I’ve always thought of rock ’n’ roll as a liberating, democratic music.

That may be the reason I scoffed at last week’s announcement that a Rolling Stone restaurant will open in Los Angeles to cater to an upscale clientele — “higher-end” is the description from the restaurant’s partners, forget the magazine’s origins as a trailblazing, edgy, rough alternative newspaper.

What would Elvis think?

What would Bruce say? Not greetings from Asbury Park.

Rock ’n’ roll is the people’s music, and Springsteen is a man for the people, of the people, by the people.

And that’s why it mattered so when New Jersey’s most famous native son issued a statement in support of same-sex marriage legislation last week.

The statement circulated so widely that, had it been sung, it would have topped the charts.

On his Web site at www.brucespringsteen.net, under the headline “A Brief Statement From Bruce,” Springsteen stated:

“Like many of you who live in New Jersey, I’ve been following the progress of the marriage-equality legislation currently being considered in Trenton. I’ve long believed in and have always spoken out for the rights of same-sex couples and fully agree with Governor Corzine when he writes that, ‘The marriage-equality issue should be recognized for what it truly is — a civil rights issue that must be approved to assure that every citizen is treated equally under the law.’ I couldn’t agree more with that statement and urge those who support equal treatment for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters to let their voices be heard now.”

Does that sound like the intro to an anthem in the fourth hour of a Springsteen concert?

The lead in to “Raise Your Hand” or The Boss’ take on “This Land is Your Land”?

Brothers and sisters, do I think Springsteen’s statement will sway Gov.-elect Chris Christie, who has said he’s a Springsteen fan? No. The Republican has said he would veto the bill off his desk, and I believe him.

But I also believe that Springsteen’s statement will rally support for the legislation, which, as I’m writing, is being delayed from reaching the New Jersey Senate floor in an effort to shore up the needed 21 votes. Garden State Equality, New Jersey’s LGBT political group, claimed in a news release on the Springsteen pitch for our partnerships, “In New Jersey, no other endorsement comes close.”

And certainly I believe that Springsteen’s statement, which is getting national attention, from newspapers to television to radio to blogs, will have widespread influence on a legion of fans that has been growing for decades, since the first of them caught “Madman drummers bummers and indians in the summer with a teenage diplomat” on the radio.

Sure, other performers have endorsed legalizing gay marriage. Same-sex marriage activist Evan Wolfson, in his Straight Talk on Marriage blog, regularly reports on celebrity endorsements — most recently offering praise for Arianna Huffington, Anna Kendrick, Lynda Carter, Ana Ortiz, Virginia Madsen and Renee Zellweger as important and appreciated voices for equality.

But Springsteen’s voice — a strong, sincere, simple voice used to sing about ordinary people and their extraordinary lives — rocks stadiums.

He has used that voice and his talent to rock stadiums for good causes — for Amnesty International’s push to free prisoners of conscience and for the “no nukes” campaign, for the Rainforest Foundation Fund’s fight against world hunger and for the benefit of Vietnam veterans, for the revitalization of his home town and now for equality in his home state.

I’ve seen four Springsteen concerts, each of them exhilarating, each of them intensely emotional. His statement on same-sex marriage was almost as good as a fifth — almost.