John Mellencamp Releases Jena 6 Song

Oct 06, 12:52 PM

Current Headlines: John Mellencamp's new protest song about racial tensions in Jena, La., is drawing criticism and praise.

Mellencamp's new song, Jena, contains the words Oh, oh, oh Jena, take your nooses down.

The song refers to the case in the small Louisiana town in which six black high students initially faced attempted murder charges for beating a white student following lynching references on Jena High School property.

The song appeared on the rocker's official Web site and other popular Internet sites during the week. The song's video shows images from the U.S. civil rights movement, lynchings and news footage of the Jena Six case, The Indianapolis Star reports.

Some critics stated they will boycott Mellencamp's music after the song's release, while others praise the singer's social consciousness.

Mellencamp's newest release, Freedom's Road, features the song Jim Crow, a duet with Joan Baez commenting on race relations.