Daily Dose of Protest: Emma Says – Bill See

Bill See is the lead singer of veteran indie rock band Divine Weeks. The band started in the late ’80s and were starting to garner some attention for their energetic live shows. They also received rotation on MTV’s 120 Minutes for their video for “In The Country (For Jim Carroll)”. Even though it appeared that the band were poised for a big breakthrough, the big break never materialized. The band initially broke up in 1992. See chronicled the ups and down of being in a touring rock band in his 2011 memoir 33 Days. The band has since reunited and in 2016 released the long-awaited album, See Those Landing Lights. They are working on material for a new album slated for release in the fall of 2018.

“Emma Says” is a new solo single from Bill See. It is a tribute to Emma González, one of the survivors of the February 14th, 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, who has now become an influential gun control activist. On February 17th González gave the “We Call B.S.” speech which now has become a popular rallying cry at protest rallies. One of the key lyrics of the tune is “Emma says, time’s up, this is the new age”. Emma, along with the other youth activists give hope that a new age of lasting change is possible.