Bruce Springsteen has a regret, and he said it out loud in front of a room full of people in Lower Manhattan.
At the Tribeca Festival, where Springsteen received the Harry Belafonte Voices for Social Justice Award, the musician publicly apologized to U2 frontman Bono for refusing to license one of his songs for a Gap commercial years ago. According to Variety, Bono had wanted to use Springsteen's 2008 track "Girls in Their Summer Clothes" for an ad tied to a Gap clothing line supporting (RED), Bono's AIDS nonprofit.
Bono described the exchange while presenting Springsteen with the award. He recalled telling Springsteen: "Bruce, this song 'Girls in Their Summer Clothes,' this is like one of the great pop songs ever … Would you think about using it for a commercial, for (RED) and the Gap?" Springsteen said no.
Springsteen admitted Friday that it was the wrong call. "That was a big mistake," he said, drawing laughs. "I should have said yes." He described the song as one of his "personal favorites" that the "audience doesn't really care" about.
He kept going. "Damn it, I still think back: 'Bono asked you to put this thing on a commercial on television,'" Springsteen said. "I should have fucking done it! People would hear it like a hit, you know? So I have to apologize."
Bono opened the evening with praise for Springsteen. "Bruce Springsteen is America," the U2 frontman said. "Bruce made poetry from the voices of the people and set that poetry to music. We honor him tonight as a musician and poet and as an activist and a patriot."
The two also spoke briefly about Springsteen's Land of Hope and Dreams American Tour, on which he has been openly critical of President Donald Trump and has performed a recent protest song called "Streets of Minneapolis," described as an ICE protest song.
Patti Smith closed the formal portion of the event, performing her 1988 song "People Have the Power," backed by Tony Shanahan. Springsteen and Bono then joined her for a reprise, singing backup vocals on the chorus together.
Springsteen stayed on stage after the event ended and performed an acoustic version of "Land of Hope and Dreams" for the crowd.
