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Billy Strings Takes A Shot At ICE With Lyric Change During Nashville Show
Updating one of his songs for the current political climate.
Billy Strings was in Nashville last night for the first of two sold-out shows at Bridgestone Arena, and during the show he changed the lyrics to his song “Wargasm” to call out ICE.
The anti-war anthem, released in 2021 as a duet with rapper RMR, questions the wisdom behind sending our own men and women to fight other countries for seemingly no good reason:
“I see it comin’ everywhere I look
It’s falling down like rain
Kill a man over a sentence in a book and collect a reward for his pain
It’s such a failing situation and I’m sick of looking at it anywhere I go
We let them talk us into hate and stick to war again like it’s the only thing we know
So what’s the reason for this again?
Right back where we’ve always been
these excuses are wearing thin
What’s the reason for this again?”
And one verse in particular calls out the militarization of our own society:
“Same s— different century
Here we go again
It’s no parade seeing tanks on your street
What’s the mission, when’s it gonna end”
While he hadn’t previously said anything publicly regarding the ongoing ICE operations around the country, Billy decided last night to make his voice heard by changing this verse in his song:
“Same s—, different century
Here we go again
It’s no parade seeing ICE on the street
What’s the mission, when’s it gonna end?”
Of course he’s far from the first country artist to speak out against ICE with their music. Zach Bryan came under quite a bit of fire last fall when he teased his song “Bad News,” which also took a shot at the immigration enforcement agents:
“And ICE is gonna come bust down your door
Tried to build a house no one builds no more, but I got a telephone
Kids are all scared and all alone
The Boss stopped bumping, the rock stopped rolling
My middle finger’s rising and it won’t stop showing
Got some bad news, fading of our red, white, and blue”
The song drew strong backlash from many on the right, including the Department of Homeland Security and Secretary Kristi Noem, who called out Zach for his song.
And during the ice storm in Nashville earlier this month, both Sheryl Crow and Rosanne Cash both used it as an opportunity to call out ICE, with the daughter of Johnny Cash calling for ICE agents to be prosecuted:
“Just want to point out that Department of Homeland Security is responsible for disaster relief. I haven’t seen or read about them being anywhere here. Too busy shooting private citizens and deporting five-year-olds. It’s unspeakable and it’s a sign of a country that’s falling apart.
And I know I haven’t said much lately because I haven’t known what to say. This isn’t the country I was born in or that my ancestors have been here for since the 17th century. I never thought I’d see this.”
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ICE has been a hot topic in Nashville recently after it was reported that the agency had purchased a new detention facility in Lebanon, just outside of Music City. The mayor of Lebanon confirmed this week that ICE is currently in the “due diligence” phase of scoping out a new facility, but expressed his opposition to the plan.The post Billy Strings Takes A Shot At ICE With Lyric Change During Nashville Show first appeared on Whiskey Riff.