15 Greatest Protest Songs Of The 21st Century
6. Sage Francis - "Makeshift Patriot"
Key Lyrics: "We're selling addictive, 24-hour candlelight vigils on TV // Freedom will be defended at the cost of civil liberties // I'll show you which culture to pump your fist at, which foot is right to kiss // We don't really know who the culprit is yet, but he looks like this"
In the weeks and months after the September 11th terrorist attacks, celebrities, political pundits, and, specifically, musicians presented a massive outpouring of thinly-veiled xenophobia disguised as patriotism.
Every radio station you turned to was offering cries of singing the praises of "the red, white, and blue" while threatening to put boots up the asses of anyone who stand opposed to American ideals.
But all the flag-waving and strident jingoism reeked of pandering. More than ever, it felt like nationalism was being used as a sales tactic, and folks who crammed 9/11 into their song lyrics only did so to look like a "good" American.
Indie rapper Sage Francis said f*ck all that. Recorded a month after the attacks, "Makeshift Patriot" isn't exactly nuanced, but it shirks all the pseudo-sentimentality in favor of a cold reality check over a 1960s pop-rock sample. It was refreshingly antagonistic.