Watch: The Killers address George Floyd's death in new version of 'Land of the Free'
"Another boy in the bag / Another stain on the flag.”
Last updated 9th Jun 2020
The Killers have recorded a new version of their 2019 standalone protest anthem ‘Land of the Free’ to address the death of George Floyd last month in Minnesota.
With Brandon Flowers on the piano, and Ronnie Vannucci Jr. and Killers touring member Robert Loud on acoustic guitars, the powerful stripped-back version of ‘Land of the Free’ directly references George Floyd’s killing at the hands of Minnesota police, which has sparked Black Lives Matter protests across the globe.
“How many killings must one man watch in his home?” sings Brandon Flowers before the lyrics quote the exact time police officer Derek Chauvin kept his knee on George Floyd’s neck.
He sings: “Eight measured minutes and 46 seconds, another boy in the bag/Another stain on the flag.”
Watch The Killers perform ‘Land of the Free’:
Sharing the video, Robert Loud wrote on Instagram: “When Brandon texted me these new lyrics I cried and felt the heart he put into them. It was an honour to be a part of this.
“Let’s “break the cycle” of racism and injustice by starting inside of each of us and those we are close to and also work to spread it out from there until it really is the land of the free. There are too many stains on the flag #blacklivesmatter”
Highly resonant right now, ‘Land of the Free’ was originally released as a standalone single in January 2019 and comments on the US criminal justice system, racism, gun control, Donald Trump’s border wall with Mexico and America’s prison population.
Brandon sings: “When I go out in my car, I don't think twice / But if you're the wrong color skin (I'm standing, crying) / You grow up looking over both your shoulders / In the land of the free / And we got more people locked up than the rest of the world / Right here in red, white and blue (I'm standing, crying) / Incarceration's become big businesss / It's harvest time out on the avenue.”
The hard-hitting Spike Lee directed video features footage of migrant families at the US US/Mexico border.
The Killers’ rescheduled UK Imploding The Mirage Tour takes place in May and June 2021.
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