Bruce Springsteen Releases Explosive New Song Following Alex Pretti Killing
By Kelly Coffey-Behrens on January 28, 2026 at 6:30 PM EST
Bruce Springsteen isn’t staying silent. Just days after the fatal shooting of Minneapolis ICU nurse Alex Pretti by what news outlets are reporting as U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents, the rock legend has fired back with a fiery new protest song that takes direct aim at federal immigration enforcement and the Trump administration. Titled “Streets of Minneapolis,” the track arrives as outrage continues to grow over the deadly encounter, marking one of the fastest and most politically charged musical responses of Bruce Springsteen’s career.
Bruce Springsteen Echoes His Oscar-Winning Classic With New Minneapolis Track
The track’s title is a deliberate echo of Springsteen’s Oscar-winning 1994 song “Streets of Philadelphia,” emphasizing the gravity of the moment. While Springsteen has long written politically charged music, including “American Skin (41 Shots),” “We Take Care of Our Own,” and “Living in the Future," this marks one of the fastest responses to a real-world event in his career.
“I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday, and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis,” Springsteen said on social media. “It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors, and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Stay free, Bruce Springsteen.”
While he once wrote the song “Roulette” just six days after the Three Mile Island nuclear meltdown, it wasn’t released until years later. “Streets of Minneapolis,” by contrast, arrived almost immediately.
Springsteen Calls Out ‘Federal Thugs’ And ‘Dirty Lies’ In New Minneapolis Anthem
In the lyrics, Springsteen doesn’t hold back.
"Against smoke and rubber bullets / In the dawn’s early light / Citizens stood for justice / Their voices ringing through the night / And there were bloody footprints / Where mercy should have stood / And two dead left to die on snow-filled streets / Alex Pretti and Renee Good.
Oh our Minneapolis, I hear your voice / Singing through the bloody mist / We’ll take our stand for this land / And the stranger in our midst / Here in our home they killed and roamed / In the winter of ’26 / We’ll remember the names of those who died / On the streets of Minneapolis."
The song then directly condemns what he calls federal violence and misinformation, name-checking Trump administration officials and accusing authorities of lying about what unfolded on Minneapolis streets.
“Trump’s federal thugs beat up on his face and his chest / Then we heard the gunshots / And Alex Pretti lay in the snow, dead / Their claim was self defense, sir / Just don’t believe your eyes / It’s our blood and bones / And these whistles and phones / Against Miller and Noem’s dirty lies / Oh our Minneapolis, I hear your voice.”
Bruce Springsteen’s Minneapolis Track Ends With Rallying Cry For Justice
The song closes with a call for collective memory and resistance.
"We’ll take our stand for this land / And the stranger in our midst / We’ll remember the names of those who died / On the streets of Minneapolis / We’ll remember the names of those who died / On the streets of Minneapolis.”
The song has received an immense amount of praise thus far, with one lifelong Minnesotan and "lifelong fan of The Boss," writing, "Thank you for this. We will never forget Alex & Renee."
Another Minnesotan chimed in, "Sitting here, in my little Minneapolis home, sobbing. Thank you, Bruce, for seeing us and raising your voice for our community. We will not be silent. We will rise up for our neighbors and continue to do so until this ends."
Springsteen Had Already Spoken Out
The release follows a surprise appearance Springsteen made prior to Pretti’s death at the Light of Day benefit in Red Bank, New Jersey, where he publicly denounced ICE and referenced the earlier killing of Renee Good.
“If you believe in the power of law and that no one stands above it,” Springsteen said at the event. "If you stand against heavily-armed masked federal troops invading an American city, using Gestapo tactics against our fellow citizens, if you believe you don’t deserve to be murdered for exercising your American right to protest, then send a message to this president, as the mayor of the city said: ICE should get the f-ck out of Minneapolis.”
Bruce Springsteen Turns Minneapolis Outrage Into Art
With “Streets of Minneapolis,” Springsteen has turned his outrage into art, delivering one of the most direct musical clapbacks yet tied to the shooting, and placing the names of Alex Pretti and Renee Good at the center of a national conversation that shows no signs of quieting down.
