News | Entertainment
24 Jan 2026 18:31
NZCity News
NZCity CalculatorReturn to NZCity

  • Start Page
  • Personalise
  • Sport
  • Weather
  • Finance
  • Shopping
  • Jobs
  • Horoscopes
  • Lotto Results
  • Photo Gallery
  • Site Gallery
  • TVNow
  • Dating
  • SearchNZ
  • NZSearch
  • Crime.co.nz
  • RugbyLeague
  • Make Home
  • About NZCity
  • Contact NZCity
  • Your Privacy
  • Advertising
  • Login
  • Join for Free

  •   Home > News > Entertainment

    Donald Trump's administration has been slammed by the band Semisonic for using their hit song 'Closing Time' in a controversial deportation video shared on social media

    The White House and Border Patrol's official Instagram accounts posted a video showing agents searching undocumented immigrants before deportation, set to the group's 1998 track


    Their post was captioned with lyrics from the song, reading: "'You don't have to go home but you can't stay here' @borderpatrol."

    Minneapolis-based band Semisonic has now responded to the use of their music in a statement to DailyMail.com.

    They said: "We did not authorise or condone the White House's use of our song in any way. And no, they didn't ask.

    "The song is about joy and possibilities and hope, and they have missed the point entirely."

    The track was written by frontman Dan Wilson, 63, who has previously spoken about its meaning.

    In a 2018 interview with Billboard, the musician explained 'Closing Time' was partially inspired by the birth of his daughter, Coco.

    He said: "The guys wanted a new song to close our sets with. I thought 'Closing Time' would be a good title.

    "We had spent seven years of our lives at that point, four nights a week entertaining people. That was our life.

    Some bouncers yelling things, closing time coming, all that imagery - literally, that's how the song started.

    "And then when I was halfway done, I started realising the whole thing was a pun about being born, so I just made sure that the rest of the thing could ride with that double meaning. But nobody got the joke and I didn't bother to explain. I thought everyone would get it."

    Dan has continued a successful career in songwriting and co-wrote the Grammy Award-winning 2011 Adele track 'Someone Like You'.

    'Closing Time' became a major hit in the late 1990s, reaching number one on the US Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart and charting in the top 50 in Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

    © 2026 Bang Showbiz, NZCity

     Other Entertainment News
     23 Jan: Oscars 2026: Sinners break record with nominations, Jacob Elordi and Rose Byrne receive nods
     23 Jan: Amanda Seyfried thinks winning an Oscar "isn't necessary" for career success
     23 Jan: Karol G and Feid have reportedly split
     23 Jan: Summer House stars Kyle Cooke and Amanda Batula have split
     23 Jan: Emeli Sande and her fiancee Yoana Karemova have split
     23 Jan: Colleen Hoover is cancer-free
     23 Jan: Nicole Kidman reportedly feels "refreshed and optimistic" as her divorce from Keith Urban is behind her
     Top Stories

    RUGBY RUGBY
    Olympian Sam Tanner has records in his sights ahead of this evening's mile race at Cooks Gardens in Whanganui More...


    BUSINESS BUSINESS
    US copied Iran's Shahed drones — now they are deployed in the Middle East More...



     Today's News

    International:
    US looks to South Korea to take 'primary responsibility' in monitoring Kim Jong Un and North Korea 18:16

    Law and Order:
    Pakuranga College is paying tribute to two of its students caught in the Mount Maunganui landslide 18:06

    Rugby:
    Olympian Sam Tanner has records in his sights ahead of this evening's mile race at Cooks Gardens in Whanganui 17:46

    Law and Order:
    Police have released the full list pf names of the six people unaccounted for following the landslide at the Mount Maunganui Campground on Thursday 17:26

    Lower South Island:
    Southland rider Josh Burnett has banked his third career win in cycling's Tour of Southland, finishing safely in the peloton to take the overall title by 10 seconds from Cambridge's Matthew Wilson 17:06

    International:
    Human remains found as New Zealand landslide search moves to recovery 16:56

    Rugby:
    Test halfback Noah Hotham is hoping for an injury-free year after spending a large chunk of 20-25 on the sidelines 16:27

    General:
    Indra Brown wins X-Games silver on debut ahead of 2026 Winter Olympic Games 16:06

    International:
    How much power does China really have in the Arctic amid Trump's Greenland claims? 15:46

    International:
    A generation of activists like Grace Oo are taking up arms against Myanmar's military 15:36


     News Search






    Power Search


    © 2026 New Zealand City Ltd