TRENTON -- Gov. Bruce Springsteen? Don't count on it.

People have joked for years that the New Jersey rock icon would win in a landslide if he ever ran for the top political position in the state he has come to symbolize.

Now, in a cover-story interview with Variety magazine, Springsteen is asked when he's ever tempted to launch a bid.

"Pssht, nooo," he responds. "I would have no business in politics. I'm just not interested in policy-making enough. I know people in entertainment who are interested in those things, but I'm a musician."

Of course, The Boss has been political before. He's performed for John Kerry, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton on the presidential campaign trail. And his songs have often been rooted in social political themes.

So what about his music in the age of Republican President Donald Trump?

"I'm ambivalent about ... sort of getting on a soapbox," Springsteen says. "I still believe people fundamentally come to music to be entertained -- yes, to address their daily concerns, and yes, also to address political topics, I believe music can do that well.

"But I still believe fundamentally it's an affair of the heart. People want you to go deeper than politics, they want you to reach inside to their most personal selves and their deepest struggles with their daily lives and reach that place; that's the place I'm always trying to reach. I'd never make a record that's just polemical, I wouldn't release it if I did. To me, that's just an abuse of your audience's good graces."

Of course, there is an actual governor's race going on this year. Democrat Phil Murphy, Republican Kim Guadagno, and five third-party and independent candidates are running to succeed Springsteen superfan Chris Christie, who is prohibited by law from seeking a third consecutive term. Election Day is Nov. 7.

Brent Johnson may be reached at bjohnson@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @johnsb01. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.