After Joe Biden’s inauguration on January 20, the Presidential Inaugural Committee will be hosting the Virtual Parade Across America, which will be televised and is set to “feature diverse, dynamic performances in communities across the country.” Now some of that lineup as been revealed, and it’s huge for bucket hat fans: the New Radicals are reuniting to perform for the first time since 1999. Naturally, they’ll be playing their iconic ’90s hit “You Get What You Give.”
The song has a personal significance to the Biden family, as the president-elect wrote in his 2017 autobiography Promise Me, Dad, “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. 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 band’s Gregg Alexander said in a statement:
“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. 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. […] Performing the song again after such a long time is a huge honor 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.”
This isn’t the only special musical treat set for Biden’s inauguration, as Justin Timberlake will also be performing a new song for an inauguration TV special.
