Heavy metal icon Dee Snider has partnered with World United Live to launch a support campaign. The new music video entitled “Stand (for Ukraine)” aims to aid the organisation in its mission to help the people of Ukraine. The awareness music video sees Snider re-work the previously released song “Stand”, a track originally featured on the singer’s most recent album Leave A Scar. The re-imagined music video features visual content consisting of news reports, live performances and sourced emotional footage showing the damage and struggles currently occurring within Ukraine.
Since the “Stand” video was originally released, the war in Ukraine broke out. The lyrics, which had nothing to do with war, seemed to speak directly to the invasion, so we recut it. PLEASE WATCH!https://t.co/6WGc4SnnKW #We’ReNotGonnaTakeIt #TheTruth #TheMessage #WorldUnitedLive
— Dee Snider (@deesnider) March 24, 2022
The Twisted Sister frontman first initiated his involvement when he became aware of a musical connection; his megahit “We’re Not Gonna Take It” is now heralded as an anthem after being used by the people of Ukraine as a source of comfort and resilience. With lyrical themes of freedom and strength, the classic track has been adopted as a call to arms for those affected by the tragic struggle. Snider swiftly connected with World United Live and placed himself at the forefront of the urgent campaign.
Snider provides the full story in his own words, “About a month ago, someone on social media told me people in Ukraine were using Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It” as a battle cry and asked if I was cool with it. Of course, I was. My response elicited someone asking me why I was okay with Ukrainians using my song and not some other groups. I won’t repeat my exact response (it was a bit political), but that tweet went internationally viral. Every news agency in the world suddenly wanted to talk to me.”
The 67-year-old artist continues “At that very moment, some great people (who were all friends of mine) were hatching the idea for World United Live and asked me if I would spearhead the organization. How could I say no? Since then, we have been beating the drum for the free world to come together, not only in support of Ukraine and condemnation of Putin, but in sending a message to the Russian people that they are misinformed and not being told the truth. Now, with the help of the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger and many others, we are doing just that!”
The singer-songwriter proceeds to describe the origins and steps taken to release the video. “About a week ago, it hit me that the song “Stand” from my last Napalm Records album, Leave a Scar, fit the crisis in Ukraine perfectly… but I had already released a video for “Stand” recently. Yet I just couldn’t get around how well the lyrics resonated with Putin’s attack on these innocent people. Ukraine was the furthest thing from my mind when I wrote the words for that song, yet it was like I had done just that. So, I had a couple of incredibly talented people (Scott Pitek and Steve Sage Goldberg) cut together a new video using some live concert footage and news clips. The result is devastating. Please watch and share “Stand (With Ukraine)” and join us at www.worldunited.live. Help save the world. Together we can.”
World Unite Live is an organisation that consists of supporters from various professions and backgrounds, and all involved share the sole goal of raising awareness and aid for the people in Ukraine. The platform coordinates its supporters and utilises their influence to generate and rally support for the current Russian-Ukraine conflict.
The organisation is currently organising a worldwide concert, a statement on the website provides an emotive description for the event, “A worldwide concert event to raise money and provide support for the brave people of Ukraine. In addition, a campaign to use the voices of artists to speak on our behalf to the people of Russia. There is no later, time is of the essence. If we do not stand up now and if Ukraine falls it is too late and evil entrenches itself. We must act together today to send this message. The alternative is World War and mass suffering. Your involvement in this event can truly change the course of the world. Are you with us? Do you stand with freedom loving people everywhere? We beseech you to be our voice, to carry our message to peoples in Ukraine and in Russia upon whom this struggle will fall. We want people in villages, cities, squares, parks, and arenas around the world to be out in the streets. This is the only way change will come, when we can all unite and tell despots and dictators that “We’re NOT Gonnna Take It!”.”
The video and track have been released exclusively via the World Unite Live website, click here to watch “Stand (for Ukraine)” and learn more about the organisation.
