Rage Against the Machine's Tom Morello Drops Video for Protest-Inspired Single "Stand Up" (UPDATE)
With all streaming, sale and ad proceeds going to the NAACP, Know Your Rights Camp, Southern Poverty Law Center, and the Marsha P. Johnson Institute.
UPDATE (July 8, 2020): The official video for Tom Morello, the Bloody Beetroots, Shea Diamond and Imagine Dragons lead vocalist Dan Reynolds’ “Stand Up” has released. Placing footage of protests and police brutality from the ’60s side-by-side with clips of global Black Lives Matter marches and gatherings after the recent murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, the video aims to drive home the ongoing nature of the battle against systemic racism while serving as a call to unite in the face of oppression. See the video above, and read the original article below for further context on the track and its contributing parties.
ORIGINAL STORY (July 2, 2020): Although Rage Against the Machine‘s highly-anticipated tour with Run the Jewels has been postponed due to the COVID-19 coronarivus, iconic RATM guitarist Tom Morello is staying busy in the interim with a new single titled “Stand Up.” A collaboration between Morello, the Bloody Beetroots, Imagine Dragons singer Dan Reynolds, and Black transgender artist/activist Shea Diamond, “Stand Up” tackles police brutality and systemic racism in Morello’s signature head-on fashion.
Over a thumping line from the Bloody Beetroots and scorching guitar licks from the ever-nimble Morello, Reynolds howls against injustice: “When I call the police will they just kill me?/Will they just kill you?/When I call the police will they just protect me cause I’m white skinned too?” On the bridge, Diamond asks “If you walked a mile in my shoes, you’d probably take ‘em off — wouldn’t you?”
This marks Morello’s first new music since appearing on Vic Mensa‘s 93PUNX punk rock album in August 2019. The guitarist also recently teamed with Fender for a “Soul Power” guitar inspired by his personal axe used during his days with Audioslave in the ’00s — and later gifted one of those guitars to 10-year old musical wunderkind and RATM fan Nandi Bushell.
All proceeds from streams and sales of the track will go to the NAACP, Know Your Rights Camp, the Southern Poverty Law Center, and the Marsha P. Johnson Institute. Check out “Stand Up” above, and for more music listen to Soccer Mommy’s ethereal Cover of The Cars’ “Drive.”
