'Boots On The Ground': Massive Attack and Tom Waits team up for powerful ICE protest song

British trip-hop icons Massive Attack and the legendary US singer-songwriter Tom Waits have teamed up to release a powerful, politically-charged new song, titled ‘Boots On The Ground’.

The haunting track is the first new material from both Massive Attack and Tom Waits in years. It takes aim at "recent ICE raids on migrant communities & the killing of civilians that protect them", with all proceeds from the song going to the American Civil Liberties Union and the US Immigrant Defense Project.

‘Boots On The Ground’ features additional vocals from Waits’ son Casey, and begins with the heavy breathing. Massive Attack then lay a tender yet menacing soundscape beneath Waits inimitable vocals.

“We trim your hedges, we fight your wars / Wait in the trenches and we're fucked till we're sore / With boots on the ground, boots on the ground...”

Other lyrics include: “Now who the hell are these federal pricks? / Hiding in the Senate like a bloated-ass tick / Air-conditioned fuckstick loafers / Sittin' in a room full of army posters” and “Cold and hot as Satan's hoof / Spinning on the world, I'm hiding on a roof / I kill a brown man I never ass knew / Choked on spit and then he turned blue.”

The song comes with an equally haunting video which will send chills down your spine.

The film was created by Massive Attack, made with work by US photo artist thefinaleye.

“The film that follows encapsulates his work across an epoch forming six-year period,” reads the caption. “From the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis on 25th May 2020 to recent ICE raids on migrant communities & the killing of civilians that protect them. From the brutal state repression of public protest, to the reality of American homelessness that includes nearly 33,000 military veterans.”

The video ends by detailing those who have lost their lives to ICE and the impact of oppressive retaliation to protest.

“As of March 2026, eight people have been killed by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, or in ICE custody. Their names were: Renée Good, Alex Pretti, Geraldo Lunas Campos, Luis Gustavo Nunez Caceres, Luis Beltran Yanez Cruz, Parady La, Heber Sanchez Dominguez, and Victor Manuel Diaz.”

Check it out below:

Massive Attack’s Robert “3D” Del Naja and Grant “Daddy G” Marshal said in a press release: “It’s a career honour to collaborate with an artist of the magnitude, originality and integrity of Tom, but this track is arriving in an atmosphere of chaos. Across the western hemisphere, state authoritarianism and the militarisation of police forces are fusing again with neo-fascist politics.”

They added: “Seen within the American emergency, at home and overseas, this track contains pulses of callous impulse & abandoned mind.”

As for Waits, he revealed that he accepted the invitation to collaborate with the duo “many years ago”.

"Way back then, we sent them 'Boots On The Ground'," he said. "Their long release delay never worried me. Today, as in all of mankind's yesterdays, guarantees this song will never go out of style. Man's fiasco folly is a feast for the flies. Hence, the b-side of Massive Attack's upcoming 12 inch 'The Fly' features my appreciation for the winged nuisance."

‘Boots On The Ground’ will be released as an exclusive vinyl featuring the b-side Waits mentioned. Environmental considerations have shaped the physical release, with Massive Attack partnering with Good Neighbor on an 'EcoSonic' pressing manufactured from 100 per cent recycled PET via energy-efficient injection moulding. Recycled, FSC-certified paper stock and recycled polyethylene have been used for the sleeves and outer slipcases respectively.

The release of ‘Boots On The Ground’ arrives after Massive Attack recently made headlines.

Robert Del Naja was recently among 500+ people arrested at a peaceful London protest in support of Palestine Action – a move by police he called “unlawful” in a statement.

Before his arrest, Del Naja told the Press Association he wanted to attend the protest despite the consequences a potential arrest could have on his career.

He said: “Being a musician, obviously, there was a lot of trepidation around how we might not be able to travel and get visas,” adding: “But I thought ‘this is ridiculous’ and then the police making that U-turn to arrest people again, I thought that is even more ridiculous. So I’m going to hold a sign today.”

“If I get arrested, I feel very confident that if I stand up in court with the right guidance and say, ‘This was an unlawful arrest and, therefore, I don’t accept it’.”

He concluded: “I think that the actions of Palestine Action were highly patriotic because they were pretty much protecting our country from getting involved in serious war crimes and breaking international law. How much more patriotic can you be than that?”

It remains to be seen whether the band’s upcoming EU tour dates will be affected by Del Naja’s arrest, which could impact the band’s travel.

Massive Attack also joined 400 other artists in backing the No Music For Genocide campaign, which geo-blocks their work in Israel. They have boycotted performing in Israel since 1999.

The band’s last release was the 2020 ‘Eutopia’ EP, which addressed global issues such as the climate and cost-of-living crises. Their most recent full-length record remains 2010's ‘Heligoland’.

As for Tom Waits, 'Boots On The Ground' is his first new material since his 2011 album ‘Bad As Me’.

Since then, he has primarily focused on acting, recently starring in 2025’s Venice-winning Father Mother Sister Brother.

There have been persistent rumours that Waits could be writing again, with the hope that the 76-year-old artist may tour once more.

Waits will release ‘Where The Willow And The Dogwood Grow’ on 29 May. It is a curated collection of covers recorded by Bruce Springsteen, Marianne Faithfull, Norah Jones, Johnny Cash and Solomon Burke.