Country artist Zach Bryan, typically reserved about political themes in his music, has released a new song that critiques President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, particularly targeting ICE and its enforcement of immigration laws.
The track titled Bad News features some tough, assertive lines. Bryan reflects on not “dying or being imprisoned,” while expressing feelings of missing his girlfriend and criticizing police, calling one an “annoying motherfucker.”
“Even after I died, I didn’t wake up in prison.
Boys in some towns have given us hell.
There was bad news.
I miss you.
All my friends are degenerate, but they are everything I got.
A story of a generation that drops the plot.
I heard the policeman was here.
Isn’t that the cheeky motherfucker?”
In another verse, he clearly addresses ICE and Trump’s immigration actions:
He accuses ICE of “destroying” families’ homes and instilling fear in children. Expressing frustration, he offers a “middle finger” to the government, asserting that America is “decaying.”
“And then ICE comes and closes your door.
Try building a house. No one will build it anymore.
But I got the phone.
All the kids are scared and alone.
The boss stopped bumping, and the rock stopped rolling.
The middle finger will rise and will not stop displaying.
There was bad news.
The decline of red, white, and blue.”
Bryan has shared a teaser on YouTube to promote some of his upcoming songs.
He has now entered the complex landscape of political commentary in music. The question remains: will his fans follow him on this journey?
Bryan has had his own run-ins with law enforcement, including an arrest in Oklahoma in September 2023 for obstructing an investigation.
Following that incident, he reflected on his behavior during the traffic stop, expressing regret for his emotional response.
“Today I had an encounter with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. Emotions got the best of me, and I regretted what I said,” he noted.
“I support law enforcement as much as I can. I was frustrated at that moment; it was unlike me, and I apologized. They took me to jail.”
He had previously shown respect for law enforcement, even mourning the loss of Officer Jonathan Diller from the NYPD.
However, it seems that Bryan’s views are shifting away from that earlier sentiment.
