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New Radicals will reunite for first time in 22 years for Biden Inauguration Parade

‘If there’s one thing on Earth that would possibly make us get the band together, if only for a day, it is the hope that our song could be even the tiniest beacon of light in such a dark time’

Rachel Brodsky
Los Angeles
Monday 18 January 2021 03:03 GMT
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New Radicals will reunite for first time in 22 years for Biden Inauguration Parade
New Radicals will reunite for first time in 22 years for Biden Inauguration Parade (YouTube)

Beloved 1990s pop-rockers The New Radicals are set to reunite for the first time in 22 years as part of the Biden-Harris team's virtual “Parade Across America” event, where they will perform their 1998 hit “You Get What You Give”.

The single memorably showed up on the campaign trail as Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’s husband Doug Emhoff's walk-on song.

“If there’s one thing on Earth that would possibly make us get the band together, if only for a day, it is the hope that our song could be even the tiniest beacon of light in such a dark time,” frontman Gregg Alexander said in a statement.

“America knows in its heart that things will get bright again with a new administration and a real plan for vaccines on the way. That’s the message of the song… this world is gonna pull through.”

Read More: ‘We The People’ concert: Connie Britton reveals moving moment with Joe Biden

As Rolling Stone points out, the song has deeper meaning for the Biden family too. In President-elect Biden’s 2017 autobiography, Promise Me, Dad, he said that “You Get What You Give” became the family's “theme song” when his son Beau was battling cancer.

“During breakfast, Beau would often make me listen to what I thought was his theme song, ‘You Get What You Give’ by the New Radicals,” Biden wrote. “Even though Beau never stopped fighting and his will to live was stronger than most – I think he knew that this day might come. The words to the song are:  This whole damn world can fall apart. You’ll be OK, follow your heart.”

The virtual inauguration parade will take place after the swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday (20 January). This will be The New Radicals’ first performance since 1999; they broke up shortly after releasing “You Get What You Give”.

“Performing the song again after such a long time is a huge honour because we all have deep respect for Beau’s military service and such high hopes for the unity and normalcy Joe and Kamala will bring our country again in this time of crisis,” Alexander said.

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