RATM

As I was trying to think of a protest song to write about in the paper one band came to mind when i though of the word "protest." Rage Against the Machine. They have protested many different topics throughout their existence. But one of the most interesting and controversial things that they've done is when Zach de la Rocha called out the Bush Administration and said they should all be tried as war criminals and hung. The next day Fox News denounced his speech and Zach de la Rocha fearlessly responded in their song "Wake Up" at a concert later: "A couple of months ago, those fascist motherfuckers at the Fox News Network attempted to pin this band into a corner by suggesting that we said that the president should be assassinated. Nah, what we said was that he should be brought to trial as a war criminal and hung and shot. THAT'S what we said. And we don't back away from the position because the real assassinator is Bush, and Cheney and the whole administration for the lives they have destroyed here and in Iraq. They're the ones. And what they refused to air which was far more provocative in my mind and in the minds of my bandmates is this: this system has become so brutal and vicious and cruel that it needs to start wars and profit from the destruction around the world to survive as a world power. THAT's what we said. And we refuse not to stand up, we refuse to back down from that position..." Bold words from one of the most famous lead singers ever.

U2, Green Day and the Saints

As I watched in disbelief the New Orleans Saints win the Super Bowl the first song I heard played when the game ended was "The Saints are Coming" by U2 and Green Day. Both of these bands have always been very politically active in their worldwide fame. In September 2006, Green Day teamed up with U2 and producer Rick Rubin to record a cover of the song "The Saints Are Coming," originally recorded by The Skids, with an accompanying video. The song was to benefit Music Rising, an organization to help raise money for musicians' instruments lost during Hurricane Katrina, and to bring awareness on the eve of the one year anniversary of the disaster. Green Day have always worked closely with the National Resources Defense Council, one of the only major national environmental organizations to become and stay involved with community activists on the ground in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, to help raise awareness on the United States' dependency on oil. Throughout all of U2's existence they have always been very active in addressing issues concerning poverty, disease, and social injustice.