Stapleton’s Colbert Performance Shows Power of Nonpolitical Messages

On May 6th, I watched Chris Stapleton perform “Living in the Promiseland” on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. The song, a Willie Nelson classic from 1985, hit me hard. Originally, Nelson released it at a time when debates about immigration and the American dream were in the headlines, and the song became an anthem of hope and inclusivity. These days, almost everything gets viewed through a political lens, but the song’s opening lines felt powerful without being political:

Give us your tired and weak, and we will make them strong
Bring us your foreign songs, and we will sing along
Leave us your broken dreams, we'll give them time to mend
There's still a lot of love living in the promised land

Our dreams are made of steel
The prayer of every man is to know how freedom feels
There is a winding road across the shifting sand
And room for everyone living in the promiseland

So they came from a distant isle
Nameless woman, faithless child, like a bad dream
Until there was no room at all
No place to run and no place to fall

Was Stapleton just singing a song he loves, or was he making a political statement, or maybe something in between? In an interview, Stapleton explained that he chose to cover "Living in the Promiseland" because he feels the song "speaks to the heart of what America strives to be—welcoming, inclusive, and compassionate." He added, "Music has a way of reaching people regardless of the noise around them, and this song is about hope." I think his approach lands somewhere in the middle: personal, values-driven, but not overtly political.

In a 2024 interview with The Guardian, Stapleton expressed his discomfort with celebrities wading directly into politics: “I’m not saying celebrities shouldn’t endorse people — that’s American. I also think the right to keep that private, and the right to let politicians be politicians, to let people make their own choices based on what politicians say and do … that’s American, too.”

That feeling sums up Stapleton’s unique style. While artists like Bruce Springsteen, Jason Aldean, and Taylor Swift sometimes make politics part of their public image, Stapleton focuses on values instead of politicians. He sings about fairness, empathy, and the real lives of working-class Americans. His “Promiseland” performance shows this well: it’s moving, caring, socially aware, but not political.

Stapleton doesn’t endorse candidates, rarely talks about elections, and often says he wants his music to speak for itself. Even when he addresses social issues, like supporting Black Lives Matter in 2020 or talking about gun violence in “Watch You Burn,” he does it without linking his message to any politician or party. In contrast, Springsteen is open about his politics, Aldean connects with a conservative audience, and Swift is clear about her advocacy and efforts to get people to vote.

Stapleton is different. His songs have a strong moral message, but he avoids the political spotlight that often comes with them. Basically, he’s saying: I’ll talk about people, pain, and America, but not about politicians.

When Stapleton sang the final verse on Colbert’s stage, the strength of his approach was clear:

Give us our daily bread, we have no shoes to wear
No place to call our home, only this cross to bear
We are the multitudes, lend us a helping hand
Is there no love anymore living in the promised land?

Living in the promiseland

Our dreams are made of steel

The prayer of every man is to know how freedom feels

There is a winding road across the shifting sand

And room for everyone living in the promiseland

This was a reminder that artists can share powerful social messages without getting involved in politics.

It also showed that artists don’t need to pick sides to say something important. Sometimes a message matters not because it’s debated, but because it’s felt.

You can watch the full performance and decide for yourself:

- YouTube www.youtube.com

David Nevins is the publisher of The Fulcrum and co-founder and board chairman of the Bridge Alliance Education Fund.