Scott have hearts, too. In a time of corruption, war, and poverty, where big business is slowly inching out the little guy and even puppies and kittens can’t find a decent home, we often look to music for a glimmer of hope. These tracks showcase music’s finest putting their songs to charitable use, and raising truckloads for a greater good in the process.
“Angel” Sarah McLachlan A longtime philanthropist and advocate of human rights, Sarah McLachlan took a different route in 2006 by filming a twominute advertisement to raise money for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Since the original airing of the ad, which features McLachlan’s sparse, haunting track “Angel” over shots of shelter animals, the ASPCA has received a staggering thirty million dollars in donations.
“Fake Empire” The National Indie music’s favorite underdogs, The National, finally broke through eight years into its career with its startlingly good album, Boxer. Earning touring slots along the ranks of R.E.M and Modest Mouse, The National never could have foreseen their track, “Fake Empire,” being used by none other than Barack Obama’s campaign for presidency. In this two and a half minute video, an instrumental version of the band’s regal arrangement is played alongside images of people offering messages of hope and change for a better tomorrow.
“Runaway Train” Soul Asylum Anyone who grew up in the ‘90s remembers the video. Opening with the statement “there are over one million youth lost on the streets of America,” Soul Asylum’s “Runaway Train” became both a careerboosting hit for the band and a scrapbook of sorts for missing children in America with their full names and the date they went missing underneath their photo. Because of the song’s universal success, the video went on to help many families reunite with their children.
