21 Years Ago, Bruce Springsteen’s Lyrics Were Too Raunchy for a Major Retailer

Twenty-one years ago, Bruce Springsteen released Devils & Dust, and it was an immediate hit. The acoustic album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. It also reached the top of the charts in eleven other countries, including Germany, Italy, Scotland, and the United Kingdom. Despite the album’s success and Springsteen’s popularity, Starbucks refused to stock the CD, due in part to one of the songs being too racy for the coffee chain’s liking.

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Today, most people don’t go to Starbucks to grab a latte and maybe pick up some new music. However, in 2005, the corporate coffee house delivered nostalgic reissues and new discs from legacy artists alongside their drinks and pastries. According to Newsweek, the chain was responsible for roughly one-third of the sales of Ray Charles’ final album, Genius Loves Company. The album sold more than a million copies, with 200,000 sales in its first week.

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The chain chose not to carry the CD in their coffee shops due in part to the lyrics of “Reno.” In the song, Springsteen details a rather depressing encounter with a sex worker in Reno. He details the prices she charged for specific acts and describes key moments of their time together. While it isn’t the raunchiest song ever recorded, it was enough to make Devils & Dust the first of the Boss’ albums to receive a parental advisory sticker.

Starbucks Commented on Not Carrying Bruce Springsteen’s Smash Hit Album

Starbucks’ corporate office gave Newsweek a brief statement after the news of their refusal to stock Devils & Dust broke. “When considering new projects, our primary goal is always to help our customers discover and acquire quality music,” the statement read. “To that end, Starbucks is currently in discussion with many different artists and labels, and therefore, we do not comment on rumors and speculation.”

Later, Ken Lombard, president of Starbucks Entertainment, commented on the issue. He admitted that the lyrics were part of the reason the album wouldn’t appear in their coffee shops. “There were a number of factors involved. It was one of the factors, but not the only reason,” he said. “While we agreed the lyrics to ‘Reno’ did warrant an advisory, our decision to choose another title to showcase was ultimately an issue of scheduling,” Lombard explained. They planned to showcase Antigone Rising’s 2005 album From the Ground Up, which was released on the Starbucks-owned Hear Music label.

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