Don't Get It Twisted: 'We're Not Gonna Take It' Can Be Anyone's Protest Song
Talk about ironic: Twisted Sister's 1984 anthem to bucking authority has since been adopted by religious entities, teachers and even politicians, each bending it to their own definition.
This story is part of American Anthem, a yearlong series on songs that rouse, unite, celebrate and call to action. Find more at NPR.org/Anthem.
Back in April, teachers in Oklahoma went on strike, demanding increases to salaries and school funding. Their message was amplified by a song — one that, 34 years earlier, had been the sound of student rebellion.
"We're Not Gonna Take It," by the hair metal act Twisted Sister, was once named among the "Filthy 15" songs singled out for offensive and brought before Congress by concerned parents in the 1980s. It's also an indelible hit, whose instantly recognizable hook practically invites the listener to shout along. According to frontman Dee Snider, that was very much the point.
