The Movement

Album: The Movement (2012)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Spirituality and politics are common themes for the Pittsburgh band Rusted Root, who released their first album in 1992. Their lead singer Michael Glabicki spent his high school years raising awareness for causes like nuclear disarmament, sometimes infiltrating other schools to spread the word and rally support. After high school, he went on a humanitarian trip to Nicaragua, where he made a connection with the earth energy and became more politically aware. After returning from that trip, he formed Rusted Root and put a lot of these thoughts into his music.

    By 2012, the influence of big corporations was a big news item and something the Occupy Wall Street movement focused on. This song is Glabicki's own take on this movement. He told us: "Since high school and since being in Nicaragua and doing all the political work I've done, I've had that major question in my mind as far as where we're going as a civilization, toward corporations and big business running the world. You saw it in the Third World and you see it in the United States now where it's not good.

    So the song is overall driven by that with some spiritual predictions that I feel about where we're going mixed in there. I guess the best way I could describe it is, some spiritualists believe that the time to meditate is over, and it's only because there are so many people on the earth now and there are all these waves - radio waves and cell phone waves. And back 100 years ago there were people that could go to the hills and meditate and really connect and it would be very easy. But there are only a handful of people on the earth now that can actually do that, because of the bombardment of energy. There are just more people on the earth than ever before. And like I said, all the waves and stuff.

    And so the thing that is really prescribed for people now is devoting all your actions to what is productive and what is love or what you think God is or the universe or whatever you want to call it. I think that's going to turn people away from eventually being part of big money rule, so I told a little story in that song about that."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")

Director Mark Pellington ("Jeremy," "Best Of You")Song Writing

Director Mark Pellington on Pearl Jam's "Jeremy," and music videos he made for U2, Jon Bon Jovi and Imagine Dragons.

Harold Brown of War

Harold Brown of WarSongwriter Interviews

A founding member of the band War, Harold gives a first-person account of one of the most important periods in music history.

David Bowie Lyrics Quiz

David Bowie Lyrics QuizMusic Quiz

How well do you know your David Bowie lyrics? Take this quiz to find out.

Actors With Hit Songs

Actors With Hit SongsMusic Quiz

Many actors have attempted music, but only a few have managed a hit. Do you know which of these thespians charted?

Lajon Witherspoon of Sevendust

Lajon Witherspoon of SevendustSongwriter Interviews

The Sevendust frontman talks about the group's songwriting process, and how trips to the Murder Bar helped forge their latest album.

Reverend Horton Heat

Reverend Horton HeatSongwriter Interviews

The Reverend rants on psychobilly and the egghead academics he bashes in one of his more popular songs.