Five for Fighting’s John Ondrasik is a natural choice to headline the marquee maritime celebration of America’s 250th birthday aboard the U.S.S. Nimitz in New York Harbor this 4th of July.
Nearly a quarter century ago, the Grammy-nominated platinum artist performed alongside other big-name singers at Madison Square Garden a few weeks after the Sept. 11 attacks. His song “Superman” had just gone viral as a tribute to firemen and other first responders, many of whom lost their lives trying to save others after the twin towers fell. With its lyrics, “It’s not easy to be me,” Ondrasik’s newly-released hit had transformed into an accidental anthem of healing for a grieving nation.
Ondrasik’s love of country was always there, but his special relationships with and deep appreciation for U.S. troops and first responders began decades ago during the first Iraq war, when soldiers started sending him emails from overseas.
“I found out very quickly that our soldiers, they use music a lot for their mental well-being. They may use the same song for different things – to escape, to pump themselves up, to think of home,” he told RealClearPolitics. “So, I saw very quickly how important music was to our fighters.”
Ondrasik volunteered to play for USO concerts for troops overseas, where he met actor Gary Sinise and teamed up to support his foundation dedicated to serving and honoring America’s defenders, veterans, first responders, and their families.
Ondrasik says he’s thrilled to be joined onstage for America’s 250th festivities by freed Israeli hostage and accomplished pianist Alon Ohel, who will play an updated version of “Superman” alongside him. They will be surrounded by U.S. sailors, 9/11 heroes, members of the New York City Fire Department, the city’s police, wounded warriors, Gold Star families, and other invited guests.
“I’m bringing Alon Ohel, who was a hostage in Gaza for more than 700 days, an incredible piano player, to symbolically recognize his fortitude and also the fact that he would not be alive if it wasn’t for the United States, this president and [Secretary of State] Marco Rubio,” Ondrasik said. “Having him there will be a powerful statement.”
RCP asked Ondrasik about his willingness to take on politically charged topics in his music, songs he’s written bemoaning the United States’ deadly and chaotic exit from Afghanistan, applauding Ukraine’s courage to fight Russia’s invasion, and lamenting the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Israel, as well as his thoughts on why patriotism has become controversial in recent years.
RCP: How did you get involved in the 250th anniversary celebrations – who approached you about it?
Ondrasik: It came about from our U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz. His [top aides] were talking to the Navy, and they wanted some entertainment for their Naval Review. Mike knew about my passion for our troops and our sailors, and also was aware of my song “Superman,” which was one of the songs that recognized the heroes of 9/11. So, they reached out to me. And I said, “Of course, it’d be an honor of a lifetime.”
RCP: How did you get connected to the Ohel family as they were praying and waging an international lobbying campaign for their captured son’s safe return?
Ondrasik: After October 7, I wrote a song called, “Okay,” which basically said we’re not okay as I was witnessing the collapse of so many moral institutions around the world, our media, the raging antisemitism on college campuses. That song became very significant to the Jewish people and Israeli folks around the world. I’m not Jewish, and I’ve said this 100 times, that you don’t have to be Jewish to condemn Hamas. You just have to be sane.
Then hostage families started reaching out to me, and I went to Israel to perform in Hostage Square. I performed the “Okay” song, and I became close to many of the families who reached out to me and asked me to do something musically to put the spotlight back on the hostages. …
In Hostage Square, there’s a piano called the Yellow Piano, which was Alon’s piano, and it was just sitting there, and I played it …We decided to do a new version of “Superman,” because it did have that connection with 9/11. And, of course, for our Jewish friends, October 7 is their 9/11. With all the raging antisemitism, it was the counter-narrative to all of that.
If you would have told me when we put that video out [when he was still in captivity] that Alon would be playing with me on the Nimitz, singing Superman on the 4th of July, I would have said, “You’re crazy.” … It’s truly a miracle, but America has a history of making miracles.
Only America could have done this. That boy is alive because of America. He understands that. His family understands that.
RCP: Where does your patriotism come from?
Ondrasik: I don’t have military in my family, but you know, I was a huge fan of [President] Reagan. Gary Sinise and I have been buddies for 20 years or so. I was working with Gary and his foundation and then started to write songs about our troops and their experience – songs like “Two Lights” that talks about our military families. You mentioned “Blood on My Hands,” which became significant to our Afghan veterans who felt gutted by the fact that we abandoned their allies.
Songs can give people solace in the fact that they feel heard. Our Afghan veterans did not feel heard [after the Afghanistan exit]. That song let them say, “Okay, somebody gets it.” You know, the Jewish people around the world, who have been abandoned, frankly by the world. For them, the [song “Okay”] made them feel, like “I’m not crazy – somebody gets it.”
It’s nice to have an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal or give a speech, but the only way to get to our kids is through the arts. That’s how you get to [kids on] TikTok, that’s how you get through to the Instagram [crowd]. The arts have been part of this culture war, and the left understands it very well. The right does not. … If we don’t deploy the arts as well as all the other things, we’re going to lose the battle for civilization. The songs you mentioned are a beta test for that.
RCP: Do you feel like your career has been negatively impacted by your willingness to display your true beliefs – your patriotism, your anger over the October 7 attacks and the inglorious Afghanistan exit without any type of apologies?
Ondrasik: Well, it’s unusual – the last four years. I remember when Barack Obama was framed by Greek pillars [during his acceptance speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention], and every rock star and artist in the world played on his stage. But the arts, particularly in the last few years, have become shamefully quiet on things like Israel. And the Democratic Party has kind of been taken over by radicals.
I get so many kind emails and calls from people in the music industry saying, thank you for doing this, believe it or not. And I say, you know, you have a voice too. … Certainly there’s pushback and people won’t play your song, or you won’t get a gig [if you speak out and support anything that violates progressive edicts].
But on the other hand, when you work with Gold Star families, when you talk to hostage families and our troops, you realize your own problems are very small.
And to be honest, I’m on the backside of my career.
I’ve learned that if nobody hates you, you’re not doing anything. I don’t try to appease any party. I’m not a blind patriot, but I do think we’re in a really important stage, a critical stage for not just America, but the world with the Marxism we’re seeing, the antisemitism. If you look at the polls, only something like 30% of Democrats are proud of America. That’s scary. So, we’re really at a dangerous spot, and if we don’t speak out for our kids, I think we’ll regret it later.
RCP: How best can average people, everyday Supermen and Superwomen, help to push back against the hate America crowd?
Ondrasik: I heard a quote the other day, which I thought was beautiful and poignant. A German soccer fan who was in America said, “If you want to hate America, watch the news. If you want to love America, drive through it.”
That really rang true for me, because that’s what I do. That’s what my job is. I’ve been to all 50 states. We’re on a tour bus – we’re in big cities and small cities. We see every nook of America. When you do that, you realize there’s so much more that binds us together than separates us. When I’m singing songs, and people are singing them back to me, they sing them back to me as much in Boston as they do in Texas, right? I think part of the negative tone [about America] is really media-driven. I don’t know if that’s reflected in reality across the country.
For me, it’s simple. Imagine a world without America. Do that. All these people that don’t like us, you know, they need us. They know it. Imagine the Middle East without America. Imagine Iran with a nuclear bomb. Imagine all the antisemitism unchecked. Are we perfect? Of course not. Do we have a lot of issues we need to deal with? Yes. But people shouldn’t be ashamed to say there’s never been a country on this planet that’s done more good for human rights and liberty than America.
Susan Crabtree is RealClearPolitics’ national political correspondent.
