Twenty-five years ago this month, Bruce Springsteen was invited to perform in East Berlin. The authorities hoped to dispel tensions among the youth, but the effect was quite the opposite. Springsteen played for hours, and made a little speech in German just before playing "Chines of Freedom."
"Es ist schön, in Ost-Berlin zu sein. Ich bin nicht für oder gegen eine regierung. Ich bin gekommen um Rock'n'Roll zu spielen für Ost-Berlinern, in der hoffnung dass eines tages alle Barrieren abgerissen werden."
"It's nice to be in East Berlin...I want to tell you that I'm not here for or against any government, I have come to play rock'n'roll for the East-Berliners...in the hope that one day all barriers will be torn down..."
Several hundred thousand were in the audience, and more watched on TV. A new book about the concert gives Springsteen some of the credit for the destruction of the Berlin Wall in November, 1989.
The crowd's reaction to "Born in the USA" tells me they either don't know what the song says in the verses, or they don't care. They joyfully sing along with the chorus. (via Metafilter)
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