Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello has unveiled a new protest song, “Stand Up”, featuring vocals by Imagine Dragons singer Dan Reynolds. The heavy track also includes contributions from singer Shea Diamond and electronic duo The Bloody Beetroots.
A lyric video for the track debuted today (July 2nd), showcasing the song’s focus on police brutality and other forms of oppression. The verses are delivered rapid-fire by Reynolds and Diamond, while the chorus is particularly heavy both in terms of the vocal screams and Morello’s monster riffing.
Reynolds delivers lines like, “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?”
Diamond, who is also a prominent transgender-rights activist, sings, “Everybody stares like I’m just my gender/ But I’m a living soul with my own agenda/ Tell me how you are the priest and the prosecution/ How you love a God who loves executions?”
Morello is keeping busy as Rage Against the Machine patiently wait until next year to kick off their reunion tour. The band was supposed to embark on an extensive North American outing this year, but the dates have been rescheduled to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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In addition to the new song, Morello recently unveiled his new signature Fender “Soul Power” Stratocaster guitar, which is available here. He recently gifted one of those guitars to 10-year-old Nandi Bushell, who went viral with an impressive performance of RATM’s “Guerrilla Radio”.
Listen to “Stand Up” in the lyric video below.
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