Renegades: Born in the USA

Higher Ground
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Renegades: Born in the USA is a series of conversations between President Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen about their lives, music, and enduring love of America—despite all its challenges.

Episodes

  1. 10/15/2025

    Introducing Fela Kuti: Fear No Man

    If you loved The Wonder of Stevie, you cannot miss Higher Ground and Audible's newest music show. In Fela Kuti: Fear No Man, Jad Abumrad—creator of Radiolab, More Perfect, and Dolly Parton's America—tells the story of one of the great political awakenings in music: how a classically trained 'colonial boy' traveled to America, in search of Africa, only to return to Nigeria and transform his sound into a battering ram against the state—creating a new musical language of resistance called Afrobeat. In a world that’s on fire, what is the role of art? What can music actually…do? Can a song save a life? Change a law? Topple a president? Get you killed? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    58 min

  2. 06/07/2021

    Looking Towards American Renewal

    President Obama and Bruce discuss the hope for American unification, they ask themselves what defines cultural appropriation, and Bruce shares memories from when he was writing "Born in the USA." -- Archival clips courtesy of Sofa Entertainment, MLB, and Drew Associates' ´The Children Were Watching.´ Watch the whole documentary on the Criterion Channel.¨ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    50 min

  3. 05/31/2021

    Fatherhood

    President Obama and Bruce discuss starting their families, the feelings experienced when their children were born, and balancing fatherhood with their careers. They reflect on what they’ve learned from becoming fathers and husbands. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    41 min

  4. 05/24/2021

    Relationships with Our Fathers & Masculinity

    President Obama and Bruce open up about their complicated relationships with their fathers, what it means to be a man, father figures, and role models. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    38 min

  5. 05/17/2021

    Money & the American Dream

    President Obama and Bruce discuss the relationship between money and economic class, growing up with income inequality. They unpack what it meant to not be aware of your lack of economic privilege/wealth prior to a US economic and cultural shift in the 1980s. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    48 min

  6. 05/10/2021

    Traveling the U.S. & Finding Home

    President Obama and Bruce Springsteen discuss the loss of American innocence during the 1960s. They relate on the romance of the open road when young Bruce traveled to see concerts and President Obama road-tripped across the US when he first visited the mainland. They discuss the moments when they settled down, faced domestication, and defined their definition of home. -- Archival clips courtesy of NASA, Global Image Works, Warner Bros, The Library of Congress, Getty Images, Chicago Film Archives, National Archives, and Wyndham Resorts and Hotels. John Wayne used with the permission of John Wayne Enterprises, LLC. All Rights Reserved. www.johnwayne.com See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    44 min

  7. 05/03/2021

    American Music

    President Obama and Bruce sit down to talk popular music, their early musical influences and memories, and the inspiration behind Springsteen’s Broadway show. They share some of their favorite artists (think: Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Joni Mitchell, and more). -- Archival clips courtesy of iHeartMedia, WETA, C-SPAN, and CBSNews. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    41 min

  8. 04/26/2021

    Race in the United States

    President Obama and Bruce Springsteen discuss protest songs, reparations, and their relationships with John Lewis and Clarence Clemmons. They reflect on their early experiences with race and racism and the uncomfortable conversations we need to have. -- Archival clips courtesy of C-SPAN and CBSNews. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    42 min

  9. 04/19/2021

    Our Unlikely Friendship

    President Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen discuss how their friendship began. They share how race and racism in their hometowns defined their feelings of belonging and what it was like growing up as teenagers in the 1960s and 1970s. Bruce sings some of "My Hometown." -- Archival clips courtesy of CBSNews, NBC Universal, British Pathé, and Huntley Film Archives. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    53 min

  10. 04/13/2021

    Renegades: Born in the USA Trailer

    Welcome to the new podcast from President Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen. Find the trailer transcript here: http://spoti.fi/RenegadesTranscripts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    2 min

Trailer

Hosts & Guests

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Renegades: Born in the USA is a series of conversations between President Barack Obama and Bruce Springsteen about their lives, music, and enduring love of America—despite all its challenges.

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