‘Streets of Minneapolis’: Bruce Springsteen honors Alex Pretti, Renee Good in new protest song
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: Bruce Springsteen has released a powerful new protest song dedicated to Minneapolis, its immigrant communities, and to the memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
The song, titled ‘Streets of Minneapolis’, was unveiled on Wednesday, January 28, when the rock legend shared both the track and a statement explaining its urgency and inspiration on Instagram.
Springsteen revealed that the song came together in a matter of days, written on Saturday, January 24, recorded the following day, and released immediately.
Bruce Springsteen takes stand amid Minneapolis unrest
The song opens quietly, carried only by Springsteen’s voice and an acoustic guitar, before slowly building into a fuller band arrangement.
“Oh our Minneapolis, I hear your voice,” Springsteen sings. “Singing through the bloody mist/We'll take our stand for this land/And the stranger in our midst.”
A harmonica solo weaves through the track, adding to its mournful tone. The song ends with chants of “ICE Out!”
Springsteen described the track as a direct response to what he called “state terror” unfolding in Minneapolis, saying it was meant to stand with people who feel targeted and unheard.
The song’s title intentionally echoes Streets of Philadelphia, Springsteen’s iconic 1993 track written for the Tom Hanks-led film Philadelphia.
That song about the emotional and physical isolation of a man living with HIV/AIDS earned Springsteen an Academy Award in 1994 for best original song. Since it was written for a film about homophobia, workplace discrimination and the early AIDS crisis, it carries a political subtext about civil rights.
That makes Streets of Minneapolis is a clear callback to one of the most politically and emotionally resonant moments of Springsteen's career.
Song honors Alex Pretti, Renee Good
Springsteen made it clear that the song is not only about Minneapolis as a place, but about the people living there, particularly immigrants who, he said, are being unfairly targeted.
By naming Alex Pretti and Renee Good directly, the singer placed their memory at the center of the song’s message.
Both Pretti and Good were US citizens lost their lives at the hands of federal immigration enforcement agents. While 37-year-old ICU nurse Pretti was shot by Border Patrol officials, Good, a mother of three, was killed by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent.
The dedication aligns with Springsteen’s long history of writing music that reflects social unrest and political struggle.
Over decades, his songs have often centered on working-class lives, injustice, and the cost of political decisions on ordinary people.
The closing chants of “ICE Out!” also reflect past statements from Springsteen, who had said during a New Jersey concert that "ICE should get the f*** out".
Springsteen, Donald Trump’s long-running public feud
The release of ‘Streets of Minneapolis’ also arrives against the backdrop of Springsteen’s long-running feud with President Donald Trump.
Springsteen has been openly critical of Trump for years, while Trump has repeatedly dismissed the singer as “overrated.”
Their most recent clash came last year, when Springsteen told a concert audience in England that America “is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration.”
Trump quickly fired back, calling Springsteen a “dried out prune of a rocker.”
The new song is likely to further inflame that divide, especially given its explicit political message and its timing.
