You give what you get

 

Even if you don’t remember the name of the band — New radicals, stylized as Иew Radicals, because nothing says freedom as a Russian “I”: see local opposition leader Alexei Navalny’s latest problems with the law for more — you must have heard the song. “You get what you give”, along with Chumbawamba’s “Tubthumping” or perhaps more evidently Nada Surf’s “Popular“, is forever intertwined with a moment in time and music, the mid-90’s, when prospects of a global crisis that could shake the American economy — and everything around it — were still more science fiction than anything realistic. So much has changed…

In that innocent era — for preferably male white Westerners, that is — “You get what you give” came out of nowhere to become a bone fide anthem of optimism, the American dream and a feeling that anything would indeed always be possible. While the next couple of decades saw tremendous amounts of adversity come everyone’s way, one thing does remain true: there is always light at the end of the tunnel. And by ‘tunnel’, we quite obviously mean the Trump presidency. And by ‘end’, we mean Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ imminent inauguration. An occasion the New radicals very wisely chose to reunite and perform their now classic song.

Beyond the lyrics and ethos the band is forever associated with, “You get what you give” also happens to have more direct links with the Biden campaign. While Kamala Harris’ husband Doug Emhoff used the song in his rallies, it appears the late Beau Biden loved it and would often play it with relatives around, including his now President-elect of a father. Joe Biden specifically referenced it in his memoir as Beau’s “theme song”. What a fitting tribute to both Joe and his late son this live performance on such a historic occasion will truly be…

Let this be the beginning of a new era for the United States, the world — and music!