R.E.M. has made it quite well known that they dislike Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump. When Trump used “It’s The End of the World as We Know It” during a campaign rally last year, Lead Vocalist and songwriter Micheal Stipe released a statement on Twitter saying, “Go f—- yourselves, the lot of you—you sad, attention-grabbing, power-hungry little men. Do not use our music or my voice for you moronic charade of a campaign.” As if that weren’t enough, bassist Mike Mills said, “Personally, I think the Orange Clown will do anything for attention. I hate giving it to him.”
So needless to say, R.E.M fits right in with the rest of the artists participating in “30 Days, 30 Songs,” the anti-Trump protest song project.
Unfortunately, since the band parted ways back in 2011, they aren’t contributing a new song to the project. Instead, we get a previously unreleased version of the song “World Leader Pretend,” taken off of their album “Green”. In their statement with the song, the band simply said, “A perfect song for these strange times.”
To combat apathy, entertain the citizenry, and provide a soundtrack to resistance, over the next four years, the producers of 30 Days, 30 Songs will assemble a playlist of 1,000 songs. One song every day to get us through what promises to be a tumultuous and frequently dispiriting and certainly bizarre presidency. The playlist will feature original tracks, unreleased live versions, remixes, covers, and previously released but relevant songs that will inspire and amuse and channel the outrage of a nation.
Despite the results of the election, we still believe it’s possible to build a more inclusive, equal, and just America. The world will not end on January 20th. It will continue to move forward, and it is up to us to chart its course. In the coming weeks, we plan to raise money for this endeavor through a crowdfunding campaign.
The Fat Angel Sings 