Bruce Springsteen sings lines such as “Don’t tell me a lie and sell it as a fact” and “I never put my faith in a con man” on a new Trump Era protest song, “That’s What Makes Us Great.”

The hard-edged, angry rock song, which is being released Wednesday morning, is credited to Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers with Bruce Springsteen. Grushecky wrote it, though — around the time that President Trump took office — and Springsteen sings duet vocals. The music is all by Grushecky and his Houserockers band. (Springsteen just sings).

Grushecky starts out the song by singing about immigrants “longing to be free,” and criticizes those who “wanna slam the door.” Together, he and Springsteen declare “Let’s turn this thing around/Before it gets too late” and ask “Is there a difference I can make?”

“I’m a college grad — I started out as a political science major, and I’ve always worked with the underprivileged,” says Grushecky in an interview with NJArts.net. “My father is from a coal mining family. I’ve always been socially conscious and aware of what goes on around me.

“It’s just dumbfounding that this guy could even be elected, I thought to myself. (The song’s message) was probably percolating for a while.”

The song will premiere Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. on SiriusXM satellite radio’s E Street Radio channel, and will be available to download and purchase at joegrushecky.com.

The Pittsburgh-based Grushecky and his Houserockers band, who have worked with Springsteen many times before, will perform at the Wonder Bar in Asbury Park, July 8, and “That’s What Makes Us Great” is likely to be played in the show.

“It’s meant to be played by the band,” says Grushecky.

It will also be part of Grushecky’s next album, which he expects to be out by the time of the Wonder Bar show.

“It’s a pretty straightahead-rock’n’roll-type record — a lot of loud guitars,” he says of the album. “Pretty much two electric guitars, acoustic guitars and vocals. Bass and drums. There’s not a lot of other instrumentation on it. Occasional saxophone, occasional harmonica. But it’s pretty much a straightahead rock ‘n’ roll record.”

Here are the lyrics of “That’s What Makes Us Great”:

Grushecky:

They come from everywhere

All longing to be free

They come to join us here

From sea to shining sea

Grushecky and Springsteen:

And they all have a dream

As people always will

To be safe and warm

In that shining city on the hill

Grushecky:

Some wanna slam the door

Instead of opening the gate

Ah, let’s turn this thing around

Before it gets too late

Grushecky and Springsteen:

It’s up to me and you

Love can conquer hate

I know this to be true

That’s what makes us great

Springsteen:

Don’t tell me a lie

And sell it as a fact

I’ve been down that road before

And I ain’t goin’ back

And don’t you brag to me

That you never read a book

I never put my faith

In a con man and his crooks

Grushecky and Springsteen:

I won’t follow down that path

And tempt the hands of fate

Ah, let’s turn this thing around

Before it gets too late

It’s up to me and you

Love can conquer hate

I know this to be true

That’s what makes us great

Springsteen:

In the quiet of the night

I lie here wide awake

And I ask myself

Is there a difference I can make?

Grushecky and Springsteen:

Is there a difference I can make?

It’s up to me and you

Love can conquer hate

It’s up to me and you

Love can conquer hate

It’s up to me and you

Love can conquer hate

I know this to be true

And that’s what makes us great

That’s what makes us great

That’s what makes us great

That’s what makes us great

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