act like it. But even that song, if you look at the lyrics, I mean, it’s a kind of a diss toward our country.”
For Cain, the whole point of being an artist is unifying people, and he pointed to Paul McCartney as someone who understood that instinctively.
“Paul McCartney said, ‘Hey, when I sing Hey, Jude, Democrats and Republicans all sing together.’ And I feel the same way with Journey. We have our parties out there in the audience, respective parties, and they’re singing Don’t Stop Believin’.”
He wrapped up his thoughts with a simple verdict on celebrities who take the political route onstage, adding that
“I just don’t think it’s cool to have celebrities going there. It’s a bad look.”
Jonathan Cain on his new single Winds of Freedom and being a conservative in rock music:
Jonathan Cain then brought up his new solo single Winds of Freedom, from his EP Only a Prayer Away. The track was inspired by right-wing evangelical influencer Eric Metaxas and includes lines about fighting for freedom across distant shores. Cain was quick to draw a distinction between the song’s patriotic message and the kind of political commentary he had just criticized Springsteen for.
“I’m releasing this patriotic song because I’m a diehard patriot, like Ted Nugent, who’s my friend. We’re a couple of patriots, we love our flag and we love our nation, and we grew up that way.”
When the podcast hosts suggested he might be a “unicorn” as a conservative in rock, Cain acknowledged that the company was sparse.
“Me and Kid Rock, we’re probably on an island. There’s a few of us, and I proudly stand there with my flag on that island. And if anybody’s got a problem with me, America and Jesus, then bring it,” he shared.
Jonathan Cain opens up about Journey’s dark days:
Jonathan Cain opened up about the years Journey spent being considered “uncool,” reflecting on a period the band had to simply push through. When the podcast hosts insisted that no one ever hated Journey, Cain pushed back.
“Back in the day it was cool to hate us, and those were dark days. I figured this would turn around eventually because, again, the music speaks louder than the noise and the haters. Rolling Stone hated us. For twenty years, they dissed us in their magazine, they dissed our shows, they dissed our records, they gave us one star,” he shared.
“It was cool to hate Journey because we were so successful. When grunge came around, it was like, ‘Okay, now it’s grunge time,’ and Pearl Jam and all that, and we kinda went in the background,” he added.
Edited by Ryan D’souza