‘What’s Terry Jones doing releasing a video for a song off an album that’s already been out 18 months?’, you may find yourself asking. Well, the song in question is just as relevant as it was back in October of 2022, when the Pittsburgh artist released his debut solo album Friday the 14th; and furthermore, the video is excellent.
‘Silent Like Chaplin’ examines the way blowback in unfairly meted out towards Black people who protest their mistreatment; or as Jones puts it: “[It] is the story of how ‘outspoken’ Blacks in America are often treated negatively for having opinions. Black public figures are always treated well when they ‘stay in line’ with societal standards. Anytime we speak out they want to silence us with intimidation. I’ve dealt with this throughout my time in entertainment. This is where the Charlie Chaplin inspiration came from, ironically Charlie was a silent actor who became scrutinized for his political speaking role in The Great Dictator. I wanted to prove that in transitioning from comedy into music, I want to be taken seriously and will not be silenced for speaking my truth.”
Jones isn’t messing around; it’s a hard-hitting song with a video to match. What’s more, there’s new music arriving from him and Colombia-based collaborator Dashius Clay in not even six weeks, in the form of the Bebop Summer EP (due May 31st). We’re premiering the John Zeller-directed ‘Silent Like Chaplin’ video below, and the latter’s lead single ‘They Call Me El Guapo’ is down there too so you can get up to speed.
