Bon Jovi Picks Trump On George Floyd's Death In American Reckoning

Jon Bon Jovi (@bonjovi)

JAKARTA - Bon Jovi is releasing a new single titled American Reckoning via Island Records. This song will be added to their latest album, Bon Jovi 2020, which takes a critical look at this shocking and historic year.

American Reckoning is readily available on all digital platforms, with all net proceeds from the download of this song going to lawyer Bryan Stevenson's Equal Justice Initiative until December 31, 2020.

"I was moved to write American Reckoning as a witness to history," said Jon Bon Jovi. "I believe the greatest gift of an artist is the ability to use their voice to speak to the problems that move us."

"America's on fire / There's protests in the streets / Her conscience has been looted / And her soul is under siege / Another mother's crying as history repeats / I can't breathe," Jon Bon Jovi sings in the track, before offering a description of George Floyd's death: "God damn those eight long minutes / Laying face down in cuff on the ground / Bystanders pleaded for mercy / As one cop shoved a kid in the crowd / When did a judge and jury / Become a badge and a knee on these streets? "

That is the quote from the lyrics of American Reckoning. In Indonesian, it means:

"America is on fire / There are protests in the streets / Her conscience is plundered / And her soul is besieged / Another mother is crying because history repeats itself / I can't breathe," Jon Bon Jovi sang on the track, before offering George Floyd's death description: "Damn eight minutes the long one / Lying face down on the ground / Bystanders begging for mercy / When a policeman pushes a child in a crowd / When do judges and jurors / Become badges and knees on these streets? "

Bon Jovi: 2020 was originally set for a May 15 release, but was delayed until fall. Jon Bon Jovi told Zane Lowe of Apple Music's Beats 1 that they felt it was not right to release an album amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The tour to support the album which was originally scheduled for June has also undergone changes.

Bon Jovi 2020 makes a sour reference to the (presidential) election year through its title. The album cover art even features the American flag in reflections of pensive Jon Bon Jovi sunglasses.

Jon had previously said about the title of the album: "The meaning behind (the album title) is clear. It's an election year, and I couldn't have done anything worse. And I also had a clear vision. 'This House Is Not For Sale' a lot of personal problems, and now behind us.

"So, '2020' - of course, this is an election year, but more importantly, is that I have a clear vision for the future."

Watch the video of American Reckoning lyrics below: