Bruce Springsteen will once again hit the campaign trail for President Obama later this week, according to Reuters. "The Boss" who stumped for Obama in 2008 during his first presidential campaign, will make appearances in both Ohio and Iowa on Thursday (October 18th). It's unclear whether Springsteen volunteered or was asked for his support by the Obama-Biden ticket due to Obama running neck in neck with Mitt Romney in various national polls.

Springsteen, who kicks off his next North American leg on Friday (October 19th) in Ottawa, told us that he believes his role as an American songwriter extends far beyond the entertainment community in which he works: "You're supposed to remain interested in the world. Y'know, my job was always to put you in somebody else's shoes and, and have you walk a while in those shoes, I've said a lot in the past. You're out there, and you feel what's in the air out there, and you feel what's on people's minds. People are looking for ways to have a dialogue about these ideas, about these issues. They're looking for ways to try to get a handle and, and make sense of, of what's happening, you know? And I think that music and film and, and art has a service to perform in, in that fashion."

• Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band tour dates (subject to change):
  October 19 - Ottawa, ON - Scotiabank Place
  October 21 - Hamilton, ON - Copps Coliseum
  October 23 - Charlottesville, VA - John Paul Jones Arena
  October 25 - Hartford, CT - XL Center
  October 27 - Pittsburgh, PA - CONSOL Energy Center
  October 30 - Rochester, NY - Blue Cross Arena
  November 1 - State College, PA - Bryce Jordan Center
  November 3 - Louisville, KY - KFC Yum! Center
  November 11, 12 - St. Paul, MN - Xcel Energy Center
  November 15 - Omaha, NE - CenturyLink Arena
  November 17 - Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center
  November 19 - Denver, CO - Pepsi Center
  November 26 - Vancouver, BC - Rogers Arena
  November 28 - Portland, OR - The Rose Garden
  November 30 - Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena
  December 4 - Anaheim, CA - Honda Center
  December 6 - Glendale, AZ - Jobing.com Arena

FAST FACTS

• During Barack Obama's 2008 Presidential race against Senator John McCain, Bruce Springsteen performed several times at rallies in Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio; New York City; Ypsilanti, Michigan; and Philadelphia.
• Senator John Kerry's 2004 bid for the presidency was the first time that Springsteen publicly supported a political candidate, and was among the many artists that took part in the Vote For Change Tour -- which also included R.E.M., Jackson Browne, Pearl Jam, James Taylor, Dixie Chicks, Bonnie Raitt, John Fogerty, Patti Smith, Dave Matthews Band, Neil Young, Sheryl Crow, and John Mellencamp, among others.

CHECK IT OUT: Bruce Springsteen & Patti Scialfa on November 2nd, 2008 world premiering "Working On A Dream" at a Columbus, Ohio Obama rally:

 Bruce Springsteen Says Topics He Addresses In His Music Are Always Relevant

Read more at Ultimate Classic Rock and Spinner, Rolling Stone