Bruce Springsteen said 'no' to Bono when he asked to use this song for a Gap commercial
Bruce Springsteen said 'no' to Bono when he asked to use this song for a Gap commercial
Leigh BlickleyMon, June 15, 2026 at 2:54 PM UTC
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Bruce Springsteen; BonoCredit: Getty(2)Key Points -
Bruce Springsteen apologized for not letting Bono use one of his songs for a (RED) campaign with Gap.
The song, "Girls in Their Summer Clothes," is one of The Boss' "personal favorites."
Bono honored Springsteen at the Tribeca Film Festival on Saturday.
Bruce Springsteen is apologizing to Bono after he turned down a request to use one of his songs in a commercial for the U2 frontman's nonprofit.
The musicians met up at the Tribeca Film Festival on Saturday as Bono presented Springsteen with the 2026 Harry Belafonte Voices for Social Justice Award. According to Variety, Bono brought up a past exchange with Springsteen over the crooner's 2007 song "Girls in Their Summer Clothes," which Bono wanted to use in a Gap TV ad in partnership with his AIDS foundation (RED).
Bono told Springsteen of working with the clothing brand to support the fight against global health crises: "I tried to get you to give … I said, 'Bruce, this song "Girls in Their Summer Clothes," this is like one of the great pop songs ever. He goes, 'It's not bad, is it?' I said, 'Would you think about using it for a commercial, for (RED) and the Gap?' And you said, 'No.'"
The "Born to Run" hitmaker immediately responded, admitting, "That was a big mistake."
The crowd laughed before Springsteen added that he "should have said yes" and considered that song one of his "personal favorites."
Bruce Springsteen and Bono attend the 2026 Tribeca FestivalCredit: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty
"That was just a song that I love," Springsteen shared, stating the "audience doesn't really care" about it as much as he does.
"Damn it," The Boss continued, "I still think back: 'Bono asked you to put this thing on a commercial on television.' I should have f---ing done it! People would hear it like a hit, you know? So I have to apologize."
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It also could've benefited a good cause, Bruce, but we hear you.
Gap released multiple ad campaigns for Bono and Bobby Shriver's global fund over the years, featuring celebrities like Anne Hathaway and John Legend wearing the signature (RED) T-shirts and apparel. As the brand said, it "forged a path for a new kind of charitable spending."
Despite his refusal to license the song, Bono commended Springsteen for producing "great" music and praised his ability to bring a Woody Guthrie sensibility to pop radio. Springsteen's friend and Tribeca co-founder, Robert De Niro, added that the "Born in the U.S.A." singer is "a man who knows how to use his voice" to move people with the songs he creates.
"He uses it to give voice to the powerless and uses it to lead the resistance," De Niro said before Springsteen was presented with the Social Justice award, honoring the musician's efforts to fight for equality and basic human rights.
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Bono added of Springsteen, "Bruce Springsteen is America. Bruce made poetry from the voices of the people and set that poetry to music. We honor him tonight as a musician and poet and as an activist and a patriot."
Springsteen and Bono also performed at the event as they sang backup vocals for Patti Smith on her 1988 song "People Have the Power." Springsteen also treated the crowd to an acoustic version of his beloved tune "Land of Hope and Dreams."
on Entertainment Weekly
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
