Journey’s Jonathan Cain Lays Into ‘Annoying, Bitter Old Man’ Bruce Springsteen: ‘Shut Up, Bruce… You Were Born in the USA, So Act Like It’

The 'diehard conservative' rock star touted his friendship with Ted Nugent and acknowledged, 'Me and Kid Rock, we're probably on an island'

By Chris Willman

Chris Willman

Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic

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Longtime Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain believes rockers should keep their politics off-stage — but in interviews, he continues to be proud to trumpet his conservative beliefs. He used a podcast interview to blast a fellow 76-year-old, Bruce Springsteen, as an “annoying, bitter old man,” saying the outspoken should just “shut up.”

Cain’s problems with Springsteen aren’t just with the Boss’s recently pointed on-stage commentary about the state of the U.S. He called Springsteen’s ’80s classic “Born in the USA” a “diss” track against America.

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