It’s been a while since we had any new Tom Waits music, but he’s back with a new version of a very old song that is depressingly relevant for the world we’re in today. As reported by Pitchfork, the track is “Bella Ciao,” a collaboration with guitarist Marc Ribot for his upcoming album Songs Of Resistance 1948-2018. If you don’t recognize the name, “Bella Ciao” was an Italian folk ballad that was revised and re-written during World War II for the Italian anti-fascist resistance fighters, and it has since become an anthem of sorts for anyone looking to stick it to fascists.
The song also comes with a video (directed by Jem Cohen) that makes its parallels with modern life very explicit, pairing Waits’ vocals with footage of police and soldiers guarding barricades at anti-Trump protests. It may sound heavy-handed, but fuck it, nobody said fighting fascists had to be subtle.