In a recent video, The Killers performed their song ‘Land of the Free’, with altered lyrics in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. The band shared the performance to social media over the weekend, which features a new lyric, referencing the death of George Floyd.
“How many killings must one-man watch in his home,” the new lyric began, “Eight measured minutes and 46 seconds, another boy in the bag/Another stain on the flag.”
The “eight measured minutes and 46 seconds” mentioned is a reference to the length of time Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, forced his knee onto Floyd’s neck before he died.
Robert Loud, a touring member of The Killers, praised the new lyrics in an Instagram post.
“When Brandon [Flowers, lead singer] texted me these new lyrics I cried and felt the heart he put into them,” Loud revealed.
“It was an honor 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.”
The Killers released ‘Land of The Free’ in 2019 as a non-album single. Their next record, Imploding the Mirage, is due out later this year.
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The Killers are the latest musical act to voice their support for the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests, which began as a response to the death of George Floyd in May. Dr. Dre, Halsey, Jay-Z, Billie Eilish and Beyoncé are among the many artists to speak up following Floyd’s death.
Earlier in the week, Australian actor Meyne Wyatt performed a monologue addressing racism and white privilege in Australia on current affairs program, Q&A.
Check out ‘Land of the Free’ by The Killers, performed with new lyrics:
