American Skin (41 Shots)

"American Skin (41 Shots)"
"American Skin (41 Shots)"
Single by Bruce Springsteen
from the album Live in New York City
Released	April 24, 2001 (original live version); January 14, 2014 (new studio version)
Recorded	March 2, 2001 (original live version); March 2013 (new studio version)
Genre	Rock
Length	7:45/5:14 (original live version/short version); 7:22 (new studio version)
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	Bruce Springsteen
Producer(s)	Bruce Springsteen; Chuck Plotkin; Toby Scott;
Bruce Springsteen singles chronology
Music video
	"American Skin (41 Shots)" on YouTube

"American Skin (41 Shots)" is a song written by Bruce Springsteen, inspired by the police shooting death of Amadou Diallo.^[1] It premiered during the band's 1999–2000 reunion tour in concert in Atlanta on June 4, 2000, the final concert before the tour's final ten-show run at New York City's Madison Square Garden, where it was featured again. The performance led to some controversy in New York City, where the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association called for a boycott of Springsteen's shows.^[2]

Composition and release[]

The song was first released as a live version on the Live in New York City album. The same version appeared a few years later on The Essential Bruce Springsteen. In April 2001, a studio version of the song was released as a very rare U.S.-only one-track radio promotional single on CD-R.^{[citation needed]} A music video featuring the performance from the New York City show was released in 2001 and directed by Jonathan Demme. A studio version appears on Springsteen's 2004 album 'High Hopes'.

Live performances[]

"American Skin (41 Shots)" was played at several concerts in April 2012 on the Wrecking Ball Tour in response to the killing of Trayvon Martin.^[3]^[4]^[5] Springsteen performed the song on July 16, 2013, a few days following George Zimmerman's controversial not guilty verdict. It was again dedicated to Martin at the Limerick, Ireland, concert with Springsteen saying before the song "I want to send this one out as a letter back home. For justice for Trayvon Martin".^[6]

Springsteen was recognized by the NAACP with the Humanitarian Award on December 3, 2000.^[7]

Springsteen released a new studio version of the song, recorded in 2013, on his 2014 album, High Hopes.

Springsteen played "American Skin (41 Shots)" at selected shows during The River Tour in 2016.^[8]

Covers[]

Rock band Living Colour performed a cover of "American Skin (41 Shots)" at the Auditorium Stravinski in Montreaux, Switzerland on, July 20, 2001.

In 2016, singer-songwriter Jackson Browne performed a cover of "American Skin (41 Shots)" at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.^[9]

In 2016 Mary J. Blige sang a portion of the song to Hillary Clinton in an interview on Apple Music. The studio version, which features American rapper Kendrick Lamar, premiered online on October 23, 2016.

In June 2020, the American band Black Veil Brides released a cover of "American Skin (41 Shots)" in support of Black Lives Matter.^[10]

References[]

^ "American Skin (41 Shots)". Songfacts. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
^ Barnes, Julian E. (13 June 2000). "Springsteen Song About Diallo Prompts Anger From Police". New York Times. Retrieved 2 October 2016.
^ Sean Daly, Times Pop Music Critic View all Articles. "Bruce Springsteen leads an anthemic celebration, honors 'the Big Man' at Tampa Bay Times Forum | Tampa Bay Times". Tampabay.com. Retrieved 2014-02-28.
^ Remnick, David. "Bruce and Trayvon: American Skin". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2014-02-28.
^ The Official Bruce Springsteen Website (2013-07-17). "Notes from the road: Limerick - The Official Bruce Springsteen Website". Brucespringsteen.net. Retrieved 2014-02-28.
^ "Celebrity gossip, news, photos and more on MSN Entertainment". T.entertainment.msn.com. Retrieved 2014-02-28.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ Schumacher-Rasmussen, Eric. "NAACP Honors Bruce Springsteen". MTV. Retrieved 10 April 2015.
^ "American Skin (41 Shots) by Bruce Springsteen Song Statistics - setlist.fm". setlist.fm. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
^ nowiknowuryder (2016-10-02), Jackson Browne w/ Shawn Colvin, 41 Shots, Hardly Strictly, Golden Gate Park 2016, retrieved 2016-10-04 – via YouTube
^ https://www.bvbamericanskin.com/

External links[]

American Skin (41 Shots) - Lyrics on Bruce Springsteen's site
"American Skin (41 Shots)" Live in Tampa, FL 03/23/12

[1] "American Skin (41 Shots)". Songfacts. Retrieved 10 April 2015.

[nytprotest-2] Barnes, Julian E. (13 June 2000). "Springsteen Song About Diallo Prompts Anger From Police". New York Times. Retrieved 2 October 2016.

[3] Sean Daly, Times Pop Music Critic View all Articles. "Bruce Springsteen leads an anthemic celebration, honors 'the Big Man' at Tampa Bay Times Forum | Tampa Bay Times". Tampabay.com. Retrieved 2014-02-28.

[4] Remnick, David. "Bruce and Trayvon: American Skin". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2014-02-28.

[5] The Official Bruce Springsteen Website (2013-07-17). "Notes from the road: Limerick - The Official Bruce Springsteen Website". Brucespringsteen.net. Retrieved 2014-02-28.

[6] "Celebrity gossip, news, photos and more on MSN Entertainment". T.entertainment.msn.com. Retrieved 2014-02-28.^{[permanent dead link]}

[7] Schumacher-Rasmussen, Eric. "NAACP Honors Bruce Springsteen". MTV. Retrieved 10 April 2015.

[8] "American Skin (41 Shots) by Bruce Springsteen Song Statistics - setlist.fm". setlist.fm. Retrieved 23 April 2017.

[9] wiknowuryder (2016-10-02), Jackson Browne w/ Shawn Colvin, 41 Shots, Hardly Strictly, Golden Gate Park 2016, retrieved 2016-10-04 – via YouTube

[10] ttps://www.bvbamericanskin.com/

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Studio albums	Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. (1973) The Wild, the Innocent & the E Street Shuffle (1973) Born to Run (1975) Darkness on the Edge of Town (1978) The River (1980) Nebraska (1982) Born in the U.S.A. (1984) Tunnel of Love (1987) Human Touch (1992) Lucky Town (1992) The Ghost of Tom Joad (1995) The Rising (2002) Devils & Dust (2005) We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions (2006) Magic (2007) Working on a Dream (2009) Wrecking Ball (2012) High Hopes (2014) Western Stars (2019) Letter to You (2020)
Live albums	Live 1975–85 (1986) In Concert/MTV Plugged (1993) Live in New York City (2001) Hammersmith Odeon London '75 (2006) Live in Dublin (2007) Live from the Carousel (2011) Springsteen on Broadway (2018)
Bruce Springsteen Archives	Apollo Theater 3/09/12 (2014) The Agora, Cleveland 1978 (2015) Tower Theater, Philadelphia 1975 (2015) Nassau Coliseum, New York 1980 (2015) Brendan Byrne Arena, New Jersey 1984 (2015) LA Sports Arena, California 1988 (2015) Schottenstein Center, Ohio 2005 (2015) Ippodromo delle Capannelle, Rome 2013 (2015) Arizona State University, Tempe 1980 (2015) The Christic Shows 1990 (2016) HSBC Arena, Buffalo, NY, 11/22/09 (2016) Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO, 8/23/08 (2017) Olympiastadion, Helsinki, July 31, 2012 (2017) Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 10/20/09 (2017) Palace Theatre, Albany 1977 (2017) Auditorium Theatre, Rochester, NY 1977 (2017) King's Hall, Belfast March 19, 1996 (2017) The Summit, Houston, TX December 8, 1978 (2017) The Live Series: Songs of the Road (2018) The Live Series: Songs of Friendship (2019) The Live Series: Songs of Hope (2019) The Live Series: Songs of Love (2019) The Live Series: Songs from Around the World (2019) The Live Series: Songs Under Cover (2020)
Soundtracks	Western Stars – Songs from the Film (2019)
Compilations	Greatest Hits (1995) 18 Tracks (1999) The Essential Bruce Springsteen (2003) Greatest Hits (2009) The Promise (2010) Collection: 1973–2012 (2013) Chapter and Verse (2016)
Box sets	The Born in the U.S.A. 12" Single Collection (1985) Tracks (1998) The Collection (2004) Born to Run: 30th Anniversary Edition (2005) The Collection 1973–1984 (2010) The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story (2010) The Album Collection Vol. 1 1973–1984 (2014) The Ties That Bind: The River Collection (2015) The Album Collection Vol. 2 1987–1996 (2018)
EPs	Live Collection (1987) Chimes of Freedom (1988) Blood Brothers (1996) PBS Exclusive (2007) Magic Tour Highlights (2008) American Beauty (2014)
Singles	"Blinded by the Light" (1973) "Spirit in the Night" (1973) "4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" (1974) "Born to Run" (1975) "Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out" (1976) "Prove It All Night" (1978) "Badlands" (1978) "The Promised Land" (1978) "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)" (1979) "Hungry Heart" (1980) "Fade Away" (1981) "Sherry Darling" (1981) "The River" (1981) "Cadillac Ranch" (1981) "Point Blank" (1981) "Atlantic City" (1982) "Open All Night" (1982) "Dancing in the Dark" (1984) "Cover Me" (1984) "Born in the U.S.A." (1984) "I'm on Fire" (1985) "Glory Days" (1985) "I'm Goin' Down" (1985) "My Hometown" (1985) "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" (1985) "War" (1986) "Fire" (1987) "Brilliant Disguise" (1987) "Tunnel of Love" (1987) "One Step Up" (1988) "Tougher Than the Rest" (1988) "Spare Parts" (1988) "Human Touch" (1992) "57 Channels (And Nothin' On)" (1992) "Better Days" (1992) "Streets of Philadelphia" (1994) "Secret Garden" (1995) "The Ghost of Tom Joad" (1996) "Sad Eyes" (1999) "The Rising" (2002) "Lonesome Day" (2002) "Waitin' on a Sunny Day" (2003) "Devils & Dust" (2005) "All The Way Home" (2005) "Radio Nowhere" (2007) "Girls in Their Summer Clothes" (2008) "Working on a Dream" (2008) "My Lucky Day" (2008) "The Wrestler" (2009) "We Take Care of Our Own" (2012) "Death to My Hometown" (2012) "High Hopes" (2013) "Just Like Fire Would" (2014) "Hello Sunshine" (2019) "Tucson Train" (2019) "Letter to You" (2020) "Ghosts" (2020)
Charting songs	"Be True" (1981) "Ramrod" (1981) "Nebraska" (1982) "Johnny 99" (1982) "No Surrender" (1984) "Bobby Jean" (1984) "Stand on It" (1985) "Trapped" (live) (1985) "Because the Night" (live) (1986) "Chimes of Freedom" (live) (1988) "Youngstown" (1995) "American Skin (41 Shots)" (2001) "Pay Me My Money Down" (2006) "Long Walk Home" (2006) "My City of Ruins" (2011) "Rocky Ground" (2012) "The Power of Prayer" (2020)
Other notable songs	"Growin' Up" (1973) "For You" (1973) "Incident on 57th Street" (1973) "The Fever" (1973) "Thunder Road" (1975) "Night" (1975) "Backstreets" (1975) "She's the One" (1975) "Meeting Across the River" (1975) "Jungleland" (1975) "Adam Raised a Cain" (1978) "Racing in the Street" (1978) "Darkness on the Edge of Town" (1978) "Stay" (1979) "The Ties That Bind" (1980) "Independence Day" (1980) "Out in the Street" (1980) "Stolen Car" (1980) "Wreck on the Highway" (1980) "Highway Patrolman" (1982) "Darlington County" (1984) "Working on the Highway" (1984) "Downbound Train" (1984) "Pink Cadillac" (1984) "Jersey Girl" (1986) "Light of Day" (1993) "The New Timer" (1995) "Land of Hope and Dreams" (2012) "Hunter of Invisible Game" (2014) "Chinatown" (2020)
Video releases	Video Anthology / 1978–88 (1989) In Concert/MTV Plugged (1992) Blood Brothers (1996) The Complete Video Anthology / 1978–2000 (2001) Live in New York City (2001) Live in Barcelona (2003) VH1 Storytellers (2005) Wings for Wheels (2005) Hammersmith Odeon London '75 (2005) Live in Dublin (2007) Magic Tour Highlights (2008) London Calling: Live in Hyde Park (2010) The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town (2010) Springsteen & I (2013) Born in the U.S.A. Live: London 2013 (2014) A MusiCares Tribute to Bruce Springsteen (2014) Bruce Springsteen's High Hopes (2014) High Hopes in South Africa (2014) Hunter of Invisible Game (2014)
Concerts	Born to Run tours (1974–77) Darkness Tour (1978) The River Tour (1980–81) Born in the U.S.A. Tour (1984–85) Tunnel of Love Express (1988) Human Rights Now! (1988) Bruce Springsteen 1992–1993 World Tour (1992–93) Ghost of Tom Joad Tour (1995–97) Reunion Tour (1999–2000) Rising Tour (2002–03) Vote for Change (2004) Devils & Dust Tour (2005) Seeger Sessions Band Tour (2006) Magic Tour (2007–08) Working on a Dream Tour (2009) Wrecking Ball World Tour (2012–13) High Hopes Tour (2014) The River Tour (2016) Summer '17 (2017) Springsteen on Broadway (2017–18, 2021)
Related people	Jessica Springsteen Pamela Springsteen Jon Landau John Hammond Mike Appel Phil Petillo Marie Castello Southside Johnny Brendan O'Brien Ron Aniello Toby Scott Bob Clearmountain Chuck Plotkin Jimmy Iovine Dave Marsh Eric Meola Frank Stefanko Lynn Goldsmith Annie Leibovitz Danny Clinch
Related articles	Discography E Street Band Steel Mill The Sessions Band The Miami Horns Born to Run autobiography E Street Radio Little Steven's Underground Garage Outlaw Pete Columbia Records 914 Sound Studios Record Plant Power Station The Hit Factory The Max Weinberg 7 Badlands: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska Greetings from E Street Backstreets Magazine The Upstage Club The Stone Pony Fender Telecaster Freehold Borough, New Jersey Asbury Park, New Jersey "Because the Night" "Jersey Girl" Blinded by the Light (film)
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