List of songs about the September 11 attacks

This list contains songs which were inspired by or contain lyrics referring to the September 11 attacks.

Artist/composerTitleAlbumYearDescription
Libera Rest in Peace New Dawn 2008 Written by Peter Skellern to honor those who lost their lives in the 9/11 attacks, as well as those who passed away in WWI and WWII.
50 Cent"Patiently Waiting"Get Rich or Die Tryin'2003Lyrics include: "Sit and politic with passengers from 9/11." and "Shady Records was eighty seconds away from the towers."[1]
Ryan Adams"My Blue Manhattan"Love Is Hell2004[2]
Lily Allen"Him"It's Not Me, It's You2009Lyrics include "Ever since we can remember, people have died in his good name, long before that September, long before hijacking planes." The lyrics acknowledge the deaths of many in the name of god during 9/11 due to the attacks.
Tori Amos"I Can't See New York"Scarlet's Walk2002The song describes the experience of an airplane passenger on September 11, 2001, circling over New York City and unable to see the World Trade Center.[3]
Amps for Christ"AFC Tower Song"
And One"Seven"Tanzomat2011Lyrics include: "Grey smoke hit the ground; Seven came down without a sound; Rich man company; WTC mystery" (a reference to the September 11 attacks and the mystery third white plane which has caused some speculation)
...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead"Worlds Apart"Worlds Apart2005"How they laugh as we shovelled the ashes of the Twin Towers / Blood and death, we will pay back the debt of this candy store of ours"
Arcade Fire"(Antichrist Television Blues)"Neon Bible2007Lyrics include: "I don't want to work in a building downtown; I don't know what I'm going to do, 'cause the planes keep crashing, always two by two."
Automatic Loveletter"Dream With Me"
Autopilot Off"The 12th Day"Make a Sound2004
Emilie Autumn"By The Sword"n/a (single)2001Released as a charity single.[4][5]
Rekha Bhardwaj"Ranaji"Gulaal (movie)2009Gulaal Soundtrack album by Piyush Mishra
Beastie Boys"An Open Letter to NYC"To the 5 Boroughs2004[2]
Dan Bern"NYC 911" (Unreleased)2001[2]
Beyoncé"I Was Here"42011[6]
TheBibleCodeSundays "The Boys of Queens" Song about a soldier who is a member of an Irish family from Queens. His family has a long firefighter tradition and lost most of its male members to 9/11. Furthermore, it deals with him suffering from the events and the aftermath and his own death in the Middle East.
Black 47"Mychal"
Bloc Party"Hunting for Witches"A Weekend in the City2007[7]
Blue Man Group"Exhibit 13"The Complex2003
Bon Jovi"Undivided"Bounce2002
Bon Jovi"Another Reason To Believe"Bounce2002
Jon Bon Jovi & Richie Sambora"America The Beautiful"
Box Car Racer"Elevator"Box Car Racer2002 This song was written from the perspective of a jumper from the towers and from the perspective of someone watching from below.
Box Car Racer"Watch The World"Box Car Racer2002 Lyrics include "I watched the smoke, as it grew darker, and blew up through the roof. I watched the fed, saw them panic as the fire grew. I saw Virginia, get rid of Langley, and its secrets too."
Nell Bryden"Sirens"Shake The Tree (album)2012This song was written by New York singer Nell Bryden and Patrick Mascall and was later covered by Cher on her Closer to the Truth album
Kate Bush feat. Elton John "Snowed in at Wheeler Street" 50 Words for Snow 2011 "9/11 in New York, I took your photograph."
Camel"For Today"A Nod and a Wink2002
Mary Chapin Carpenter"Grand Central Station"Between Here and Gone2003
Steven Curtis Chapman"Remember the Day"2002Remember the day The courage the valor We ran to the towers At such a great cost
The Charlie Daniels Band"This Ain't No Rag, It's a Flag"Live! (bonus track)2001
The Charlie Daniels Band"The Last Fallen Hero"Redneck Fiddlin' Man2002
Kristin ChenowethBorrowed AngelsAs I Am2005
Cher"Song for the Lonely"Living Proof2001
The Clarks"Hey You""Another Happy Ending"2002
Leonard Cohen"On That Day"Dear Heather2004[8]
Coldplay"Politik"A Rush of Blood to the Head2002Written the day of the attacks. Chris Martin told NME that it reflects his realization of mortality after 9/11.[9]
CranberriesThe Cranberries"New New York"Stars: The Best of 1992–20022002[10]
Sheryl Crow"God Bless this Mess"Detours2008Linked 9-11 with the Gulf War.[8]
Sheryl Crow"Out of Our Heads"Detours2008About the courage shown on 9-11; also criticizes Bush as giving a manipulative television address on that day.[11]
Sheryl Crow"Safe and Sound"C'mon, C'mon2001
CunninLynguists"Appreciation"SouthernUnderground2003
Curse"Nichts Wird Mehr So Sein Wie Es War"n/a, released as a free download2001
Dawnstar"Don't Die A Martyr For Me"2007Lyrics include: "I wanted to be a suicide bomber but she changed my life, I fell in love with her"[12]
dc Talk"Let's Roll"
Kevin Devine"No History"Instigator2016
Bo Diddley"We Ain't Scared of You" (a.k.a. "My Eagle Is Pissed")
Ani DiFranco"Self Evident"
Disturbed"Prayer"Believe2002[13]
DJ Sammy"Heaven" (9/11 Remix)
Dream Theater"Sacrificed Sons"Octavarium2005Opens with samples of 9/11 news broadcasts; the song itself is about the attack on the World Trade Center and its aftermath
The Dresden Dolls"Truce"The Dresden Dolls2003
Eagles"Hole in the World"The Very Best Of2003
Linda Eder"If I Had My Way" & "If I Should Loose My Way"
Eminem"My Dad's Gone Crazy"The Eminem Show2002Lyrics include: "More pain inside of my brain than the eyes of a little girl inside of a plane aimed at the World Trade"[14]
The Empire Shall Fall"Choir of Angels"Awaken2009Enoch "IXXI" Bog
Epica"Façade of Reality"The Phantom Agony2003
Melissa Etheridge"Tuesday Morning"Lucky2004
Evanescence"My Last Breath"Fallen2003
Everclear"The New York Times"Slow Motion Daydream2003
Mary Fahl "The Dawning of the Day" The Other Side of Time 2003 Fahl's version of the traditional Irish tune "The Dawning of the Day" was featured in the film version of the Broadway play The Guys.
Fear Factory"Controlled Demolition"Mechanize2010
Lupe Fiasco"Words I Never Said"Lasers2011
Craig Finn"Newmyer's Roof"Faith in the Future2015
Five for Fighting"Tuesday"2009Five for Fighting's "Superman," released in late 2000, also became an unofficial anthem for the first responders in the days following the attacks[15]
Fleetwood Mac"Illume (9-11)"Say You Will2003
David Francey"Grim Cathedral"Skating Rink2003"Grim Cathedral" reflects the jingoism and Nationalism that arose following 9/11.
Sage Francis"Makeshift Patriot"n/a (single)2001Lyrics include "Don't waive your rights with your flags"
Goldfinger feat. Mest & Good Charlotte"The Innocent"The Best of Goldfinger2005
Gorillaz feat. D12 & Terry Hall"911"Bad Company (soundtrack)2002[2]
Amy Grant"I Don't Know Why"Simple Things2003
Peter Hammill"Ghosts of planes"Thin Air2009
Jack Hardy"Ground Zero"Vigil2002Released on a benefit album organized by Suzanne Vega, entirely of original songs about 9/11.[16]
Juliana Hatfield"Hole in the Sky"About the gap in the Manhattan skyline left by the destruction of the Twin Towers.[10]
Heems "Flag Shopping" Eat Pray Thug 2015 About backlash racism in the wake of 9/11[17]
John Hiatt"When New York Had Her Heart Broke"Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns2011
Iced Earth"When the Eagle Cries"The Glorious Burden2004
Imagine Dragons"America"Night Visions2011Lyrics include "From farmers in the fields, to the tallest of the towers that fall and rise, 1-7-7-6, the names upon the list, for all the ones that gave until they died."[18]
Imagine Dragons"Real Life"Origins2018Lyrics include "She prays on her knees as the towers fall to a god she does not know." Also includes references to the Boston Marathon bombing and mass shootings in America.[19]
Immortal Technique"Bin Laden"n/a (single)2005Attributes much of the blame for 9/11 to U.S. foreign policy.[8]
Immortal Technique"The Cause of Death"Revolutionary Vol. 22009
Alan Jackson"Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)"Drive2002[20]
Kristy Jackson"Little Did She Know (She'd Kissed a Hero)"n/a Single2001Written in response to the 9/11 Tragedy. The song makes reference to a passenger on Flight 93.[21] Responses to the song were later turned into a book.[22]
Michael Jackson"What More Can I Give"n/a (never released)2001Performed at an October 2001 benefit concert. Originally intended as a benefit single, but it was never released commercially.[16]
Jackyl"Open Invitation (I Hate You Bin Laden)"[23]
Jadakiss"Why"Kiss of Death2004Lyrics include "Why did Bush knock down the Towers?"
James"Hey Ma"Hey Ma2008Addresses the price paid for revenge[10]
Jay-Z and Alicia Keys"Empire State of Mind"The Blueprint 32009The song is largely about New York City in general, but includes the line "Long live the World Trade."
Lucy Kaplansky"Land of the Living"The Red Thread2004
Toby Keith"Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)"Unleashed2001Toby Keith wrote this song in response to his father's death and the 9/11 attacks in 2001. At first, he was reluctant to record the song and decided to only play it live for military personnel. Later however, Corps James L. Jones convinced him to record it saying that it was his, "duty as an American citizen to record the song."[24]
Toby Keith"My list"Pull My Chain2002Tells about a firefighter who decides to spend more time with his family after witnessing the 9/11 attacks on TV.
The Oak Ridge Boys"Sacrifice...For Me"It's Only Natural2011
Killswitch Engage"Life to Lifeless"Alive or Just Breathing2002
L.A. Guns"OK, Let's Roll"Waking the Dead2002
Living Colour"Flying"Collideøscope2003From the perspective of a man who gets the nerve to ask out a woman in the World Trade Center moments before the first plane hits, and the couple then jump from the burning building to their deaths.[25]
Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris"If This Is Goodbye"All the Roadrunning2006Inspired by Ian McEwan's piece in The Guardian.[26]
Talib Kweli"The Proud"Quality2002A 9-11-oriented tribute.[11]
James LaBrie"Smashed"Elements of Persuasion2005
Christine Lavin"Firehouse"Vigil2002Released on a benefit album organized by Suzanne Vega, entirely of original songs about 9/11.[16]
LIL PANDA"Middle School Vocab"THE LIL Panda Tape2021
Live"Overcome"V2001
Lonestar"I'm Already There"I'm Already There2001
The Low Anthem"Boeing 737"Smart Flesh2011
Rod MacDonald"My Neighbors In Delray"Recognition2003A portrait of the hijackers, 13 of whom lived in Delray Beach, FL just prior to September 11, 2001.
John Mayer"Covered in Rain"As/Is2003
Paul McCartney"Freedom"Driving Rain2001[27]
Audra McDonald"I'll Be Here"Go Back Home (album)2003From the musical "Ordinary Days"[28]
Sarah McLachlan"World on Fire"Afterglow2003[29]
Megaherz"Glas Und Tränen"Herzwerk II2002Literally "Glass And Tears" (and originally titled "Blut Und Tränen", "Blood And Tears"), contains an account of the violent atmosphere during and ideologies behind the attacks.[30]
Megaherz"I.M. Rumpelstilzchen"Herzwerk II2002From the point of view of a double agent employed by a tyrannical government; about the paranoid global political climate after the attacks.[31]
MellowHype"Decoy"Mellowhypeweek2013
Bret Michaels"One More Day"Songs of Life2003
Misia feat. Erykah Badu"Akai Inochi" (Red Destiny)Mars & Roses2004An anti-war song which speaks about how the events of 9/11 turned the "seemingly distant existence of war into the reality of now".[32]
Ministry"Lieslieslies"Rio Grande Blood2006[10]
Moby"Harbour"182002[2]
My Chemical Romance"Skylines and Turnstiles"I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love2002Gerard Way wrote this song after witnessing the 9/11 attacks while on his way going to work. He formed the band, My Chemical Romance after witnessing the Twin Towers' fall and this marks as the first ever song written by the band.
Carrie Newcomer"I Heard an Owl"The Gathering of Spirits2002Written in response to the 9/11 attacks. Chorus starts "so don't tell me hate is ever right or god's will"
No Use for a Name"Insecurity Alert"
Petey Pablo"Raise Up (USA Flag Remix)"
Paradigm Blue"Bravado (9/11 Tribute)"2001The progressive rock power trio from Raleigh, North Carolina. Paradigm Blue is Juan Mantilla (guitars), Ruben Moreno (vocals, bass, keyboards), Steve Laur (drums). The band released Bravado (9/11 Tribute) on September 11, 2001. The single was not sold and remains available for download at RushRadio.net and is also featured on YouTube.com The song originally recorded by Rush and appeared on the Album "Roll The Bones", Music written by Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson with lyrics by Neil Peart.
Paris"What Would You Do?"Sonic Jihad2003About 9-11 conspiracy theories.[8]
Tom Paxton"The Bravest"Looking for the Moon
Porcupine Tree"Collapse the Light Into Earth"In Absentia2002
Jeff Powers"Tall Buildings (9/11)""JeffPowers"
Renaud and Axelle Red"Manhattan-Kaboul"Boucan d'enfer (Renauld)2002"Deals with the 11 September 2001 attacks in New York"[33]
Steve Reich"WTC 9/11"WTC 9/112009-2010
Rush"Peaceable Kingdom"Vapor Trails2002
Scarling."Alexander The Burn Victim"Sweet Heart Dealer2004
Slayer"Jihad"Christ Illusion2006[11]
Sleater-Kinney"Far Away"One Beat2002The song contrast's President George W. Bush's actions on September 11, when he was flown away to a secure location, with those of the emergency responders at the World Trade Center.[3]
Michael W. Smith"There She Stands"Worship Again2002[34]
Will Smith feat. Mary J. Blige"Tell Me Why"2005[11]
Bruce Springsteen"Countin' on a Miracle"The Rising2002
Bruce Springsteen"Empty Sky"The Rising2002Told from the point of view of a person longing for one last moment with their spouse who was killed in the attacks.
Bruce Springsteen"Into the Fire"The Rising2002Told from the point of view of a spouse of a firefighter.
Bruce Springsteen"Lonesome Day"The Rising2002
Bruce Springsteen"Mary's Place"The Rising2002Told from the point of view of a widow who lost their spouse in the attacks. A friend has invited this person to a party at "Mary's Place" to help with moving on.
Bruce Springsteen"Paradise"The Rising2002
Bruce Springsteen"The Fuse"The Rising2002A smoldering blend of lust and loss, having sex as a means to feel anything after tragedy.
Bruce Springsteen"The Rising"The Rising2002"A religious-tinged reflection on the events of the day that focuses on a firefighter at Ground Zero."[2][35]
Bruce Springsteen"You're Missing"The Rising2002About how a family must continue to function after the Father is killed in the attacks.
SR-71"Truth"Tomorrow2002
Star Fucking Hipsters"9/11 Was (An Inside Joke)"Until We're Dead2008
The Stills"Let's Roll"Logic Will Break Your Heart2003
Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros"Ramshackle Day Parade"Streetcore2003
Taylor Swift"Didn't They?"
Sworn Enemy"Sworn Enemy"
Tactical Sekt"American Me"Syncope2006
Serj Tankian"Empty Walls" Elect The Dead2007[36]
Tesla"Heaven Nine Eleven"Into the Now2004
Testament"The Evil Has Landed"The Formation of Damnation2008
Thrice"Broken Lungs"The Alchemy Index Vols. III & IV2008
Thriving Ivory"Angels on the Moon"Thriving Ivory2003
Twista feat. Faith Evans"Hope"Kamikaze2004"Wish God never gave the men power/

To be able to hurt the people inside the Twin Towers"[37]

John Vanderslice"Exodus Damage"Pixel Revolt2005The second verse describes the narrator watching the second plane hitting the World Trade Center on television, as well as the lack of immediate military response to the attacks.[10]
Suzanne Vega"Anniversary"2007
Velvet Revolver"Messages"Libertad (iTunes release)2007
W.A.S.P."Hallowed Ground"Dying for the World2002
Scott Walker"Jesse"The Drift2006Presents the attack on the Twin Towers as a nightmare had by Elvis Presley and described to his own stillborn twin, Jesse Garon Presley.[38]
Jack Warshaw"United 93"Good Road2011Lyrics include "United 93, remember their names

Come tell of the time on that great silver plane The bravest band of travellers that ever flew the sky Said "We’re bound to fight ‘cause we know we’re bound to die." [39]

The Weepies"Safe as Houses"
Wheatus"Hometown"TooSoonMonsoon2005A love song to the group's hometown, New York, which thinks wistfully back to a time when the twin towers completed the New York skyline.

Includes the lyrics “I swear it was beautiful before they sent those aeroplanes.”[40]

Within Temptation"Stand My Ground"The Silent Force and also as additional tracks on some releases of The Heart of Everything2004
Darryl Worley"Have You Forgotten?"Have You Forgotten?2003The song is about the horror of the attacks, with lyrics including "Have you forgotten when those towers fell? / We had neighbors still inside going through a living hell."[3]
Wu-Tang Clan"Rules"Iron Flag2001[10]
Yellowcard"Believe"Ocean Avenue2003The song is about rescue workers, and integrates news reports.[11]
Neil Young"Let's Roll"Are You Passionate?2001/2002
Cary Pierce of Jackopierce"I Believe in America"2001Released 30 October 2001
Childish Gambino "Freaks and Geeks" EP 2011 Lyrics include "This beat is a disaster, 9/11 this track."[41]
Ween "Love Come Down (09-11-01)" Caesar 2011 Was recorded on the day of the attacks
Irene Sankoff and David Hein "Me and the Sky" Come from Away (Broadway Musical) 2017 From the Broadway Musical "Come from Away" and tells the story of a pilot (Beverly Bass) diverted due to the September 11 attacks.[42]
Leigh Sloggett "I Want to Go Home" Sliding to Your Destiny 2006 From the point of view of a stranded foreign traveler based on the singer's own experience.[43]

See also

References
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