Florida singer-songwriter J.T. Wilde was shocked to find that his song "Where We Go One (We Go All)" removed from popular music streaming platform Soundcloud. He believes the song was censored for having a chorus that shares similarities to language used in the QAnon conspiracy theory. Pointing out the perceived hypocrisy, Wilde went on to point out that N.W.A.'s divisive track "F**k Tha Police" by N.W.A. remained available to listeners on the platform.
Wilde tweeted that he'd received the notice from Soundcloud on Wednesday, reporting that the song, which is also known as "WWG1WGA," was removed for "purposely sharing information that is fabricated or misleading," violating the service's Terms of Use.
According to a CBS News explanation of the QAnon conspiracy theory, "Where we go one, we go all" is a rally cry often used by people who believe in the conspiracy theory, and the "WWG1WGA" abbreviation is also often used.
PLEASE RT! #SoundCloud has removed my music!!
— J.T. Wilde (@JTWildeMusic) October 28, 2020
"Any user found to be purposely sharing information that is fabricated or misleading may be deemed in violation of our Terms of Use and subject to the immediate, permanent termination of their account." This is criminal censorship! pic.twitter.com/ZKfgH5aYbE
According to the song's video, which is posted on YouTube, the track is "Dedicated to all in the military going through tough times." The video also includes the phone number to the suicide hotline.
In a press release, Wilde defended his right to free speech. "Music is the ultimate expression of free speech and art, and for SoundCloud to take such an absurd measure is absolutely outrageous," he said.
Wilde's song is still available on YouTube and other streaming platforms like Apple Music and Spotify.
He also pointed to the streaming platform's inclusion of the classic Straight Outta Compton track as hypocritical. "Besides, take one look at the lyrics... SoundCloud still has 'F**k Tha Police' by N.W.A on their platform, yet they removed my song which is about unity and doesn't contain one foul word," he said.
It's also worth noting that N.W.A.'s song is about police brutality and corruption and has little in common lyrically with Wilde's song.
While a link to the track shows that it's been removed on Soundcloud, Wilde does have another track still available on the platform, titled "You Are Lightning."
The song's lyrics vaguely allude to support for President Donald Trump (see the opening lines: "They call us deplorable/and we love the name") and call for patriotism, while also making violent allusions against an unnamed "they." ("they want to take us to hell/But we got guns at the gate," one verse states). Despite the violent imagery, Wilde said he doesn't condone violence. "I have been against every war that we have had with America. I am a pacifist and believe that violence is unnecessary in any circumstances. My song is meant to expose the criminals in government and media," he said.
Wilde wrote that while the title is not a direct reference to QAnon's use of the phrase, he does acknowledge that it's a popular one for believers in the conspiracy. "The song was inspired by the phrase 'Where we go one we go all' a Naval term which inspired unity, honor and responsibility to your fellow man. This phrase was on the Bell on JFK's boat and also made famous in the movie 'white squall' [sic]. Q has posted this phrase to inspire the need for unity in America despite the MSM [mainstream media] and Extreme Lefts attempts to divide the people of America," he wrote.
While Wilde does not explicitly mention QAnon in the song, the final verse does seem to confirm that the song is indeed about the conspiracy. The lyrics, as transcribed in the video's description on YouTube, are below:
They call it a conspiracy
Cuz it's their one last lie
But we know who they are
And we got them in our sightsOur knowledge is power
They're Running for the hills
if the law don't gettem
Then (We the people) Will
"I do not 'believe' in everything the Q movement has brought to light as a whole, however, I do think the movement has brought attention to some topics and raised many questions, which should be answered for and discussed," Wilde wrote in the email.
Wilde believes that Soundcloud removing his song is a knock to his first amendment rights, and it may carry to other streaming sites. "I am worried about the song being deleted by other platforms," he wrote. "Censorship of a song is an ultimate form of totalitarian media. The precedent set by SoundCloud should be addressed. Political and revolutionary songs should be under the protection of the 1st amendment in our Constitution."
Despite his fears, he also acknowledged that Soundcloud was indeed allowed to remove his song in accordance with its Terms of Use. "I understand that SoundCloud has the right to deny their service. My biggest fear is that it will be banned from public consumption, which is completely a totalitarian stance on music and lyrics," he wrote.
As previously reported, a number of social networking sites like Patreon, Twitter, and Facebook, have made moves to remove content that promotes the ridiculous conspiracy theory and shares disinformation.
A press contact for Soundcloud did not respond to Newsweek's emailed request for comment in time for publication.
