Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers' album version
| Joe 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 | |
| Joe Grushecky: | Some wanna slam the door instead of opening the gate |
| Grushecky and Springsteen: | Ah let's turn this thing around now 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 | |
| Bruce Springsteen: | Don't tell me a lie and sell it as a fact |
| I've been down that road before and I ain't going 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 | |
| Bruce 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 | |
| Joe Grushecky: | Aw! |
THAT'S WHAT MAKES US GREAT is a song written by Joe Grushecky and released by Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers as a single in 2017 and later included on their 2018 album More Yesterdays Than Tomorrows. The song features a guest appearance by Bruce Springsteen on duet vocals. The above lyrics are for Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers' album version of THAT'S WHAT MAKES US GREAT as released in 2017.
THAT'S WHAT MAKES US GREAT is a protest song taking on U.S. president Donald Trump and his crackdown on illegal immigration. Joe Grushecky told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that he wrote the song around the time Trump took office in January 2017. "I had this song, and Bruce and I had been talking. I sent it to him and he liked it. I said, 'What do you think about singing on it?' He gave it the Bruce treatment."
The Houserockers laid down the track with Rick Witkowski, Brian Coleman, and Grushecky's son Johnny producing. Bruce Springsteen, who wrapped up his Summer '17 Tour with the E Street Band in late February, recorded his parts at his home studio in Colts Neck, NJ.
THAT'S WHAT MAKES US GREAT debuted on Sirius XM's E Street Radio channel on 19 Apr 2017 at 10 a.m. It was also simultaneously made available for purchase as a digital download-only single on Joe Grushecky's official website.
The song was also included on Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers' More Yesterdays Than Tomorrows album on the Schoolhouse Records label. The band funded the album from the general public through the PledgeMusic online music platform. The album was first released digitally (MP3 and 24-bit FLAC) to pledgers on 11 Dec 2017 and was issued on CD in February 2018 and on and vinyl in April 2018.
Bruce Springsteen has never performed THAT'S WHAT MAKES US GREAT live.
List of available versions of THAT'S WHAT MAKES US GREAT on this website:
THAT'S WHAT MAKES US GREAT [Joe Grushecky & The Houserockers' album version]
