Bruce Springsteen Mocks Embattled New Jersey Governor Chris Christie on ‘Fallon’

Last night on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, a larger-than-life New Jersey political figure was forced to confront embarrassing revelations. Oh, come on, Bruce Springsteen didn’t really have anything be ashamed about. The Boss’ new album with the E Street Band and Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, High Hopes, may be muddled and uneven, but he and his collaborators hit all their notes in performance of the wah-wah-sozzled, Havalinas-covering title track and gospel-drenched “High Hopes.” Nor did the rock icon commit any notable gaffes talking about songwriting, four-hour concerts, or (ahem) horse-sized ducks in his Late Night interview.

Watch clips of all that below, but the most memorable part of Springsteen’s Fallon visit, above, was “Gov. Christie Traffic Jam.” Soon-to-be Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon and the Boss have teamed up before, with the Saturday Night Live alum impersonating Neil Young and Springsteen imitating his younger self for goofy covers of songs by Willow Smith and LMFAO. Now they’re both dressed as vintage, red-bandana Bruce for a comedic reworking of classic “Born to Run” that takes aim at the “Bridgegate” scandal enveloping New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

We won’t spoil it, but suffice it to say it takes the song’s portentous language and operatic sweep and applies it to the banalities of, well, a Christie-linked traffic jam. Adding insult to insult: Although Springsteen campaigned for President Obama, the Governor is a huge fan who’s been to more than 120 of his concerts. Sure, you could dispute the parody’s facts a bit: The theory that George Washington Bridge lane shutdown was a retribution for the Fort Lee, New Jersey, mayor’s failure to endorse Christie isn’t proven, and MSNBC’s Steve Kornacki has come up with other possible explanations. And you can worry that these types of silly spoofs cut various ways — will a Pizza Underground evisceration of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s utensil use be next? But for a few minutes, sit back and let these twin Bosses “relieve your stressful condition.”