Bruce Springsteen said he was offering a "small prayer for our country," as he kicked off a primetime TV special for President Biden's inauguration.
"I'm proud to be here in cold Washington, D.C. tonight." the singer said as he opened Wednesday's "Celebrating America" concert with an acoustic performance in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
"I want to offer this small prayer for our country," Springsteen said. "This is 'Land of Hope and Dreams.'"
The 1999 tune includes lyrics such as:
"Leave behind your sorrows
Let this day be the last
Tomorrow there'll be sunshine
And all this darkness past."
The star-studded TV special Wednesday — which also featured appearances by Jon Bon Jovi, Demi Lovato, and Justin Timberlake, among others — aired across major TV networks, including CBS, NBC, ABC, CNN and MSNBC.
Springsteen was a Biden supporter during the 2020 White House race. Last October, he narrated a campaign ad for the then-Democratic presidential nominee aimed at Pennsylvania voters.
