American Skin (41 Shots)

song by Springsteen

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July 21, 2026

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"American Skin (41 Shots)" is a song by Bruce Springsteen, released in 2001 on his album The Rising. The song is a complex exploration of the 1999 death of Amadou Diallo, an unarmed Guinean immigrant who was shot by New York City police officers. The officers mistook his wallet for a gun as he reached for it. The song gained renewed relevance following the 2012 shooting death of Trayvon Martin, an unarmed African American teenager. Springsteen's work often addresses social issues and the lives of everyday Americans, with "American Skin (41 Shots)" being a notable example of his engagement with themes of police brutality and racial injustice.1

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Bruce Springsteen
Springsteen’s political messaging
…of Tom Joad” and “American Skin (41 Shots).” The latter song—a complex exploration of the death in 1999 of Amadou Diallo, an unarmed Guinean immigrant who was shot repeatedly by New York City police officers who thought he was going for a gun when he reached for his wallet—took…
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…of Tom Joad” and “American Skin (41 Shots).” The latter song—a complex exploration of the death in 1999 of Amadou Diallo, an unarmed Guinean immigrant who was shot repeatedly by New York City police officers who thought he was going for a gun when he reached for his wallet—took…
Read More