A radio station in the UK has sparked outrage from music fans after reports emerged that it had been purposefully editing the lyrics of a classic Bruce Springsteen track.
Absolute Radio has reportedly begun censoring Mr Springsteen’s 1984 classic Born in the USA, muting the phrase “yellow man” when broadcasting the track.
The term, which appears in the song’s lyrics, is regarded as a derogatory slur against Asian people.
In the original recording, the 76-year-old rock star sings: “So they put a rifle in my hands, sent me off to a foreign land, to go and kill the yellow man, Born in the USA.”
The station, owned by Bauer Media, is believed to have silenced the controversial phrase during airplay. GB News has contacted Bauer for comment. A spokesperson previously declined to comment to The Sun.
The reports sparked fury among music fans in the UK, with several claiming it was another example of “woke madness”.
Among the complaints on X, one fan fumed: “We are a joke country! Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born in the USA’ will be censored by Absolute Radio in the UK.
“Apparently it’s got a problematic line in it. The song written in 1964 is believed to be critical of racism during the Vietnam war, not celebrate it! Idiots.”
We are a joke country! Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” will be censored by Absolute Radio in the UK
Apparently it’s got a problematic line in it.
The song written in 1964 is believed to be critical of racism during the Vietnam war, not celebrate it!
Idiots 🤡 pic.twitter.com/RrjTh2Z2Dy
— Bernie (@Artemisfornow) January 10, 2026
A second added: “Born in the USA was the album of my uni days in the 1980s. But apparently, in the 2020s, a track we played on repeat is viewed as controversial. Meanwhile, Bob Vylan gets away with his. Two-tier showbiz.”
“It’s all getting ridiculous and out of hand! Such craziness,” a third reacted to an article about the decision, while a fourth echoed: “It just gets worse in this country. We have to be the laughing stock of the world.” (sic)
Despite its rousing chorus, the track is widely understood as a critique of how Vietnam veterans were treated upon returning home rather than a patriotic anthem.
The song depicts a working-class American conscripted into military service and sent overseas to fight.
Bruce Springsteen is yet to respond to the editing decision
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Mr Springsteen himself addressed the song’s meaning in 2021, stating: “This is a song about the pain, glory, shame of identity and of place. So it’s a complex picture of the country.
“Our protagonist is someone who has been betrayed by his nation and yet still feels deeply connected to the country that he grew up in.”
The track has been praised for its scathing commentary on the experiences of Vietnam veterans and working-class Americans.
The title track from Mr Springsteen’s album of the same name achieved remarkable commercial success, with the record shifting more than 30 million copies globally and becoming the best-selling album of 1985.
Bruce Springsteen is one of the world’s most recognisable singers
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Rolling Stone magazine placed the song at number 275 on its definitive list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, cementing its position in rock history.
The album, which also features hits such as Dancing in the Dark, Glory Days, and I’m on Fire, received further recognition when it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2012.
The song remains available in its unedited form on albums and streaming services.
The decision follows a similar move by BBC Radio 2, which altered the Spice Girls’ 1997 hit Spice Up Your Life last year.
Bruce Springsteen’s Born in the USA was a major chart success
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That track originally contained the lyric: “Yellow man in Timbuktu. Colour for both me and you.”
DJ Scott Mills broadcast a modified version on his breakfast programme with the word “yellow” removed, citing concerns over racial sensitivity.
The pattern suggests UK broadcasters are increasingly scrutinising older songs for language now considered offensive, even when the original context may not have been intended as derogatory.
Mr Springsteen has not issued any public statement regarding the reported censorship of his track.