John Mellencamp capped off a haunting rendition of his politically charged anthem “Easy Target” with a powerful statement on Thursday’s episode of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
The musician dropped down to one knee and raised a fist into the air as his performance drew to a close.
The track itself, which Mellencamp released on the eve of President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January 2017, addresses racial inequality and references the Black Lives Matter movement.
The lyrics include:
So Black Lives Matter, who we tryin’ to kid. Here’s an easy target. Don’t matter, never did.
Crosses burning such a long time ago, 400 years and we still don’t let it go.
Video of Mellencamp’s “Late Show” protest is now going viral, poignantly coming as it did ahead of this Sunday’s Super Bowl between the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots.
NFL players have invoked the wrath of Trump and the president’s supporters in recent months for following the lead of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick in taking a knee during the national anthem before games to protest police brutality and racial injustice.
Check it out in the clip above, and see the song’s official music video below:
