Grammy Nominee's Occupy Wall Street Theme Song Features Bloodlust, Violent Imagery

by: warner todd huston | published: 11 20, 2011

While denizens of Hollywood are running around praising the Occupy-Whatevers as an articulate, non-violent example of "democracy in action" and adopting the Occupy rhetoric, a new anthem of sorts has been unveiled to inspire these "non-violent" folks to greater activism. But, for a "non-violent" movement, their new theme song (running nearly nine minutes long) is full of bloodlust and childish name-calling belying that claim to thoughtful democracy.

The song, "We Stand as One," created by Grammy nominee Joseph Arthur, seems to fall short of the mythical claim that the Occupy movement is a non-violent, thoughtful "movement." Filled with deep lyrics such as calling Occupy enemies "pigs," warnings that their homes will burn and that the blood of Occupy enemies will be the Occupiers' "paint," this song sounds more like a call to violence than an appeal to the better angels of our nature.

Arthur has worked with such rock notables as Michael Stipe of REM and Peter Gabriel, and his 1999 EP "Vacancy" was nominated for a Grammy.

As Dan Gainor says, this song lays out an "entire rationale of why ‘we Occupy Wall Street.'" But while the song mentions "taking back our soul," country, control, health care and the like, it also indulges scenes of violence reminiscent of a Hieronymus Bosch painting.

Catch some of this "non-violence," won't you?

• Your blood is our paint
• Like a pig you consumed, And like a pig you will roast
• Burning your homes
• Your body destroyed
• Strung up you'll bleed, Like the pig you became

Sounds a bit grim, doesn't it? But for a "movement" that has featured hundreds of arrests, rapes, shootings, property destruction and general law breaking, well, maybe it is fitting, indeed.

Of course, Tea Partiers don’t need a special song. They have the National Anthem!

add a comment