How Does It Fit With American Folk-Music Tradition?
After a performance of the national anthem by Master Sergeant Caleb Green, Bruce Springsteen took the stage at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to bring the rock to the “We Are One” inaugural concert with his post-9/11 missive “The Rising.” The Boss performed the Obama-approved song along with a choir, a choice that not only pays tribute to Springsteen’s folk-rock roots, but also to the country’s gospel tradition. “Particularly in that arrangement, it draws on the gospel tradition,” Stephen D. Winick, writer and editor at the American Folklife Center of Library of Congress told MTV News of the performance. “[It also draws on] the tradition of spirituals, and there’s a lot of lyrics that speak to spirituals.” Springsteen is not only a favorite musician of the president-elect’s, but he’s also an American icon, making him an interesting act to open the show. “He’s one of the great rock-and-roll players of our time,” Winick said. At the same time, “I think he’s very conscious of the roots
