Like the United States is worst COVID-19 numbers to date and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson cancels everyone’s Christmas trips in light of a ‘new variant’ of the coronavirus that is more contagious, Eric Clapton and Van Morrison have decided that the timing is right to release a song that rages against the stay-at-home orders put in place by leaders to slow the spread of the disease and save lives. “Do you want to be a free man?” Clapton sings. “Or do you want to be a slave?”
Worse, Morrison and Clapton seem to be buying conspiracy theories that the governments of the world are somehow participating in an organized plot to exaggerate the severity of the pandemic in order to wield their power: “Stand and deliver / You let them the fear of you / Get up and deliver / But not a word you heard was true. ”(We are not above good conspiracy theory, we just don’t trust politicians enough to do something like that effectively.)
This is actually the fourth anti-lockdown that Morrison has released in recent months. In early September, the artist released ‘Born to Be Free’, ‘As I Walked Out’ and ‘No More Lockdown’ – with all proceeds going to Morrison’s Lockdown Financial Hardship Fund, which helps musicians who get in trouble due to the coronavirus and resulting lockdown measures. “Many of us support Van and his efforts to save live music; he is an inspiration, ” Rolling stone Clapton reports about the collaboration. “We have to get up and be counted, because we have to find a way out of this mess. The alternative is not worth thinking about. Live music may never recover. “
It’s a noble thing, but Man do they make it difficult to sustain the effort?
G / O Media can receive a commission