Hayley Williams on Fallon

If you missed Hayley’s performance on Jimmy Fallon, be sure to watch it.

I just did and I’m so thankful anytime an established musical artist (or any artist) is willing to take a stand for who they are, what they believe, like Hayley did in her performance of “True Believer.”  But it was also so well done and class, that I took my break between orchestra rehearsal and performance tonight, to pound out a few inspired words.

Having gotten my start in the 90’s, I feel I was part of the “Shut Up and Sing” era and I’m not proud of that. We were feeble enough to be scared away taking a musical, personal or political stand for fear we’d run off half our audience. That was underestimating audiences to assume we’re all so fragile that we can’t hear another viewpoint. I had the honor of being on stage with Dixie Chicks just after they took on Bush. We looked out at a 3/4 empty stadium, and they played their asses off just the same. They were willing to lose audience to keep their dignity, and in the process they probably immortalized their band.

That’s the cloth we all need to be cut from. No matter what side of things we believe.  Take a stand.  Like Hayley in “True Believer”:

“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”

Or this:

“The South will not rise again

Til it’s paid for every sin

Strange fruit, hard bargain

Till the roots, Southern Gotham”

I’m from the South too and what she’s saying is the truth. The South we need to rise is the South that brought us Maya Angelou, Johnny Cash, William Faulkner, Muhammad Ali.  Not a re-do of the confederate insurrection. There’s such humanity and greatness in the South. But until we admit where we went wrong, we’re going to continue to suffer.

This lyric is also striking:

“I’m the one who still loves your ghost

I reanimate your bones”

Hayley comes from the place and the people to whom she’s singing, folks that she probably went to Sunday school with. I lived in her neighborhood for a moment in the early 2000’s in Franklin TN.  I first met Hayley in a damn Starbucks and she was a young teenager.  Franklin’s a beautiful little spot.  It’s not exactly the mean streets. It’s got a Back-To-The-Future style town square. Nice little shops. Children, elderly, kids hip and square.  Churches everywhere.  Folks hold the door for you and say ‘have a nice day.’

But beneath it all, from the shadows, Franklin TN managed to produce a recent mayoral candidate who was shown to be an unapologetic white supremacist with real ties to Proud Boys (who were her security detail.)  The candidate was defeated by the good people of Franklin, once exposed by local press. This ugliness that lurks isn’t unique to the South and doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Franklin is microcosm of our country, no better, no worse than any of us, and Hayley is standing up for good.  That’s braver than chucking criticism from the other side of the country. Artists don’t often use their art to take a stand these days.  Especially ones who have a lot to lose from it, who have Hayley’s success.  She could easily just cruise through from now to forever, being good and vague.

I never could understand why it’s always assumed that musical artists are part of some elite, out of touch with the world.  Or that we’re all on drugs (at least any more than the rest of the world), or unable to be a real grown up. Hayley has been touring in a rock band all of her adult life. That means she’s visited every corner of this country every day, for years now. She feels it from the ground. She sees the change and the humanity firsthand. Not on TV.

All us rockers started touring in vans which we drove and fixed ourselves, sleeping on floors, paying the bills.  And I can tell you, when the van runs out of gas, the tour stops. So we have to know how to balance a checkbook. I’ve never met a musician who inherited millions like the fellow in the White House who is currently trying to silence all dissent.  We musicians are small business owners by design, with crews whose families depend on the work.  We deal with people as well as corporations, living in a front row to what happens in the real world vs what is reported in the press. And most importantly, musicians like Hayley are citizens, with the right to expression and opinions.  It’s a shame that exercising them can be so controversial in and of itself.

Anyway, her song was not heavy handed - just honest.

Something that’s striking from the start of “True Believer” is Hayley radically singing in her lower register. It ain’t indie baby voice and it’s not rock chick affectation.  It’s assertively at the bottom of her speaking range.  She’s not hiding.  She’s serious. This is a human being speaking her mind without blinking - taking ownership for what she’s saying.

In terms of musicality, in a world where we all assume it must be all dumbed down, especially when it’s taking up valuable ad time(!) Hayley brought the eloquence of a proper string section (arranged by Doug Peck), but she didn’t use them as props.  They occupied their own space (there were blocked upstage of her.). They had a voice, and a turn to be featured.  They weren’t buried or used like a synthesizer.  In 2025 when each symphony orchestra still might only have a small handful of black musicians (until the 80s it was ALL men, no women), this stunning section of black and brown players was as good as you’ll ever hear.

Now more than ever we need artists who tell us who they are. It doesn’t have to be political.  We just need honesty.  Not musical artists who just sound amazing, but those with actual soul, personality, opinions, admissions, vulnerabilities, out front to share. In that way we can all exchange notes, and ideas.

Right now freedom of expression is under attack and the way to keep it, is to use it.  To have the balls to (shut up and) listen to something you might not completely agree with.  If we do THAT, and we’re going to be okay.  If we shrink back into “Shut up and Sing!’ Then God help us.

Ben