Tom Morello, Shea Diamond, Dan Reynolds, and The Bloody Beetroots Release New Protest Song ‘Stand Up’
On July 2, Tom Morello released his newest song, “Stand Up,” a collaboration with singer-songwriter and transgender rights activist Shea Diamond, Imagine Dragons frontman Dan Reynolds, and The Bloody Beetroots.
Tom Morello has been a guitarist in multiple musical groups, including Prophets of Rage, Audioslave, and Rage Against the Machine. Rage Against the Machine is known for its revolutionary political messages that oppose cultural imperialism and police brutality. Tom Morello was inspired to create “Stand Up” in light of the recent Black Lives Matter protests and unjust killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
“STAND UP” available now
a collaboration
X @tmorello
X @iamsheadiamond
X @BloodyBeetroots
X myself @DanReynoldsAll artist proceeds donated to:@NAACP , @yourrightscamp , @splcenter and @MPJInstitute
— Dan Reynolds (@DanReynolds) July 2, 2020
Tom Morello reached out to Dan Reynolds and Shea Diamond to write the lyrics for “Stand Up,” and The Bloody Beetroots produced the track. Reynolds sings, “When I call the police will they just kill me? / Will they just kill you?” and Diamond continues, “If you walked a mile in my shoes / You’d probably take ’em off wouldn’t you? / If you had to live in my truth / You’d probably tell a lie wouldn’t you?“
STAND UP – Tom Morello x @IAmSheaDiamond x @DanReynolds of @ImagineDragons x @BloodyBeetroots – https://t.co/c6YG82ZBNf pic.twitter.com/QtSEvba79N
— Tom Morello (@tmorello) July 4, 2020
“Stand Up” is revolutionary, raw, and heartbreaking. It is more than a mere protest song. The song serves as a metaphor for all kinds of abuse and bullying. Its main message is to stand up when you see injustice because silence is compliance. All proceeds from the track will go to the NAACP, the Know Your Rights Camp, Marsha P. Johnson Institute, and the Southern Poverty Law Center. We urge you to stand up against unrighteousness and speak up against immorality, racism, and abuse of power. Click below to listen to the full track.
I am an incoming junior at the UCLA College of Letters and Science. Through my love and appreciation for literature, social justice, feminism, public speaking, and writing, I am planning on pursuing a career in immigration and public interest law. I want to help those who are either the victims of the system or discrimination because I wholeheartedly believe that the purpose of my life is to help others and take cases that nobody else is willing to take.
