Hayley Williams performs protest anthem on Fallon Tonight Show

[hELXIG 43,428]

Earlier tonight Hayley Williams, frontwoman of the popular band Paramore, performed her song True Believer from her recently released solo album, Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party. And let me say choosing to sing that song in particular, instead of her much more public-pleasing, radio-friendly lead single Parachute, was a bold choice. Big props to her and also The Tonight Show for airing this song live

The song is a protest song about black rights, racism, people's rights, and the decline of the USA South. The song references Billie Holiday's song Strange Fruit (also famously performed by Nine Simone), a very powerful anthem from 1959 protesting the mistreatment and specifically public lynching of black people in the south (from which the lyrics "strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees" is a metaphor for the bodies of black people hanging from the streets, an unfortunately common sight back then)

Hayley performed the song at a piano, with an all black person orchestra, specifically positioned at the FRONT of stage in front of her. And they chose to end the song with a haunting string-rendition of Strange Fruit 

I'm reminded of why I love Hayley so much. And also that while her band isn't necessarily punk rock anymore, and her new solo music has a softer sound, she is still keeping the spirit of punk alive. What an honour to be around at the same time as Ms Williams!

And of course her performance is absolutely perfect. Emotionally captivating

 

 

Also side note, her new album Ego Death At A Bachelorette Party is REALLY good and I highly recommend giving it a listen. It's a long tracklist, but if you want to check it out my current favourite five from the project are: Ice In My OJ, Glum, Parachute, Kill Me, Blood Bros

[hELXIG 43,428]

Lyrics:

Tourists stumble down Broadway
Cumberland keeps claiming bodies
All our best memories
Were bought and then turned into apartments
The club with all the hardcore shows
Now just a greyscale Dominos
The churches overflow each Sunday greedy Sunday morning

Gift shop in the lobby
Act like God ain't watching
Kill the soul, turn a profit
What lives on? Southern Gotham

I'm the one who still loves your ghost
I reanimate your bones
With my belief
And I'm the one who still loves your ghost
I reanimate your bones
Cause I'm a true believer

They put up chainlink fences underneath the biggest bridges
They pose in Christmas cards with guns as big as all their children
They say that Jesus is the way but then they gave him a white face
So they don't have to pray to someone they deem lesser than them

The South will not rise again
Til it's paid for every sin
Strange fruit, hard bargain
Till the roots, Southern Gotham

I'm the one who still loves your ghost
I reanimate your bones
With my belief
And I'm the one who still loves your ghost
I reanimate your bones
Cause I'm a true believer

I'm the one who still loves your ghost
I reanimate your bones
With my belief
And I'm the one who still loves your ghost
I reanimate your bones
Cause I'm a true believer

[Addison Rae 17,053]

she’s one of the few artists actually using their platform for the greater good, love her. 

[hELXIG 43,428]

1 minute ago, Addison Rae said:

she’s one of the few artists actually using their platform for the greater good, love her. 

She's always been on the right side of history! I've loved Paramore since 2006 and since she's become more of her unfiltered self the past few years and after her solo projects and interviews I've just come to love her more and more   I'm so glad I chose her and Gaga to stan because they've both turned out to be such great role models

[alsemanche 94,079]

1 hour ago, hELXIG said:

They say that Jesus is the way but then they gave him a white face
So they don't have to pray to someone they deem lesser than them

The first time i heard this part i literally cheered in my living room 

[Bronco 12,789]

The music may no longer always be punk rock or punk pop.

But there's nothing more punk than a performance like this

[Rotbrat 111]

#KindnessPunk