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Protest Song Of The Week: ‘In Your Path’ By War On Women

The post was originally published at Ongoing History of Protest Music.

Back on November 20, 2019, Chilean feminist collective Las Tesis first performed ‘Un Violador en Tu
Camino (A Rapist in Your Path).” to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against
Women.

The song was directed at police and government agents, who sexually tortured women in
Chile. It became a viral international anthem and was performed during countless rallies worldwide.

American hardcore band War On Women later covered the song under the title “In Your Path,”
which appeared on their exceptional 2020 album (one of the best protest albums of 2020).

“Wonderful Hell” was released just before the United States presidential election. Considering the U.S. Supreme Court has two alleged rapists and both presidential candidates were alleged rapists, the lyrical reference to “the
judges and the president” carry an additional resonance in the version recorded by War On Women.

The band also recently released a video that juxtaposes images from both the U.S. and the 2019 Chilean
uprising against inequality. (War on Women frontwoman Shawna Potter also discusses the lyrics and tune on her excellent podcast But Her Lyrics…”

Watch or listen to “In Your Path” By War On Women:

CJ Baker

CJ Baker

CJ Baker is a lifelong music fan and published writer. He recently started a website chronicling the historical developments of protest music: ongoinghistoryofprotestsongs.com, and can be found on Twitter @tunesofprotest