Watch Arcade Fire's "Born In The U.S.A." Cover From the Obama Staff Ball

As Rolling Stone reported yesterday, Barack Obama staffers were rewarded for all their hard campaign work with a special concert courtesy of Jay-Z and the Arcade Fire. In between the hits from the band's Funeral and Neon Bible, Win Butler and Co.. also worked in a folksy cover of "Born in the U.S.A." by fellow Obama supporter Bruce Springsteen (see clip, above).

Now you might be asking yourself, "Why is a band that calls Montreal, Quebec its home singing 'Born in the U.S.A.'?" Both Win and William Butler were born and raised in Texas, so they were born in the U.S.A. The rest of the band, however, are Canadian natives. This isn't the first time the band has performed a Bruce song onstage: Members of the Arcade Fire joined Springsteen at a concert in Ottawa in October 2007 to perform his Nebraska track "State Trooper," as well as Neon Bible's "Keep The Car Running." Similarly, songs on the band's Bible are deeply rooted with the Springsteen influence, like "(Antichrist Television Blues.)"

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Song Stories

“Youth Knows No Pain”

Lykke Li | 2011

“Like on 'Youth Knows No Pain' — we are the ones that should demonstrate, because we can take it,” Likke Li said. “We can pierce ourselves, take Ecstasy, dance all night and still go to work at our McDonald's jobs.” Despite the hedonistic sentiment in the song, the Swedish singer also admitted in hindsight her youth had repercussions. “I remember when I was 18-19 and feeling that I know it all,” Li said. “I always feel that I know it all. But that song is about realizing you don’t, and reflecting, ‘Boy, if I only knew what would follow.’”

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