10 Rock Songs You Didn't Realize Were Protest Tracks

As America was entering a new regime at the turn of the century, everything was rocked by the tragedy of 9/11. In the wake of the destruction happening all around us, the Bush administration was not looking out for the common man as much as they thought, throwing people into a war they didn’t want to fight and claiming to only be patriotic if you supported those in power. Not everyone was looking to fly that flag with pride though, and Linkin Park were willing to call out the President directly on their third outing.

While Meteora and Hybrid Theory had channeled all of their pain inward, Minutes to Midnight was the first time Linkin Park put their protest hat on, like when Mike Shinoda talks about the stuttering uncertainty of Bush on Hands Held High. That was just the calm before the storm though, as The Little Things Give You Away sprawls out for 6 minutes about the destruction that’s still going down on the home front. While Bush might be so consumed about the war going on in Iraq, this takes a closer look at the horrible aftermath of Hurricane Katrina that was going on around the same time, with people all across New Orleans struggling to find any kind of shelter.

This isn’t some rich rock star relief anthem either, as Chester takes the position of a man on the street, seeing the levees breaking in front of him before getting swallowed by the waves. Since Bush always wanted to be a leader, Chester says the only way that he’s being looked up to now is by the victims, caught six feet underwater and knowing that no relief is ever going to come. You may want to be known as an icon, but you have to wonder at what cost as well.