The Killers are the latest voice to speak out in support of Black Lives Matter. On Sunday night, the Las Vegas rockers performed a reworked rendition of last year’s political single “Land of the Free” to include lyrics referencing George Floyd’s tragic murder.
“How many killings must one man watch in his home,” frontman Brandon Flowers asks from behind the piano, adding: “Eight measured minutes and 46 seconds, another boy in the bag/ Another stain on the flag.”
He later sings, “Father in heaven, help us see how to lose our hatred” and pleads, “How to break these cycles and change our nature / That we may walk underneath your banner / In the Land Of The Free“.
It’s a stirring performance, and one that certainly choked up the band. In conjunction with the band’s Instagram post, touring member Robert Loud posted some thoughts on the performance on his own account, writing:
When Brandon texted me these new lyrics I cried and felt the heart he put into them. It was an honor to be a part of this. Let’s “break the cycle” of racism and injustice by starting inside of each of us and those we are close to and also work to spread it out from there until it really is the land of the free. There are too many stains on the flag. #blacklivesmatter
Watch the reworked rendition below, followed by the original version, whose video was directed by Spike Lee. In related news, The Killers recently postponed their forthcoming sixth studio album, Imploding the Mirage, though you can stream their past singles “Caution” and “Fire in the Bone”.