Mickey Leigh’s band Mutated Music finds inspiration in the past on their latest single, “Two Kinds of Law,” earning its title from a line in Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood.
But Leigh — the brother of Joey Ramone — found that the song title matches a famous Martin Luther King, Jr. quote: “There are two types of laws, those that are just and those that are unjust.”
The socially-conscious track, and its video, come amidst the Black Lives Matter protests nationwide. It features police bodycam footage of an officer holding a gun to a civilian. The trio — featuring Leigh on guitar and performing vocals, Pat Carpenter on drums, and Westley Crawford on bass and vocals — sings of “two kinds of law, one for the rich and one for the poor” as they jam out in the studio.
“Music is magical in so many ways,” Leigh says. “Rock n roll is one form of it that, magically, can be purely fun, but, at the same time can be a way to spread a message. And, aside from having a lot of fun with it, me and my fellow Mutated musicians think both are equally important — as long as it’s an important message.
Leigh says the message of the words, “two kinds of law,” has stuck with him for years.
“I first heard those words many decades ago, in a book and film called In Cold Blood and, though said in different words, in a speech by Martin Luther King Jr.,” Leigh says. “I just, recently, felt compelled to write a song about it. Very compelled. The importance of “equality” and “justice for all” has come to the forefront of our lives like never before. And, it’s a message that needs to be repeated …repeatedly. There aren’t many ways to repeat a message repeatedly without boring people to tears, aside from immersing it in a catchy chorus and irresistible rhythm.”
Check out the video for “Two Kinds of Law” below:
Leave a comment