Mick Jagger says singers shouldn’t lecture fans at shows

Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger says musicians should stick to entertaining their audiences rather than using the stage to push a political message, a view that stands in contrast to Bruce Springsteen’s approach on his recent tour.

Mr. Jagger, 82, made the comments during a New York Times podcast interview that was posted Saturday. The exchange came after host David Marchese contrasted Mr. Jagger’s style with that of Mr. Springsteen, whom Mr. Marchese described as someone who “clearly sees his job as engaging in a meaningful back and forth” with his audience. 

Mr. Jagger pushed back on the idea that concerts should double as political forums.

“You don’t want to lecture,” Mr. Jagger said, according to the Mediaite write-up of the interview.

He said his goal as a performer is simpler: giving fans a couple of hours away from their daily grind.

“The bottom line… my job in the live music world is [for] the people that come to have the best time they possibly can,” Mr. Jagger explained, describing the appeal as letting people forget their problems and their mortgages for a while. 

Mr. Jagger did not entirely rule out political material in his own songwriting, but drew a distinction between a passing reference and a full-blown sermon. He noted he sometimes works a line about politics into songs otherwise focused on personal relationships, while adding that “nobody wants to hear a whole song about politics.” 

Mr. Springsteen, 76, has taken a different approach throughout his current tour. He opened the run in April with a speech accusing the current administration of turning the country into what he called a “reckless, unpredictable, predatory rogue nation.” At a Washington, D.C., show in May, he went further, branding President Trump both racist and treasonous.

The rocker has also leaned into the label of “patriot” to describe his political broadsides. In a PBS NewsHour special that aired last month, Mr. Springsteen told correspondent Geoff Bennett that he believes in “critical patriotism,” which he defined as loving a country enough to confront its flaws rather than looking away from them, as reported by PBS. 

Mr. Trump has fired back at Mr. Springsteen repeatedly on social media this year, at one point mocking him as a “dried up prune” and urging his supporters to boycott the tour.