It’s a switch from his recent work, where Springsteen has had more pressing concerns. “The Rising” was his attempt to make sense of the Sept. 11 attacks and do his part to begin the healing process. “Devils and Dust” was his way of protesting the direction the country was heading, as well as the war in Iraq. And “We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions” was a way to show how history could be applied to the present.