On January 20, 2025, singer-songwriter Finn O’Sullivan, from Denver, US, released a duo of songs, a sort of anti-celebration of what was the day of Trump’s inaguration.
O’Sullivan is very clear about the message she’s sending “the man” with the couple of songs; “art is catharsis and action and power.” With the new government in place she sadly no longer wants to call the US her home and found no better way to express her frustration than by creating music.
The first of the duo, “Not My America”, takes aim at anti-choice laws and rhetoric, to unchecked gun violence, power imbalances, the refusal to accept the climate crisis, and the election of a convicted felon for the highest office in the country.
“My Trunk” however, as O’Sullivan told us via email, is “a direct response to a frequently re-posted post-election tweet, “Your body, my choice. Forever.” O’Sullivan’s response, expressed in the soft and sweet vocal style that is a hallmark of much of her other work, is repeated in the chorus of the song: “My body, whatever you want? Your body, my trunk.”
“I have this dream where I’m made of fire / I’m the belly of the beast / I’m a livewire / I had a nightmare 4 years long / He came back with a vengeance / I came back with a song
You think I’ll go quietly, your mistake / Your bars, my jailbreak / My body, whatever you want? / Your body, my trunk”
This is honest, well written protest music. Empathising with O’Sullivan’s words comes easy and while the music is mellow, her words are fierce. At the end of “My Trunk” she sings They warned me of men like you / Get on your knees, lick my boots / And when you go, you’ll tell the whole world / But who’s gonna believe I scared you? / I’m just a girl.”
Well, we here at Shouts will believe you Ms. O’Sullivan. And all the harrassed, and imprisoned musicians around the world will too. For they know what the power of song is. The fact that democratic governments, such as Spain for example, arrest musicians for their lyrics makes only one thing very clear: No matter who you are or where you’re from – if you make a certain type of music and lyrics, chances are “the man” will fear you.
And your fellow people will unite behind your song.
Find Finn O’Sullivan’s music and work on Instagram l Facebook l YouTube l Soundcloud.
