‘I absolutely approve:’ Ukraine gets rock star’s blessing to use famous battle cry

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The Ukrainian army has a new theme song, and its creator is absolutely delighted to have his song used by the nation as it tries to repel the Russian invasion.

The chart-topping hit 1984 tune “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” written by Dee Snider, lead singer for the 80’s band “Twisted Sister,” is now being used as a battle anthem for Ukrainian resistance.

Snider took to Twitter to proclaim his approval on Saturday, noting that his family hails from Ukraine, and the Soviet occupation of the country:

I absolutely approve of Ukrainians using “We’re Not Gonna Take It” as their battlecry. My grandfather was Ukrainian, before it was swallowed up by the USSR after WW2. This can’t happen to these people again! #FUCKRUSSIA

— Dee Snider🇺🇸 (@deesnider) February 26, 2022

The song’s themes of criticizing arrogance, condescension, and promoting popular resistance have struck a chord with Ukrainians, and it seems to match the picture emerging from the beleaguered nation of everyday citizens taking to the streets – and trenches- to defend their land from Russia’s war.

Snider has been a vocal critic of the war, using various “F***Russia” and “F***Putin” hashtags on social media.

This isn’t just a recent thing, however. Snider has long been a vocal critic of the Soviet Union and later the Russian Federation, since the early days of Twisted Sister. He was even able to find a picture of himself wearing a “Russia Sucks” button during a performance in the late 70’s, noting that his grandfather would have been pleased:

Holy Crap! I’m I actually wearing that pin in what looks like about 1978?! (My Ukrainian grandpa would have been so proud!) https://t.co/xKNm5vVOM9

— Dee Snider🇺🇸 (@deesnider) February 27, 2022

While some tried to get him to specify that he hated Russian President Vladimir Putin rather than Russia itself, Snider retorted that his grandmother, a native of Transylvania (in northwestern Romania) had also endured the Soviet assault on the Carpathian mountains in late World War II, noting that it was ordinary Soviet soldiers, who were utterly infamous for rape, who were doing the occupying:

My grandfather was Ukrainian when it was taken over by Russia after WW2. My grandmother was Transylvanian when the Russians took over & occupied the Carpathian mountains. Who do you think were carrying those Russian guns, driving the tanks & flying those planes? Canadians? https://t.co/vP4YKQv8Qc

— Dee Snider🇺🇸 (@deesnider) February 26, 2022

Snider did, however, soften his stance after a Russian woman who said she was 23 (born in 1999, years after the Soviet Union had imploded) tweeted at him, saying she “hate[ed] this war” and was “protesting against it,” after which Snider switched to “#F***Putin” hashtags.

As the rebel song blasts, however, Ukrainians still look to the West for more meaningful aid than music as Russia bombards their cities.

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