You Get What You Give

 

 Democracy prevailed, as President Biden said, but the human prospect is still pretty iffy. But whatever happens, as moments in the virtual Inaugural remind us, humanity did something transcendent. We sing. And we dance. 

 There were no joyous crowds, so apart from speeches, the megastar singing, the fashion and a song of words called a poem, all the joy was virtual, and you had to look for it. But the Inaugural committee provided it. Apart from Lady Gaga and Jennifer Lopez etc., who were great, a lot of people probably saw the evening program, which to my mind had its moments but was uneven. Maybe it was all the commercials.

 What a lot of people didn’t see was the virtual Parade Across America program in the afternoon, which mostly featured non-celebs demonstrating the energy and grace that’s part of their ongoing lives, whatever else has been going on. Towards the end of it was a two minute plus video, Dance Across America, which featured trained and professional dancers with some amateurs (which means they do it for the love of it, because it is its own reward.) That’s the exhilarating video above.

Also part of that program was a music video, made recently by Gregg Alexander, lead writer and singer of the late 90s band New Radicals. After one hit single, he disbanded it, tired of the business (according to Wikipedia sources) and concentrated on writing for others.

 But that hit was a song called “You Get What You Give,” and it was a Biden family favorite, especially in the hard times during Beau’s fatal illness. Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff had it played during 2020 campaign rallies. So Alexander got some musicians together to record a new version, and this video for the virtual Inaugural parade program.

 I missed this song completely when it was new. How could that happen? Not only is it catchy with great lyrics, but the original video for it was shot in a shopping mall. In context, it’s a kind of fight song for teen millennials, caught in the servant sector with no discernible way out.  

 Though the visuals in the new video are uneven, Alexander’s new vocal is more soulful. The song always had heart. And the fight song lyrics still work: “We got the dreamer’s disease.” “You got the the music in you...Don’t give up/you’ve got a reason to live/Can’t forget/We only get what we give.” 

 As a species we’ve trashed the planet and our own potential, and seem intent on doing ourselves in, knowing that’s what we’re doing, but unable to stop ourselves. But we've cultivated another side of us so maybe we’ll squeak through, who knows? Anyway, as long as we’re here I expect we’ll still be singing and dancing. These video suggest that these are the flowers of our civilization. Experience them now.