Boots On The Ground Signals Massive Attack Protest Release

Massive Attack and Tom Waits have collaborated on a new song titled ‘Boots On The Ground’. It is Massive Attack’s first new material since their 2020 EUTOPIA EP. The track has been presented with a political, activist tone. The release has been described as arriving in an “atmosphere of chaos”.

A statement accompanying the song refers explicitly to state authoritarianism and the militarisation of police forces fusing again with neo-fascist politics across the western hemisphere. The remarks also frame the track within an American emergency, at home and overseas, and describe “pulses of callous impulse and abandoned mind.”

Tom Waits said he had sent ‘Boots On The Ground’ to Massive Attack many years earlier, and the release will include his B-side ‘The Fly’. The collaboration was described as a career honour to work with Tom Waits.

Massive Attack and Tom Waits have released the song ‘Boots On The Ground’ on a 12-inch vinyl, with the record including a B-side titled ‘The Fly’. The release is issued through PIAS. The single marks Massive Attack’s first new material since their 2020 EUTOPIA EP. The physical format and accompanying B-side were listed in the release details.

‘Boots On The Ground’ features spoken-word text by Tom Waits on the track and places the vocal performance at the core of its arrangement. The song has been framed with an explicitly political and activist tone that engages with themes of state authoritarianism and the militarisation of police forces. A statement accompanying the song described it as arriving in an atmosphere of chaos and situated within an American emergency, referencing the fusion of authoritarian and neo-fascist politics.

The recording pairs Waits’s vocal text with Massive Attack’s production choices to foreground the song’s protest-oriented message.

In a statement accompanying the release, Robert Del Naja of Massive Attack said the following about collaborating with Tom Waits and the political context in which ‘Boots On The Ground’ is being released:

“It’s a career honour to collaborate with an artist of the magnitude, originality and integrity of Tom, but this track is arriving in an atmosphere of chaos. Across the western hemisphere, state authoritarianism and the militarisation of police forces are fusing again with neo-fascist politics. Seen within the American emergency, at home and overseas, this track contains pulses of callous impulse and abandoned mind.”

These remarks were included in the material released with the single.

Tom Waits issued a statement about the collaboration and the thematic meaning of ‘Boots On The Ground’. He said: “One day many years ago I accepted an invitation from Massive Attack to collaborate. Way back then, we sent them ‘Boots On The Ground’. Their long release delay never worried me.”

He continued: “Today, as in all of mankind’s yesterdays, guarantees this song will never go out of style. Man’s fiasco folly is a feast for the flies. Hence, the B side of Massive Attack’s upcoming 12-inch, ‘The Fly’, features my appreciation for the winged nuisance.”

These remarks were included in the material released with the single.

The release of ‘Boots On The Ground’ has been framed with an explicitly political and activist tone, identifying the track with themes of state authoritarianism, the militarisation of police forces, and the resurgence of neo-fascist politics across parts of the western hemisphere. The accompanying material places the song within what is described as an American emergency, noting tensions both at home and overseas and characterising the track with “pulses of callous impulse and abandoned mind.” This framing positions the song as a response to contemporary political developments and uses stark language to underline its protest orientation. The record pairs Tom Waits’s spoken-word contribution with Massive Attack’s production to foreground these political concerns.

The release also connects to broader activist and protest contexts through references to organisations and movements engaged in immigration and protest advocacy. The material cites involvement or engagement with groups including the ACLU, the US Immigrant Defense Project, and Palestine Action, and aligns the single’s messaging with discussions around immigrant defence and protest actions. These references situate the song within ongoing debates over policing, immigration enforcement, and direct-action protest campaigns. The presentation of the single ties its artistic content to explicit political advocacy and protest-oriented networks.

CONCLUSION

Massive Attack and Tom Waits have released the collaborative single “Boots On The Ground”, presented on a 12-inch vinyl with a B-side titled “The Fly” and issued through PIAS. The release represents new material from Massive Attack following their 2020 EUTOPIA EP and includes Tom Waits’s spoken-word contribution on the A-side. The record’s physical format and B-side placement were specified in the release details, and the single pairs Waits’s vocal text with Massive Attack’s production. The involvement of PIAS as the releasing company is noted in the release information.

The song has been framed with an explicitly political and activist tone, addressing themes of state authoritarianism, the militarisation of police forces, and the resurgence of neo-fascist politics. Accompanying material situates the track within an American emergency and characterises it with intense language referencing “pulses of callous impulse and abandoned mind.” The release also references activist and advocacy groups including the ACLU, the US Immigrant Defense Project, and Palestine Action, connecting the single to debates over immigration enforcement and protest actions. The presentation of the single ties its artistic content to an explicitly protest-oriented context.