Three hundred thousand people marched against the Iraq War before it even started, but George Michael was already singing what many were too afraid to say. His 2002 song Shoot The Dog took aim at the political puppetry between Tony Blair and George W. Bush, and he did not pull any punches. With biting lyrics and an animated video full of satire, Michael turned his anger into something louder than headlines.
The emotions are not subtle. You can hear the fury, the disgust, and the sense of betrayal in his voice. Yet under all that fire, there is exhaustion too. This was not just a protest song, it was a cry from someone who felt helpless watching leaders charge toward chaos. Michael’s voice swings between mocking laughter, and pure frustration, creating this mix that feels too real to ignore.
George Michael – Shoot The Dog (Official Video)
Fans were shocked but many were thankful. “He said what we were all thinking,” one person commented. Others called it brave, honest, even risky. The video’s cartoonish look did not soften the message. In fact, it made the truth hit harder. People were not just hearing a pop star vent. They were watching someone peel back the curtain on power, greed and the cost of silence.
Years before that, though, George Michael had already drawn a different kind of line. If “Shoot The Dog” was him pointing a finger at the world, then “Freedom! ’90” was him pointing one at himself and then breaking free. That song was not about presidents or politics. It was about the pressure to perform, the mask he was forced to wear, and his decision to take it off, no matter the cost.
George Michael – Freedom! ’90 (Official Video)
This song has energy that feels like kicking open a locked door. He sings with fire, but it is the fire of someone finally stepping into their own skin. Instead of showing his face, he let supermodels take the spotlight, as if to say, “I am done being a brand.” One line says it all: “I think there is something you should know, I think it is time I told you so.” It is not just a lyric. It is a turning point.
George Michael knew how to sing pain, joy, and rebellion all at once. He was not afraid to confront the world, or himself. That honesty still makes his songs echo long after they end. Follow George Michael on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. The next song might be exactly what you need.