Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider “absolutely” approves of Ukrainians using “We’re Not Gonna Take It” as their anthem amid Russia’s invasion. The singer-songwriter, whose grandfather was Ukrainian, made his stance on the deadly attack clear adding the hashtag “#F***Russia.”
Snider, who wrote the iconic song, spoke out against anti-maskers adopting the tune in 2020. As for why he’s endorsing Ukrainians’ use of his 1984 hit, he said “one use is for a righteous battle against oppression; the other is [an] infantile feet stomping against an inconvenience.”
People are asking me why I endorsed the use of “We’re Not Gonna Take It” for the Ukrainian people and did not for the anti-maskers. Well, one use is for a righteous battle against oppression; the other is a infantile feet stomping against an inconvenience.
— Dee Snider???????? (@deesnider) February 27, 2022
The 66-year-old rocker remarked how he’s received “overwhelming support” on social media for his stance, scoffing at headlines claiming he faced backlash.
You gotta “love” these manipulative headlines. I’ve gotten so few negative comments on my post compared to the OVERWHELMING support! Thank you all!
Dee Snider Receives Backlash for Ukraine Invasion Comments, Approves of Twisted Sister … – https://t.co/pnmRJm9h6j #GoogleAlerts
— Dee Snider???????? (@deesnider) February 28, 2022
“We’re Not Gonna Take It” has been an anthem for many groups over the years.
“I’m from the Alice Cooper school of ‘School’s Out,’ ‘I’m Eighteen,’ you know? And Alice was very big on these anthemic songs. So I wanted to write an anthem for the audience to raise their fists in the air in righteous anger,” Snider told NPR in 2018.
But when politicians with opposing views, like Donald Trump and Paul Ryan, started using the song at campaign events it got a bit more complicated for Snider.
“I am pro-choice to a fault, and Paul Ryan stands so far on the other side of that fence,” Snider recalled. “I called him up and said, ‘The first line of the song is, ‘We’ve got the right to choose.‘ Don’t you even vet these things?'”
Snider also called up Trump, whom he appeared alongside on The Apprentice, and asked the former president to stop playing his song.
“To his credit, I called and I said, ‘You’ve gotta stop using the song. I can’t have people think I am endorsing you by using the song.’ He said OK — and that night, he never used it again. That was the end,” Snider shared.
When a group of anti-maskers stormed a Target amid the pandemic, Snider called the bunch “selfish a*******” who “do not have my permission or blessing to use my song for their moronic cause.”
