Cultural Depictions of Matthew Shepard - Songs

Songs

"The Fence (Matthew Shepard's Song)" (2010)

Peter Katz wrote this song and it's featured on his 2010 album First of the Last to Know. In concert he performs it without a microphone usually in the middle of the audience.

"Above the Clouds" (2005)

Cyndi Lauper co-wrote her song "Above the Clouds" with Jeff Beck for her 2005 album The Body Acoustic in tribute to Matthew Shepard. Lauper's True Colors Tour 2007 for Human Rights provided information to fans, and a purple wristbands with the slogan "Erase Hate" from The Matthew Shepard Foundation. A dollar from every ticket sold was earmarked for the Human Rights Campaign, which advocates equal rights for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.

"American Triangle" (2001)

Elton John and Bernie Taupin wrote the song American Triangle which appeared on the 2001 album Songs from the West Coast with Rufus Wainwright on backing vocals. The song is dedicated to the memory of Matthew Shepard.

"And Sadness Will Sear" (2006)

Trivium recorded their song "And Sadness Will Sear" on their 2006 album The Crusade.

"The Ballad of Matthew Shepard" (2006)

Brian Houston recorded his song "The Ballad of Matthew Shepard" on his 2006 album Sugar Queen.

"Cheyenne" (2001)

Good Riddance recorded the song "Cheyenne" on their 2001 album Symptoms of a Leveling Spirit.

"Did You Just Say 'Faggot'?" (2005)

Dangers recorded the song "Did You Just Say “Faggot”?" on their 2005 Self-Titled EP.

"Fear and Loathing in Laramie" (2003)

Protest the Hero recorded their song "Fear and Loathing in Laramie" on their 2003 album A Calculated Use of Sound.

"For Matthew Shepard" (2006)

Dorianne Laux wrote a poem "For Matthew Shepard" in her 2006 book Facts about the Moon.

"God Loves Everyone" (2002)

Ron Sexsmith wrote and performed the song "God Loves Everyone" on his 2002 album Cobblestone Runway. Reviewer Adrien Begrand said that "God Loves Everyone", "inspired by the brutal murder of gay Wyoming student Matthew Shepard, is a simple, acoustic song that is a wrenching plea for tolerance that sounds especially poignant these days."

"Hail" (2003)

Hamell on Trial recorded the song "Hail" on his 2003 album Tough Love.

"Hinterland" (2006)

The Radiators From Space recorded their song "Hinterland" on their 2006 album Trouble Pilgrim

"Incinerate" (2006)

Elysia recorded their song "Incinerate" for their 2006 album Masochist.

"Into the Sun" (2000)

Jann Arden recorded the song "Into the Sun," listing Shepard among "decent men" who had been killed, for her 2000 album Blood Red Cherry. It was also released as a single. The album and single were charted hits in Canada.

"Jesus Is On The Wire" (2004)

Peter, Paul and Mary recorded the Thea Hopkins' song "Jesus Is On The Wire" for their 2004 album In These Times. The Matthew Shepard story-song is described by Peter, Paul and Mary as "... one of the most important songs we have sung in recent years."

"Laramie" (2001)

Amy Ray recorded her song "Laramie" on her 2001 album Stag about Shepard.

"Laramie" (2003)

Massachusetts hardcore punk band The Suicide File recorded their song "Laramie" on their 2003 album Twilight.

"Matthew" (2004)

Janis Ian wrote and performed the song 'Matthew' - about Matthew Shepard - for her 2004 album Billie's Bones.

"M. Shepard" (2004)

The New Brunswick, New Jersey post-hardcore band Thursday wrote and recorded a song about The Laramie Project production titled "M. Shepard" for their 2004 album War All the Time.

"Merman" (1998)

Tori Amos dedicated her song "Merman" to Shepard throughout her '98 tour.

"Poster Child" (2008)

A balladeer wrote and recorded the song "Poster Child", which appeared on their second album Where Are You, Bambi Woods?. The song and its impressive videoclip is a tribute to Matthew as well an indictment to hate crime.

"Sacrifice" (2001)

Best Revenge recorded the song "Sacrifice" on their 2001 album Starts With You.

"Scarecrow" (1999)

In 1999, Melissa Etheridge released the song "Scarecrow" on the album Breakdown. This ballad uses the image of a scarecrow because the bicyclist who found Shepard's body first thought that it was scarecrow lying in the fields. In her autobiography The Truth Is... she said that she and some of her friends, including Ellen DeGeneres organized a trip to the Denver hospital. Etheridge said that Shepherd's death made her especially sad since he looked like a gay friend of hers in high school which made her "cry uncontrollably."

"Scarecrow" (2002)

Kristian Hoffman wrote the song "Scarecrow" and performs it with Rufus Wainwright on the 2002 album &. The CD liner notes describe the song as evoking "the empty plains of Wyoming, the scene of the death of its subject, Matthew Shepard."

"Scarecrow" (2010)

American hardcore band, Stick To Your Guns recorded "Scarecrow" for their 2010 album, The Hope Division

"Sounds" (2002)

Performed by Suzzy & Maggie Roche, their song "'Sounds" appeared on their 2002 album Zero Church. The liner notes to the CD say that the lyrics to "Sounds" were written by the poet Karen Bashkirew in response to Matthew Shepard's murder.

"That Ain't Right" (2003)

Non-Prophets recorded "That Ain't Right", a song by Sage Francis, on their 2003 album Hope.

"Trouble the Waters" (1999)

Big Country recorded the song "Trouble the Waters" on their album Driving to Damascus, released in 1999. The song has a reference to Matthew Shepard's murder.

"What Matters" (2000)

Randi Driscoll recorded the song "What Matters" for as an "official benefit single" for the Matthew Shepard Foundation.

"Matthew Shepard" (1999)

A song composed by David del Tredici that depicts Matthew Shepard's final hours of life.