Body of War: Songs That Inspired an Iraq War Veteran

Last updated
Body of War: Songs That Inspired an Iraq War Veteran
Body of War Songs that Inspired an Iraq War Veteran.jpg
Soundtrack album by
Various
ReleasedMarch 14, 2008
Genre Rock
Label Sire

Body of War: Songs That Inspired an Iraq War Veteran is an album produced for the documentary film Body of War , directed by Ellen Spiro and Phil Donahue. Curated by Iraq war veteran Tomas Young, it was released by Sire Records on March 18, 2008, two days before the fifth anniversary of the United States' invasion of Iraq. Body of War was produced by Michele Anthony, Eddie Vedder, Ellen Spiro, Nicole Vanderberg, Michael Goldstone, Holly Adams and Kelly Curtis.

Young personally selected each of the tracks that appear on the album, including Eddie Vedder's previously unreleased, live version of "No More", which was written specifically for the Body of War documentary. It was performed with Ben Harper at Lollapalooza 2007 in Chicago's Grant Park. The double-CD set also features incisive songs from John Lennon, Bruce Springsteen, Bright Eyes, Neil Young, Lupe Fiasco, Serj Tankian and Kimya Dawson.

This music, Young says, serves as his personal "soundtrack for Iraq". "The compilation record was an idea that grew out of my love of music and my reliance on it before, during, and after the war", he says. "The songs I selected for the record were tracks that inspired, motivated, and at times, literally saved me over the past few years".

All proceeds from Body of War, which features original cover art designed and donated by acclaimed political artist Shepard Fairey, go to benefit the non-profit organization Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW), as chosen by Young. Founded in 2004 by Iraq war veterans, IVAW's goal is to give voice to the large number of active-duty service people and veterans who are against the war, but are under various pressures to remain silent. In September, Sire Records donated $100,000 to IVAW in the name of Young, who is a spokesperson for the organization.

Track listing

Disc one

  1. "Hero's Song" - Brendan James
  2. "American Terrorist" - Lupe Fiasco
  3. "Light Up Ya Lighter" - Michael Franti & Spearhead
  4. "Guerrilla Radio" - Rage Against the Machine
  5. "Son of a Bush" - Public Enemy
  6. "Empty Walls" - Serj Tankian
  7. "Let Them Eat War" - Bad Religion
  8. "White People For Peace" - Against Me!
  9. "Letter From Iraq" - Bouncing Souls
  10. "War" - Dilated Peoples
  11. "Overcome (The Recapitulation)" - RX Bandits
  12. "Fields of Agony" - No Use for a Name
  13. "Bushonomics" - Talib Kweli & Cornel West
  14. "The 4th Branch" - Immortal Technique
  15. "B.Y.O.B." - System of a Down
  16. "No More" (Live) - Eddie Vedder & Ben Harper

Disc two

  1. "Devils & Dust" - Bruce Springsteen
  2. "Masters of War" (Live) - Pearl Jam
  3. "When the President Talks to God" - Bright Eyes
  4. "Gimme Some Truth" - John Lennon
  5. "The Restless Consumer" - Neil Young
  6. "Battle Hymns" - The Nightwatchman
  7. "Anthrax" - Kimya Dawson
  8. "WMD" - Blow Up Hollywood
  9. "State of the Union" - David Ford
  10. "Yo George" - Tori Amos
  11. "Love Vigilantes" - Laura Cantrell
  12. "Black Rain - Ben Harper
  13. "To Kill the Child" - Roger Waters
  14. "Day After Tomorrow" - Tom Waits

Related Research Articles

System of a Down Armenian-American metal band

System of a Down is an Armenian-American heavy metal band formed in Glendale, California, in 1994. It currently consists of members Serj Tankian, Daron Malakian, Shavo Odadjian, and John Dolmayan (drums), who replaced original drummer Andy Khachaturian in 1997.

Serj Tankian Armenian-American musician, producer, and activist

Serj Tankian is an Armenian-American singer, musician, songwriter, record producer, and political activist. He is best known as the lead vocalist, primary lyricist, keyboardist, and occasional rhythm guitarist of heavy metal band System of a Down, which was formed in 1994.

Eddie Vedder American singer, musician and songwriter

Eddie Jerome Vedder is an American singer, musician and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist and one of four guitarists of the rock band Pearl Jam. He also appeared as a guest vocalist in Temple of the Dog, the one-off tribute band dedicated to the late singer Andrew Wood.

Daron Malakian Armenian-American guitarist

Daron Vartan Malakian is an Armenian-American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known as the guitarist, songwriter and second vocalist of metal band System of a Down, and as the lead vocalist, lead guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter of Scars on Broadway. Malakian is known for his distinctive playing and is ranked 47th in Loudwire's list of "Top 50 Hard Rock + Metal Guitarists of All Time" and number 11 in MusicRadar's poll "The 20 Greatest Metal Guitarists Ever". He is placed 30th in Guitar World's list of "The 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists of All Time".

Phil Donahue American talk show host, film producer and writer

Phillip John Donahue is an American media personality, writer, film producer and the creator and host of The Phil Donahue Show. The television program, later known simply as Donahue, was the first talk show format that included audience participation. The show had a 29-year run on national television in America that began in Dayton, Ohio in 1967 and ended in New York City in 1996. His shows have often focused on issues that divide liberals and conservatives in the United States, such as abortion, consumer protection, civil rights and war issues. His most frequent guest was Ralph Nader, for whom Donahue campaigned in 2000. Donahue also briefly hosted a talk show on MSNBC from July 2002 to March 2003. Donahue is one of the most influential talk show hosts and has been called the "king of daytime talk". Oprah Winfrey has stated, "If it weren't for Phil Donahue, there would never have been an Oprah Show." In 1996, Donahue was ranked #42 on TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Stars of All Time.

Axis of Justice

Axis of Justice is a non-profit organization co-founded by Serj Tankian and Tom Morello. Its purpose is to bring together musicians, fans of music, and grassroots progressivism to fight for social justice together.

Kimya Dawson American folk singer-songwriter

Kimya Dawson is an American folk singer-songwriter, best known as one half of the anti-folk duo the Moldy Peaches. Dawson's work with the Moldy Peaches earned them a cult following and critical acclaim, with their 2001 song "Anyone Else But You" landing a spot in multiple acclaimed indie film soundtracks. "Anyone Else But You" as performed by Michael Cera and Elliot Page charted on the Billboard Hot 100 after its prominent inclusion in the 2007 film Juno, the soundtrack of which includes several songs by Dawson and their associated musical acts. The song remains Dawson's highest charting single to date. In addition to their work with the Moldy Peaches, Dawson has released seven solo studio albums and collaborated with various other artists from a diverse range of genres, including Aesop Rock, They Might Be Giants, The Mountain Goats, and Third Eye Blind.

Introduction, The Introduction, Intro, or The Intro may refer to:

Bridge School Benefit Charity concerts in California

The Bridge School Benefit was an annual charity concert usually held in Mountain View, California, every October at the Shoreline Amphitheatre from 1986 until 2016 with the exceptions of 1987 and 1988. The concerts lasted the entire weekend and were organized by musicians Neil Young and Pegi Young. An annual Bay Area highlight, the concerts were billed online as the primary means of funding for The Bridge School; over both days, the reserved seats alone brought in well over a million dollars every year.

Guerrilla Radio 1999 single by Rage Against the Machine

"Guerrilla Radio" is a song by American rock band Rage Against the Machine and the lead single from their 1999 album The Battle of Los Angeles. It became the band's only Billboard Hot 100 song, charting at #69. The band won the Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance for this song. The song was featured in mountain biking film, “Strength in Numbers”. “Guerrilla Radio" was also featured on the soundtracks for video games such as Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2, Madden NFL 10 and Guitar Hero Live, as well as being a downloadable track for the Rock Band series.

The Nightwatchman Solo group of Tom Morello

The Nightwatchman is the solo project of American musician Tom Morello. Morello began performing as the Nightwatchman in 2003 as an outlet for his political views while he was playing apolitical music with Audioslave.

Lupe Fiasco American rapper and singer from Illinois

Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, better known by his stage name Lupe Fiasco, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and entrepreneur. He rose to fame in 2006 following the success of his debut album, Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor. He also performs as the frontman of rock band Japanese Cartoon under his real name. As an entrepreneur, Fiasco was the chief executive officer of 1st and 15th Entertainment.

"Red Mosquito" is a song by the American rock band Pearl Jam. Featuring lyrics written by vocalist Eddie Vedder and music co-written by bassist Jeff Ament, guitarists Stone Gossard and Mike McCready, and drummer Jack Irons, "Red Mosquito" is the eighth track on the band's fourth studio album, No Code (1996). Despite the lack of a commercial single release, the song managed to reach number 37 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.

Ellen Spiro

Ellen Spiro is an American documentary filmmaker. She was a producer and director of a television documentary Are the kids alright? [sic], which won an Emmy Award in 2005.

<i>Body of War</i> 2007 American film

Body of War is a 2007 documentary film about Iraq War veteran Tomas Young. Bill Moyers Journal featured a one-hour special about Body of War including interviews with filmmakers Ellen Spiro and Phil Donahue.

Empty Walls 2007 single by Serj Tankian

"Empty Walls" is a song by Armenian American musician Serj Tankian. It is Tankian's debut solo single and the opening track off of his first solo album, Elect the Dead. The song has been described as a "traditionally pummeling rocker".

<i>Live at Lollapalooza 2007</i> 2007 live album by Pearl Jam

Live at Lollapalooza 2007 is a live album by the American alternative rock band Pearl Jam that was released as an iTunes exclusive on September 18, 2007.

Tomas Young United States Army soldier

Tomas Young was an American military veteran of the Iraq War. In 2004, he was wounded and paralyzed by a bullet to the spine five days after he reached Iraq. One of the first veterans to come out publicly against the war, Young actively protested against the war after he returned to the United States. When his physical condition worsened in 2013 due to various medical complications, Young chose to go into hospice care. He later reversed that decision and accepted medical treatment until he died in 2014.

<i>The People Speak</i> (film) 2009 American film

The People Speak is a 2009 American documentary feature film that uses dramatic and musical performances of the letters, diaries, and speeches of everyday Americans. The film gives voice to those who, by insisting on equality and justice, spoke up for social change throughout U.S. history and also illustrates the relevance of this to today's society.

Blow Up Hollywood

Blow Up Hollywood is an underground American rock band. Their eclectic sound, built over a decade of recording, incorporates many different styles, diverse as progressive rock, post-rock, experimental, pop, classical, jazz and ambient soundscapes. Founded by Steve Messina and Nik Chinboukas in 2001, the group has evolved into more of a collective than a band, as some of their members have changed over the years.