Jon Bon Jovi says he’s the ‘poster boy’ for white privilege following release of George Floyd-inspired song
The singer is adamant that he’s ‘not taking sides’ in politics
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Jon Bon Jovi revealed he took extra precautions when writing his song “American Reckoning” because he considers himself a "poster boy" for white privilege.
In the song released in July, he discussed Black Lives Matter protests, referenced George Floyd’s murder and talked police brutality.
The single was a part of Bon Jovi’s new album “2020,” released earlier this month.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“If you're a writer, this is fertile ground,” the 58-year-old told "CBS Sunday Morning" in a new interview. “And now I'm just going, 'This is all I need to be writing.' Moments in history, moments in my history, moments in time."
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In “American Reckoning” Bon Jovi sings, “America's on fire / There's protests in the street / Her conscience has been looted / And her soul is under siege / Another mother's crying, as history repeats / I can't breathe.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He also included a lyric referencing the police officer who knelt on Floyd's neck.
The rocker revealed in his interview that he took extra precautions when it came to the lyrics.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“If I'm not the poster boy for what could be described as white privilege, then who is?" Bon Jovi said. "I'm an older, white, affluent celebrity, you know? I got it.”
Jon Bon Jovi says he's the "poster boy" for white privilege (Getty)
He continued, “So, I had to be very careful, and I ran it by friends and people I didn't know, who could opine. And they did. I wrote and rewrote and rewrote, and I wanted to make sure that I was adding something to the conversation, but made sure I did my homework."
Despite the politically charged tune and other songs on the album such as “Lower the Flag,” which discusses mass shootings, Bon Jovi said the new record isn’t meant to be about politics.
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"Because I'm not taking sides," he told the outlet. "I don't care about your politics.”
Bon Jovi added: “I care about you just realizing that in a world in which we live, we're breathing the same air."