Protest 100: Machine Head – ‘Stop The Bleeding’

Artist:          Machine Head

Song:           Stop The Bleeding

Album:        Civil Unrest

Producer:    Robb Flynn

Label:          Nuclear Blast

Year:           2020

Notes:
Written just days after the murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, ‘Stop The Bleeding’ channels the venom of Machine Head leader Robb Flynn’s lyrics through a call-and-response delivery teaming him with Killswitch Engage frontman Jesse Leach. Says Flynn: “I wrote and sang the lyrics on Wednesday, May 27^th, 2020, the day that the four officers who murdered George Floyd were (originally) not charged with anything. This day was engulfed in protests and riots across America. I drove into Oakland past large demonstrations already happening and in a fury wrote down everything I was feeling after watching the horrific footage. Within hours, what I wanted to say, what I needed to say had been recorded in the song.”

Excerpt from ‘Unreality’  —
“Like you said, there sure ain’t a fuckin’ thing to stop them out here.”

Lyrics:
The endless scroll of human tragedy
I swipe along as the days go by
Another brother murdered out in the streets
I connect to the shame, we don’t know what it’s like

Born lucky cause the color of skin
America your heart is caving in
Somehow I thought this was the land of the free
Where is our humanity?
Our humanity

Beating after beating
Throat choked under knee
Help me please
Because I can’t breathe
Just stop the bleeding

Body after body
Piles up in the streets
Stand and fight
Not another life
Just stop the bleeding

And some will claim it’s a conspiracy
The fake news out to undermine
When riots fight off white supremacy
Never given a choice, so they’re drawing a line

I stare and look out at the world in disgust
These men are dying over nothing just
Good men stand up and show your bravery
For a lost democracy
Our democracy

Beating after beating
Throat choked under knee
Help me please
Because I can’t breathe
Just stop the bleeding

Body after body
Piles up in the streets
Stand and fight

Not another life
Just stop the bleeding

Our strife
Our struggle
Fight through these open wounds

Beating after beating
Throat choked under knee
Help me please
Because I can’t breathe
Just stop the bleeding

Body after body
Piled up in the streets
Stand and fight
Not another life
Just stop the bleeding now

Our strife
Our struggle
Fight through these open wounds

—

‘Protest 100’s mission is two-fold: dispelling the myth that heavy metal is a brainless, socially unaware music genre, and raising awareness of the issues facing our country in the Nov. 3, 2020 election. The path won’t be exclusively metal—some punk and rap and other stuff will be in here too, including the classics—and is not a ranking. All songs are songs I’ve heard while putting this list together, ordered in a manner designed to entertain and educate.