Anti-Flag have premiered the lyric video for the song "Sky Is Falling”. The song lives on the band's upcoming Spinefarm debut, American Spring, out May 26th. The song and the clip address an extremely topical issue­—drone strikes.

In the wake of recent events, where an American and an Italian citizen were killed by drone strikes, the song arrives at a critical time in the current government administration. While the media has spent a significant amount of time covering the jokes that were made at the White House Correspondents' Dinner over the weekend, many Americans remain appalled by what happened in the Middle East, which is why "Sky Is Falling" is such an important song and an even more crucial political statement.

Here's what the band had to say to Substream about the song and the drone strikes:

"We release this song and video days after President Obama apologized for a drone strike that inadvertently killed an American and an Italian being held captive by al Qaeda in Pakistan. President Obama did the right thing by apologizing to the victims and their families.  But otherwise, his apologies fall short of the target.

"We call on President Obama to extend his apologies to victims of U.S. drone strikes who do not hold U.S. and European passports. Furthermore, we demand an end to the U.S. drone program.

"There are countless innocent victims, families and communities whose lives have been devastated by illegal, out of control, and unaccountable U.S. drone strikes. This onslaught of aggression is sold to the American people as a surgical strike program that combats terrorism and makes the U.S. safer, when its net total result is neither.

"During the Vietnam War, U.S. soldiers were under orders to win over the hearts and minds of the Vietnamese people while simultaneously ordered to burn down their villages. For obvious reasons, this policy was a failure. U.S. drone policy is no different, turning innocent people who would otherwise not be in opposition to America against the U.S.

"This policy is immoral, unethical and unproductive. Amnesty International has questioned the legality of the U.S. drone program in relation to international law.

"This song focuses on the fact that dropping bombs on people's heads is terror, regardless of who is dropping those bombs. Be it a high tech U.S. drone firing munitions without warning or a suicide bomber detonating an explosive vest without warning, instruments of terror are those that keep a civilian population on edge due to the constant threat of attack."

Read what Amnesty International is saying about drones and get involved.

Also, the band commented on the current situation in Baltimore, saying, "Drone strikes are an example of the powerful victimizing the powerless. In light of the uprising in Baltimore, we stand on the side of the people. From Pakistan to Baltimore, Anti-Flag stand in solidarity with those being victimized by the powerful."

 

 

Anti-Flag’s Pat Thetic guests on Episode #266 of the Iron City Rocks Podcast, as well as Paul Martin from New Zealand based band Devilskin. Listen to the show at this location.