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And now,
here's Carnation's own contented couple,
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- George and Gracie.
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Thank you.
Thank you very much.
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Gracie and I will be back again
two weeks from tonight.
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- Say goodnight, Gracie.Goodnight.
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Good night.
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This concludes another day of service.
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And now, ladies and gentlemen,
our national anthem.
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And the rocket's red glare
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{\an8}The bombs bursting in air
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In New York's Central Park,
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over a million citizens take time,
as they do in similar gatherings
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across the face of the continent,
to restate their allegiance
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on I Am An American Day.
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{\an8}I believe that this nation
should commit itself
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{\an8}to achieving the goal,
before this decade is out,
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of landing a man on the Moon
and returning him safely to the Earth.
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{\an8}
That's one small step for man,
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one giant leap for mankind.
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An informed patriotism is what we want.
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A love of country
and an appreciation of its institutions.
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Goal!
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"Being American
is more than a pride we inherit
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It's the past we step into
and how we repair it"
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And the rocket's red glare
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The bombs bursting in air
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Gave proof through the night
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{\an8}"We've seen a force that would
shatter our nation rather than share it"
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You will not replace us!
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{\an8}"History has its eyes on us
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{\an8}"We've learned that quiet
isn't always peace
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{\an8}"We will not march back to what was
but move to what shall be
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{\an8}"A country that is bruised, but whole
benevolent, but bold
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{\an8}"Fierce and free
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{\an8}"We will not be turned around
or interrupted by intimidation"
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USA! USA! USA!
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Part of what makes this country special
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{\an8}is that we respect people's rights
to have a different opinion
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{\an8}and to make different decisions about
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how they want to express their concerns.
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This anthem is our one tradition
we all share as Americans.
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It represents our flag,
our flag represents our country,
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and our country represents the men
and women that fight to keep it free.
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{\an8}I understand it's supposed
to honor the country,
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{\an8}but here's what people forget
about the national anthem.
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It ain't original.
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It's based off a British song.
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172 years ago,
a Washington lawyer, Francis Scott Key,
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who was being detained
by the British in Baltimore Harbor,
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looked across these waters
and saw Old Glory still flying
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after long hours of British bombardment
of Fort McHenry.
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He was inspired to write a poem set
to the music of an old English song.
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That don't even make no sense.
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Imagine that. Imagine whoopin' another
country's ass, getting your freedom,
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and then to celebrate your freedom
you write a freedom song
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based on a song of
the country's ass you just whooped?
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Patriotism is a film.
Let's not forget that.
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Patriotism ain't no one song.
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If you want more people
to stand for the anthem,
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change the song.
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Maybe start with all the film stuff.
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Do you have a set order
for how those are gonna play?
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Yeah, it'll be Green Book,
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King Richard, When They See Us,
and Bridgerton.
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Okay. Cool.
Yeah.
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{\an8}Thank you.
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{\an8}- How does it look?
Really good.
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{\an8}- Yeah?
- I like this lighting better.
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{\an8}Yeah? Okay.
Yeah.
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{\an8}Because I do like the idea
of people being able to see you.
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I think that they're here to see you.
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...the artistic director here.
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And it's great to see you all.
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How you doing, Kris?
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Good.
- This is going to be beautiful.
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Thanks. I'm looking forward to it.
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Incredible, watching the sound check.
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Oh, thank you.
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Go ahead.
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Kris Bowers is our great artist tonight.
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Someone with an extraordinary sort of
résumé in film and television scoring.
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Bridgerton, Green Book, Respect.
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There's dozens, dozens more.
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He's one of the great young pianists
of our time right now.
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So please give a warm welcome
to Kris Bowers.
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Go, team.
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I started playing piano when I was four.
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Once I was able to learn how
to improvise and express myself,
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especially, I think,
being a young Black boy,
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all of the sudden, the piano
became this vehicle for me.
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If I was angry or sad or, you know,
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any of these other feelings,
I could play from that place on piano
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and kind of find a way
to move through those feelings.
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And so, part of my process
when I first get a film
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is I read through the script
or I watch the film.
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I watch it a bunch of times.
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And I find a place
that just emotionally moves me.
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And then, once I find that moment,
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I then go to the piano
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and just try to improvise
around that feeling,
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seeking some sort of truth.
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I think that when you first
came to me with this project,
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I was primarily focused on
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how globally influential
the music that was created
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on American soil has been.
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And yet, the piece of music
that we choose
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to represent us doesn't sound like that.
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And so, I immediately felt
incredibly curious
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about the symbolic importance
of the anthem for so many people.
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Is there any way to synthesize that
into a piece of music
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with the effort of making this feel
as inclusive as possible?
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Thinking of this task, it only made
sense to travel through the country,
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and meet musicians
that can teach us about
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these other genres that originated here.
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{\an8}How's that? Can you hear me?
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{\an8}There we go.
- Yup.
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{\an8}I think, on this road trip, we have to
kind of like, you know, soak it in.
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The more I'm thinking about it, the more
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I'm getting excited about
what it would mean
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to create a new anthem
for America today.
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What is the American sound?
What is the American voice?
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And sort of translating
that into lyrics in a song.
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I think it would be good to have
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whomever we're able to get as a producer
weigh in on that,
125
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just talking about what
we're looking for
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when we go on this trip and everything.
127
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So, on the producer side,
we've been talking a lot about DJ Dahi.
128
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I guess he's produced
some of Drake's stuff.
129
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Yeah, he's a friend, too.
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He's super versatile.
The thing I love about Dahi is he's...
131
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You would classify him
as hip-hop producer, but he's like...
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He grew up listening to rock music
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just as much, if not more than hip-hop,
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and so, like, the sound
of his production is really unique.
135
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He's also one of the greatest producers
when it comes to like textures,
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things like that, sampling something
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and making it sound like something else.
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I've known him for a while, so I think
he'd be down to help in some way.
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{\an8}When you create music,
you just have to know
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it has to connect to people.
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Co-production, I think, is really dope.
And you just got to be open, you know?
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I mean, the song
is the most important thing.
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It's not about me or the other person.
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It's about the song.
145
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I don't care about what I'm making
being the biggest song.
146
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If it happens, it's great,
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but I just wanna make something that's,
like, some type of emotional pull.
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Because a lot of times
when you're making a song,
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you're really making
a song for the future.
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00:10:32,757 --> 00:10:35,926
My dad is from the Ivory Coast
in West Africa.
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He moved here to have a better life
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and there was more opportunity.
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Seeing him hustling
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was kind of like the first time
I really understood,
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"Oh, yeah, America is a place
that people want to come to grow."
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He was determined to create
a better life for himself
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and a better space for his family.
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And now that I'm in that position,
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I am worried about where
the world will be
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when my son is able to kind of
make decisions on his own.
161
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Sometimes you have to take a challenge
just to see what you can do,
162
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so when Kris told me about the project,
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I was like, "Yo, I'm game, man."
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- My brother.
- How you feeling?
165
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- What's good, man?
- Not much.
166
00:11:27,812 --> 00:11:29,939
- Yeah. Welcome to the spot, man.
- Man.
167
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So, man, what's up
with this road trip, man?
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How are you feeling about it?
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I'm excited, to be honest.
A little nervous.
170
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There's so much about
being a kid from LA.
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This is what I know.
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Know what I'm saying?
Either I'm in LA or I'm in New York.
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But, in general, like, I haven't
really been kind of in the heart...
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of the country, know what I'm saying?
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So this is definitely a dream
for me in that sense,
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and just learning about the history
of music in this country and...
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Yeah, man.
Just excited to learn, you know.
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- That's the main thing.
- Yeah, totally.
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An anthem is a song that is designed
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{\an8}to create a sense of unity,
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{\an8}or a sense of identity.
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And so, it provides a way
for a lot of different people
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to all connect to kind of a master story
or a master narrative about a country.
184
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Quite often, national anthems
grow from militarism
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{\an8}and are used repeatedly
within militaristic activities.
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In the case of The Star-Spangled Banner,
187
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Francis Scott Key wrote the lyrics
after witnessing the attack on Baltimore
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by British ships in the War of 1812.
189
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{\an8}In 1916, Woodrow Wilson,
the president, signs a bill
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{\an8}making The Star-Spangled Banner
the official anthem of the US Military.
191
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And the rocket's red glare
192
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This is the first time
in American history
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that people regularly stand
for the anthem as a sign of respect.
194
00:13:03,032 --> 00:13:06,994
Part of the concern
in the performance of the anthem is that
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if you do anything outside of the box,
196
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anything outside of the composition
as it exists in the popular imagination,
197
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it is seen as an affront.
198
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It is seen as a protest.
199
00:13:20,216 --> 00:13:22,426
So, José Feliciano, for example,
200
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{\an8}performed a more folksy
version of the song,
201
00:13:26,263 --> 00:13:28,849
{\an8}one that sounded very much
like the period
202
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{\an8}in which it was performed
and released, which was 1968.
203
00:13:32,895 --> 00:13:35,189
...early light
204
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What so proudly we hailed
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At the twilight's last gleaming?
206
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Whose broad stripes and bright stars
207
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Through the perilous...
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For him,
it was a sincere expression,
209
00:13:56,168 --> 00:13:58,838
but it struck people,
particularly veterans,
210
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who were throwing their shoes
at their television sets
211
00:14:01,423 --> 00:14:04,844
and lighting up the television network
switchboards with complaints.
212
00:14:04,969 --> 00:14:07,721
Were so gallantly streaming?
213
00:14:07,721 --> 00:14:12,810
And the rocket's red glare
214
00:14:13,394 --> 00:14:17,606
The bombs bursting in air
215
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I wonder,
when I think about this version,
216
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like, who didn't like this song?
217
00:14:22,903 --> 00:14:25,114
- Yeah.
- That's what I be thinking about.
218
00:14:25,114 --> 00:14:26,907
- To me, it sounds beautiful.
- Yeah.
219
00:14:26,907 --> 00:14:28,534
But in my head, I'm more thinking,
220
00:14:28,534 --> 00:14:29,785
somebody out there was like,
221
00:14:29,785 --> 00:14:31,996
"I don't like the way
it sounds this way."
222
00:14:31,996 --> 00:14:33,539
- Yeah, for sure.
- Yeah.
223
00:14:43,007 --> 00:14:46,385
Even if we have clear intentions
with what we're trying to do,
224
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the risk, it's really in how
we might be perceived,
225
00:14:51,765 --> 00:14:53,517
given where our country is
226
00:14:53,517 --> 00:14:58,522
and how quick people are to find
some sort of way to weaponize anything
227
00:14:58,522 --> 00:15:01,066
that can be made
into a political statement.
228
00:15:01,483 --> 00:15:03,861
Even if we're just doing it
for the music,
229
00:15:03,861 --> 00:15:07,781
it's very easy for that
to be twisted and misconstrued.
230
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I had visions of, like, protests.
231
00:15:11,493 --> 00:15:14,747
I had visions of people,
like, just upset.
232
00:15:15,247 --> 00:15:17,708
The mindfulness
that attends to an exercise
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like the creation of an anthem,
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would necessarily have to be
235
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multilingual, multi-genre.
236
00:15:25,633 --> 00:15:30,471
It's not meant to be the same song
two weeks from now as it is today.
237
00:15:30,471 --> 00:15:34,099
And that type of malleable object is one
238
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that might have
a chance of being inclusive.
239
00:15:37,394 --> 00:15:39,063
It's challenging. On one hand,
240
00:15:39,063 --> 00:15:40,940
you have to overcome
the weight of history
241
00:15:40,940 --> 00:15:43,108
that's behind The Star-Spangled Banner.
242
00:15:43,108 --> 00:15:45,694
We have 200 years
of historical weight behind it.
243
00:15:45,694 --> 00:15:48,405
If I were to give advice
244
00:15:48,405 --> 00:15:51,075
to artists on how to craft
a new national anthem,
245
00:15:51,075 --> 00:15:53,911
I would say good luck.
That's not a job I would ever want.
246
00:15:53,911 --> 00:15:56,413
I think it's an impossible task.
247
00:15:56,413 --> 00:16:00,459
And I think
that it is going to be exceedingly hard
248
00:16:00,459 --> 00:16:05,464
in this country
to create one unifying narrative
249
00:16:05,464 --> 00:16:06,966
or one unifying song.
250
00:16:08,926 --> 00:16:09,927
Yeah.
251
00:16:10,302 --> 00:16:14,807
To create a new anthem for America
is beyond, like, one person.
252
00:16:16,016 --> 00:16:17,059
Okay, close it.
253
00:16:18,102 --> 00:16:19,186
All right. Thank you.
254
00:16:19,186 --> 00:16:22,356
To be honest, I don't even think
of myself as the voice of this song.
255
00:16:22,773 --> 00:16:25,401
It can transcend different people.
256
00:16:25,818 --> 00:16:28,946
The experience of an immigrant,
or the experience of death,
257
00:16:28,946 --> 00:16:31,365
the experience of growth,
258
00:16:31,365 --> 00:16:34,868
these are all rooted in the human
experience at the end of the day.
259
00:16:36,120 --> 00:16:39,498
If we want a piece of music
that represents a large group of people,
260
00:16:39,498 --> 00:16:42,418
then we can't have
a singular person writing that.
261
00:16:43,293 --> 00:16:45,921
We've got to try to pick up
some people off the trip
262
00:16:45,921 --> 00:16:49,591
and bring them back to LA
and work on this new song.
263
00:16:50,384 --> 00:16:54,471
And so, I feel like that we need
to have as many perspectives as possible
264
00:16:54,471 --> 00:16:56,849
in our writing of this song
and to be able
265
00:16:56,849 --> 00:16:58,392
to acknowledge those experiences.
266
00:17:11,613 --> 00:17:13,907
There is a city
with a worldwide reputation
267
00:17:13,907 --> 00:17:15,492
{\an8}for making automobiles.
268
00:17:16,577 --> 00:17:17,578
{\an8}Detroit.
269
00:17:18,203 --> 00:17:20,873
Motor City, Motown.
270
00:17:27,296 --> 00:17:31,008
{\an8}We're saluting the record company
that really put Detroit on the map.
271
00:17:31,550 --> 00:17:34,053
Not all over the country,
but all over the world.
272
00:17:34,428 --> 00:17:35,429
There it is.
273
00:17:35,679 --> 00:17:36,805
Motown Records.
274
00:17:37,181 --> 00:17:41,101
Most of the people in Detroit know
that this is a place they can come
275
00:17:41,101 --> 00:17:43,854
and try to break
into the music industry.
276
00:17:44,104 --> 00:17:46,565
You take something
out of the Black heart
277
00:17:46,565 --> 00:17:49,193
out of the Black spirit,
out of the Black consciousness,
278
00:17:49,193 --> 00:17:53,155
develop it, package it
and put it on the market in America
279
00:17:53,155 --> 00:17:56,158
and make everybody like it,
whether they be Black or white.
280
00:18:02,539 --> 00:18:04,333
Seven times you misled me
281
00:18:05,334 --> 00:18:07,669
Fourteen reasons to stay
282
00:18:08,921 --> 00:18:12,174
Twenty-one times just tried to love you
283
00:18:12,633 --> 00:18:15,427
Got me going insane now, yeah
284
00:18:15,636 --> 00:18:16,929
Ooh, boy
285
00:18:17,346 --> 00:18:19,473
I'm crazy about your smile
286
00:18:19,473 --> 00:18:21,975
Got me living on a butterfly cloud
287
00:18:24,186 --> 00:18:26,313
It's crazy, it's driving me wild
288
00:18:26,313 --> 00:18:28,273
Got me open, no, wide open
289
00:18:29,399 --> 00:18:31,235
Superfly, you're so fine
290
00:18:31,235 --> 00:18:33,362
Boy, I need all of your love
291
00:18:36,490 --> 00:18:38,700
You make me feel so fine
292
00:18:40,869 --> 00:18:42,329
So fly
293
00:18:43,413 --> 00:18:45,791
You make me feel so fly
294
00:18:47,668 --> 00:18:49,461
So fly
295
00:18:50,254 --> 00:18:52,631
You make me feel so fly
296
00:18:54,508 --> 00:18:55,926
So fly
297
00:18:55,926 --> 00:18:57,678
You're amazing
298
00:18:58,011 --> 00:19:00,806
So fine
299
00:19:00,806 --> 00:19:02,558
Play it, fellows. Yeah.
300
00:19:08,438 --> 00:19:09,648
So fine
301
00:19:16,155 --> 00:19:17,156
Yes, sir.
302
00:19:26,999 --> 00:19:29,835
One of the main reasons
we gathered everyone here
303
00:19:29,835 --> 00:19:33,005
is really to give
Dahi and I a lesson, essentially.
304
00:19:33,755 --> 00:19:36,466
Our goal and aim is to write
a new piece of music
305
00:19:36,466 --> 00:19:39,178
that can be considered a new
national anthem
306
00:19:39,178 --> 00:19:42,556
or something that's more representative
of our country today.
307
00:19:43,307 --> 00:19:46,894
As a part of that journey
we're traveling through the country
308
00:19:46,894 --> 00:19:49,354
to connect with different
musicians in different towns
309
00:19:49,354 --> 00:19:51,231
and talk about the music
from those areas.
310
00:19:51,231 --> 00:19:55,152
And so, you know, being here,
we wanted to just speak with all of you
311
00:19:55,152 --> 00:19:56,486
about the Detroit sound
312
00:19:56,486 --> 00:20:00,282
and what you all might be able to impart
to us as we go on this journey.
313
00:20:00,866 --> 00:20:03,243
To make the anthem completely inclusive?
314
00:20:04,494 --> 00:20:05,579
{\an8}Hats off.
315
00:20:06,496 --> 00:20:08,123
{\an8}We haven't done it yet, so...
316
00:20:08,123 --> 00:20:09,208
Yeah.
317
00:20:09,208 --> 00:20:10,292
That's challenging.
318
00:20:10,292 --> 00:20:14,963
How do you guys choose the things
that are dictating your choice of sound?
319
00:20:15,923 --> 00:20:17,299
You don't really.
320
00:20:17,299 --> 00:20:18,967
It just comes out. It's organic.
321
00:20:18,967 --> 00:20:22,387
{\an8}So you start playing,
and suddenly it's like, you might do...
322
00:20:25,432 --> 00:20:26,433
Or you might do...
323
00:20:29,144 --> 00:20:30,229
Sure.
324
00:20:32,397 --> 00:20:34,107
Right. Once I know his pattern,
325
00:20:34,107 --> 00:20:36,485
I'm like,
"What can I lay in there with that?"
326
00:20:36,735 --> 00:20:39,655
Once I hear what he's doing...
You don't want to do too much.
327
00:20:39,655 --> 00:20:41,156
You wanna know what to put in.
328
00:20:41,156 --> 00:20:43,575
We have to listen
to what's going on,
329
00:20:43,575 --> 00:20:46,328
to make sure that you're not disruptive.
330
00:20:46,328 --> 00:20:49,706
And you've got to be supportive.
Sometimes, it's your turn to play.
331
00:20:49,706 --> 00:20:52,417
- Sometimes it's your turn to shut up.
Exactly.
332
00:20:52,417 --> 00:20:55,295
And remembering that
it's all a conversation.
333
00:20:55,295 --> 00:20:57,756
{\an8}In order for somebody to speak,
somebody has to be silent.
334
00:20:58,090 --> 00:21:02,094
{\an8} Or for their point
to be made, right? So...
335
00:21:11,728 --> 00:21:13,647
So we're doing almost like a horn.
336
00:21:18,568 --> 00:21:20,821
'Cause I wouldn't want to do
what he's doing.
337
00:21:20,821 --> 00:21:22,698
Right.
- But that's gonna influence
338
00:21:22,698 --> 00:21:23,907
what we decide to do.
339
00:21:23,907 --> 00:21:27,327
And it's emphasizing certain
parts of the rhythm and all that stuff?
340
00:21:27,327 --> 00:21:29,413
How old were you
when you started singing?
341
00:21:29,413 --> 00:21:33,333
Oh, my God. My first actual
live performance, I was four.
342
00:21:33,333 --> 00:21:35,669
I sang for the opening
of a grocery store.
343
00:21:35,669 --> 00:21:37,838
And I was only supposed
to sing one song.
344
00:21:38,422 --> 00:21:39,881
And they were clapping so good,
345
00:21:39,881 --> 00:21:42,676
I just looked at the band leader
and said, "Play Chain of Fools!"
346
00:21:42,676 --> 00:21:43,802
It was over.
347
00:21:43,927 --> 00:21:45,554
At four?
348
00:21:46,596 --> 00:21:48,056
It's all about the feel.
349
00:21:48,056 --> 00:21:50,600
If you don't have the feel,
you don't have it, period.
350
00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:51,768
Exactly.
351
00:21:52,394 --> 00:21:54,771
In a lot of ways, you know early on.
352
00:21:54,771 --> 00:21:57,858
My dad brought
Jimi Hendrix into the house
353
00:21:58,317 --> 00:21:59,359
and...
354
00:22:00,360 --> 00:22:02,654
It was over after that for me, you know.
355
00:22:02,654 --> 00:22:04,740
Once I saw that, I just went...
356
00:22:05,449 --> 00:22:09,077
"Whatever that is, I want to be that.
I want to be a part of that."
357
00:22:18,879 --> 00:22:21,381
I was listening
to that Woodstock album.
358
00:22:22,132 --> 00:22:25,010
And I listened to it
over and over and over again.
359
00:22:26,303 --> 00:22:28,972
And I just couldn't believe that
360
00:22:29,598 --> 00:22:31,641
he could make the sound of bombs.
361
00:22:45,781 --> 00:22:47,824
It was just like "Whoa."
362
00:22:47,824 --> 00:22:50,535
All of this coming from one man
and his instrument.
363
00:22:55,082 --> 00:22:56,833
This man was in the 101st Airborne,
364
00:22:56,833 --> 00:22:58,877
so when you write
your nasty letters in...
365
00:22:59,586 --> 00:23:02,506
- Nasty letters? Why?
- When you mention the national anthem
366
00:23:02,506 --> 00:23:05,801
and talk about playing it
in any unorthodox way,
367
00:23:05,801 --> 00:23:08,929
you immediately get a guaranteed
percentage of hate mail from people
368
00:23:08,929 --> 00:23:11,807
- saying, "How dare anyone--"
- Listen, it's not unorthodox.
369
00:23:11,807 --> 00:23:13,225
- It isn't unorthodox?
- No.
370
00:23:13,767 --> 00:23:16,311
I thought it was beautiful.
But then, there you go.
371
00:23:22,484 --> 00:23:24,736
What was the controversy
about the national anthem
372
00:23:24,736 --> 00:23:25,904
and the way you played it?
373
00:23:25,904 --> 00:23:27,572
I don't know. All I did was play it.
374
00:23:27,572 --> 00:23:29,074
I'm American, so I played it.
375
00:23:29,074 --> 00:23:32,244
I used to have to sing it at school.
They made me sing it at school.
376
00:23:32,244 --> 00:23:34,621
It's a flashback, you know.
I don't know why the bother.
377
00:23:34,621 --> 00:23:38,583
I remember it being a lot
of controversy at that time.
378
00:23:38,583 --> 00:23:41,128
I do remember things on the news,
379
00:23:41,128 --> 00:23:43,964
how certain people thought
it was really disrespectful.
380
00:23:44,673 --> 00:23:48,385
As a kid, I didn't really know that much
about the song at that time.
381
00:23:48,385 --> 00:23:49,886
I only knew that in school,
382
00:23:50,929 --> 00:23:53,348
you were supposed to do certain things.
383
00:23:53,348 --> 00:23:58,103
And I did notice that certain people,
like my parents, maybe, even,
384
00:23:59,438 --> 00:24:02,691
maybe wouldn't stand up on occasion.
385
00:24:02,691 --> 00:24:05,485
I'm a little kid. I was more embarrassed
about it than anything.
386
00:24:05,485 --> 00:24:07,070
"I don't understand why you're..."
387
00:24:08,280 --> 00:24:10,323
"We'll explain it to you at some point."
388
00:24:10,782 --> 00:24:13,160
This time for us
as Black people was terrible.
389
00:24:16,580 --> 00:24:20,041
{\an8}Detroit exploded
on the night of July 23rd.
390
00:24:20,041 --> 00:24:22,043
The city was ablaze in the riot area
391
00:24:22,043 --> 00:24:25,088
with trembling fingers of flame
lighting the black sky.
392
00:24:28,175 --> 00:24:32,012
The crack of snipers' rifles continue
as morning comes to Detroit.
393
00:24:33,597 --> 00:24:37,642
Paratroopers ordered to the nation's
fifth-largest city by President Johnson
394
00:24:37,642 --> 00:24:41,146
are in armored vans rumbling through
riot-torn sections of Detroit.
395
00:24:43,523 --> 00:24:46,443
Utter chaos is one way
to describe the devastation
396
00:24:46,443 --> 00:24:48,487
in Detroit's inner city area.
397
00:24:56,203 --> 00:25:00,207
{\an8}Because we're all Americans, you know.
We're all Americans, aren't we?
398
00:25:00,624 --> 00:25:03,293
When it was written, then it was played
in a very beautiful,
399
00:25:03,293 --> 00:25:05,504
what they call beautiful state,
you know.
400
00:25:05,504 --> 00:25:07,672
It was nice and inspiring.
Your heart throbs,
401
00:25:07,672 --> 00:25:09,382
and you say, "Great! I'm American!"
402
00:25:09,382 --> 00:25:11,885
Nowadays, when we play it,
we don't play it to take away
403
00:25:11,885 --> 00:25:13,970
this greatness that America
was supposed to have.
404
00:25:13,970 --> 00:25:16,640
We play it the way
the air is in America today.
405
00:25:17,098 --> 00:25:19,017
The air is slightly static, isn't it?
406
00:25:22,354 --> 00:25:27,609
For those people who may think
you're not being very patriotic,
407
00:25:27,901 --> 00:25:29,611
all I can say is,
408
00:25:29,611 --> 00:25:32,572
unless you are in somebody's shoes,
409
00:25:33,990 --> 00:25:36,201
you'll never understand
what it feels like.
410
00:25:38,870 --> 00:25:42,290
We love our country,
and we love the people in our country.
411
00:25:42,290 --> 00:25:44,334
{\an8}But does our country love us?
412
00:25:45,377 --> 00:25:47,546
{\an8}That's the question I ask other people.
413
00:25:48,713 --> 00:25:51,550
And not just Black people nowadays.
414
00:25:52,884 --> 00:25:53,927
Right.
415
00:25:55,595 --> 00:25:58,265
Do you guys have any advice
for me and Dahi
416
00:25:58,265 --> 00:26:00,225
as we continue on with this journey?
417
00:26:00,892 --> 00:26:02,978
To find out about this project at all,
I was like,
418
00:26:02,978 --> 00:26:05,897
to rewrite the anthem,
that's a huge undertaking.
419
00:26:06,356 --> 00:26:07,524
But you got my vote.
420
00:26:07,524 --> 00:26:09,109
Whatever you do with it. Yeah.
421
00:26:10,068 --> 00:26:12,445
An important part of that
is going to be rhythm.
422
00:26:12,904 --> 00:26:14,322
And then, melodically,
423
00:26:15,198 --> 00:26:16,908
give 'em a reason to want to sing.
424
00:26:18,660 --> 00:26:20,245
Even if they can't hold a note.
425
00:26:21,121 --> 00:26:22,455
Give 'em a reason to sing.
426
00:26:24,165 --> 00:26:25,917
Yeah, I like that.
That's true.
427
00:26:25,917 --> 00:26:27,711
Make 'em feel something.
428
00:26:27,711 --> 00:26:28,795
Hit the soul.
429
00:26:29,838 --> 00:26:31,172
- Yeah. For sure.
Right.
430
00:26:42,809 --> 00:26:44,144
A lot of what Paul said
431
00:26:44,144 --> 00:26:46,354
stuck with me.
When he was talking about...
432
00:26:46,354 --> 00:26:48,189
to be able to feel something first
433
00:26:48,189 --> 00:26:50,317
and then giving them something
to sing along to.
434
00:26:51,026 --> 00:26:52,235
Yeah.
- I don't know,
435
00:26:52,235 --> 00:26:55,155
I think about when you're in a bar
when any of those songs comes on,
436
00:26:55,155 --> 00:26:57,616
and, like, the whole bar
is just, like, singing.
437
00:26:57,616 --> 00:26:59,743
It doesn't really matter about, like,
438
00:26:59,743 --> 00:27:02,495
pitch or anything like that.
It's just this communal feeling.
439
00:27:03,330 --> 00:27:05,957
Something in there
feels interesting to me.
440
00:27:10,670 --> 00:27:13,757
I think,
as Black artists in this country,
441
00:27:14,299 --> 00:27:15,967
our greatest currency is culture.
442
00:27:16,635 --> 00:27:18,720
Motown's success and how popular it was
443
00:27:19,179 --> 00:27:21,348
is very similar to
what happened with hip-hop,
444
00:27:21,348 --> 00:27:23,767
where it came from a certain community,
445
00:27:24,017 --> 00:27:28,188
and from there, it kind of grew outside
and became popular.
446
00:27:28,188 --> 00:27:29,773
It became pop music, you know.
447
00:27:30,106 --> 00:27:31,775
I think it's interesting that
448
00:27:31,775 --> 00:27:34,861
most of the most notable versions
of the anthem that we talk about
449
00:27:34,861 --> 00:27:36,029
are artists of color.
450
00:27:36,029 --> 00:27:39,199
And I feel like that's because
most of those artists
451
00:27:39,199 --> 00:27:42,410
{\an8}were finding a way
to express the feeling
452
00:27:42,410 --> 00:27:44,245
{\an8}of their experience in this country
453
00:27:44,454 --> 00:27:46,206
{\an8}through their version of the song.
454
00:27:46,790 --> 00:27:50,168
{\an8}Their arrangements carried
a complexity to them,
455
00:27:50,168 --> 00:27:51,628
{\an8}from both the dark and light
456
00:27:51,753 --> 00:27:54,547
{\an8}of their experience in this country.
457
00:28:26,037 --> 00:28:28,248
{\an8}
I'm gonna let the groove out.
458
00:28:43,596 --> 00:28:44,597
{\an8}Do it!
459
00:28:44,597 --> 00:28:47,225
{\an8} Well, I feel so bad
460
00:28:48,351 --> 00:28:51,813
{\an8}I feel like a ballgame on a rainy day
461
00:28:54,774 --> 00:28:55,775
{\an8}Here we go!
462
00:28:56,609 --> 00:28:58,862
{\an8} Well, I feel so bad
463
00:29:00,739 --> 00:29:04,075
I feel like a ballgame on a rainy day
464
00:29:09,706 --> 00:29:11,833
Since my baby left me
465
00:29:13,376 --> 00:29:16,087
{\an8}I shake my head and walk away
466
00:29:18,506 --> 00:29:19,799
Let's get on out of here!
467
00:30:50,306 --> 00:30:51,349
Oh, yeah!
468
00:30:57,856 --> 00:30:58,857
Good, man.
469
00:31:00,650 --> 00:31:02,735
Since my baby left me
470
00:31:04,362 --> 00:31:06,656
I shake my head and walk away
471
00:31:06,656 --> 00:31:09,784
- Congregation, can I get an "amen"?
Amen!
472
00:31:23,172 --> 00:31:25,842
So, the lyrics
you just made up, just now...
473
00:31:25,842 --> 00:31:28,303
That's made-up stuff.
The groove and everything.
474
00:31:28,303 --> 00:31:29,512
What's...
475
00:31:29,804 --> 00:31:31,723
Well, that's a Little Milton stuff
476
00:31:31,723 --> 00:31:34,267
and plus my own stuff,
and it's just a groove.
477
00:31:34,267 --> 00:31:35,351
You throw it out there.
478
00:31:35,351 --> 00:31:38,396
Yeah, the call and response
aspect of what just happened
479
00:31:38,563 --> 00:31:41,983
reminds me of, like,
preacher-congregation.
480
00:31:41,983 --> 00:31:44,694
That's what I was thinking.
- Yes! It's the same thing.
481
00:32:01,252 --> 00:32:05,256
This music that you hear in the churches
is blues music with another name.
482
00:32:06,090 --> 00:32:07,300
- Gospel.
Yes.
483
00:32:09,052 --> 00:32:12,639
The blues expresses a deep humanity.
484
00:32:12,764 --> 00:32:14,807
Blues, to me, is for everybody.
485
00:32:15,767 --> 00:32:18,061
It's automatic, man. It's like magic.
486
00:32:19,020 --> 00:32:20,104
Because...
487
00:32:48,967 --> 00:32:51,636
And that's where the music is
in this country today.
488
00:32:51,636 --> 00:32:53,846
That blues is the foundation of it.
489
00:32:53,846 --> 00:32:56,724
You take that out from under it,
you ain't got nothing.
490
00:32:58,309 --> 00:33:00,436
You know, that kind of, like,
leads us into
491
00:33:00,436 --> 00:33:02,855
a lot of what we're trying
to figure out here
492
00:33:02,855 --> 00:33:05,566
with, you know,
Dahi and I on this journey
493
00:33:05,566 --> 00:33:09,278
of thinking of a song
that can be more representative
494
00:33:09,278 --> 00:33:10,863
of the American sound,
495
00:33:10,863 --> 00:33:15,159
especially since I didn't know until
shortly before starting this project
496
00:33:15,159 --> 00:33:18,705
that the actual music from the anthem
is British music,
497
00:33:18,705 --> 00:33:22,583
from a gentlemen's club in England,
like in the 1700s.
498
00:33:22,583 --> 00:33:24,961
I did not know that.
- Yeah.
499
00:33:24,961 --> 00:33:29,298
So I get this really American feeling
and... it's totally phony.
500
00:33:31,134 --> 00:33:33,386
Yeah. I love the national anthem.
501
00:33:33,386 --> 00:33:37,223
You know, it's just what it represents
to me, which is...
502
00:33:37,724 --> 00:33:39,976
I love my country.
503
00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:43,354
But, you know, in Mississippi,
504
00:33:43,354 --> 00:33:46,232
there was a controversy over our flag.
505
00:33:46,232 --> 00:33:48,484
Well, I loved our flag.
506
00:33:49,110 --> 00:33:52,030
Because it was our Mississippi flag,
you know?
507
00:33:52,030 --> 00:33:55,825
Well, then I got to talking to my
my buddy, who's Black,
508
00:33:55,825 --> 00:34:00,079
and he said,
"You know, that symbol there,
509
00:34:00,079 --> 00:34:01,330
"I don't like it."
510
00:34:03,374 --> 00:34:07,378
Because people have used it
in a really negative way.
511
00:34:09,797 --> 00:34:12,383
Eden, it's tough.
512
00:34:12,967 --> 00:34:16,387
There was something on these flags,
both of them.
513
00:34:18,097 --> 00:34:20,767
The Confederate flag
and American flag, too.
514
00:34:21,684 --> 00:34:24,312
The older Black people,
they didn't like neither one.
515
00:34:25,480 --> 00:34:29,442
If you was in the South,
you wasn't free at all.
516
00:34:32,153 --> 00:34:35,073
Well, I didn't realize our flag
was hurting somebody's feelings,
517
00:34:35,073 --> 00:34:36,699
because it made me feel like,
518
00:34:36,699 --> 00:34:39,410
"My home, Mississippi."
I love Mississippi.
519
00:34:39,410 --> 00:34:43,831
So when they came up
to vote for the new flag,
520
00:34:43,831 --> 00:34:47,126
we got rid of that other one,
and now we've got a new flag.
521
00:34:48,628 --> 00:34:52,131
I grew to very much dislike
the old Mississippi flag.
522
00:34:52,131 --> 00:34:55,968
That's why, now if I see it,
I think, "Oh, God."
523
00:34:55,968 --> 00:34:57,845
I mean, I make these assumptions
524
00:34:57,845 --> 00:35:01,057
about what kind of person must live
in that house to fly that flag.
525
00:35:01,057 --> 00:35:03,559
You know, maybe I shouldn't do that,
but it's hard not to
526
00:35:03,559 --> 00:35:05,770
because symbols mean something.
527
00:35:08,940 --> 00:35:11,484
You got all kinds of people, man.
528
00:35:11,484 --> 00:35:14,028
Some peoples don't even want to change.
529
00:35:14,028 --> 00:35:15,154
Yeah.
530
00:35:15,154 --> 00:35:16,823
Now, we brothers.
531
00:35:18,366 --> 00:35:20,993
Sister. We all the same.
532
00:35:20,993 --> 00:35:23,246
We all the same to a certain extent.
533
00:35:24,247 --> 00:35:27,500
Because you play piano.
534
00:35:27,500 --> 00:35:28,960
I play harmonica.
535
00:35:28,960 --> 00:35:30,962
Well, that makes no difference
right there.
536
00:35:34,132 --> 00:35:36,759
Music bring people together.
537
00:35:37,844 --> 00:35:38,886
It does.
538
00:35:39,303 --> 00:35:41,514
Not just playing the blues.
539
00:35:41,514 --> 00:35:43,432
It's in any kind of music.
540
00:35:44,851 --> 00:35:48,354
Because the music today in America
is off the blues tree.
541
00:35:48,354 --> 00:35:51,357
That's one of them limbs
off the blues tree.
542
00:35:51,357 --> 00:35:52,775
That's all it is.
543
00:35:53,776 --> 00:35:56,195
The blues, it'll never die.
544
00:35:57,113 --> 00:35:59,031
We're just passing it on.
545
00:35:59,031 --> 00:36:00,700
Passing the torch.
546
00:36:11,169 --> 00:36:14,714
What I really appreciated
about the people here
547
00:36:14,714 --> 00:36:17,466
was that it just felt
like a real community.
548
00:36:17,466 --> 00:36:20,595
Like, everybody had,
like, something real to say.
549
00:36:20,595 --> 00:36:22,972
And everybody respected
what everybody had to say.
550
00:36:22,972 --> 00:36:25,266
It's also gonna be
interesting to think of how
551
00:36:25,266 --> 00:36:26,934
to represent these different feelings
552
00:36:26,934 --> 00:36:29,896
that I feel like have come up
in a lot of these conversations.
553
00:36:32,190 --> 00:36:36,527
For this song to start the process
of change, is in conflict.
554
00:36:36,527 --> 00:36:38,613
It would have a totally
different meaning
555
00:36:38,613 --> 00:36:42,074
if everybody was kumbaya
and holding hands.
556
00:36:42,074 --> 00:36:45,828
For me, I like to kind of live
a little bit in the danger zone.
557
00:36:45,828 --> 00:36:49,290
That's my process
and how I make my music.
558
00:36:53,211 --> 00:36:56,464
For me, it's just, "How is this
gonna cut through the noise?"
559
00:36:56,464 --> 00:36:57,924
at the end of the day.
560
00:36:58,758 --> 00:37:00,968
I feel like, in general,
561
00:37:00,968 --> 00:37:04,597
Americans are capable of the change
that Eden experienced,
562
00:37:04,597 --> 00:37:07,183
but we need help.
563
00:37:21,948 --> 00:37:23,616
We are in the heart
of America now.
564
00:37:23,616 --> 00:37:25,243
Yeah.
565
00:37:27,495 --> 00:37:29,956
I've never driven through this part
of the country before.
566
00:37:29,956 --> 00:37:31,123
Nope.
567
00:37:56,357 --> 00:37:57,358
{\an8}We wish.
568
00:37:57,358 --> 00:37:58,734
{\an8}We're shooting a documentary.
569
00:37:59,860 --> 00:38:02,363
{\an8}- We're shooting a documentary.
570
00:38:02,363 --> 00:38:03,531
{\an8}About music.
571
00:38:03,531 --> 00:38:06,534
We're traveling the country
and we're just going to different places
572
00:38:06,534 --> 00:38:09,036
and listen to their music
and enjoy and learn about it.
573
00:38:09,036 --> 00:38:10,871
We're learning about country here.
574
00:38:10,871 --> 00:38:11,956
- Yeah, yeah.
- Yeah.
575
00:38:11,956 --> 00:38:14,125
{\an8}- I know.
576
00:38:14,417 --> 00:38:15,626
Most definitely.
577
00:38:16,544 --> 00:38:18,045
I got a lot to learn, brother.
578
00:38:23,592 --> 00:38:25,553
Country music is American.
579
00:38:25,553 --> 00:38:27,763
It started here. It's ours.
580
00:38:27,763 --> 00:38:31,225
It isn't something that we learned
from some other nation,
581
00:38:31,225 --> 00:38:33,019
it isn't something that we inherited.
582
00:38:33,019 --> 00:38:37,273
And so, it's as native
as anything American we can find.
583
00:38:41,986 --> 00:38:44,071
It comes
from the heart of America.
584
00:38:44,613 --> 00:38:48,868
It talks about family,
it talks about religion,
585
00:38:48,868 --> 00:38:52,038
the faith in God
that is so important to our country.
586
00:38:53,039 --> 00:38:55,082
And, as we all know,
587
00:38:55,082 --> 00:38:59,920
country music radiates
a love of this nation.
588
00:39:00,463 --> 00:39:01,464
Patriotism.
589
00:39:04,633 --> 00:39:06,677
Today, the peace of the world
590
00:39:06,677 --> 00:39:10,639
for generations,
maybe centuries to come,
591
00:39:11,432 --> 00:39:14,185
will depend on our love of our country,
592
00:39:14,185 --> 00:39:17,772
our willingness to not
only wear the flag,
593
00:39:17,772 --> 00:39:20,691
but first stand up for the flag,
and country music does that.
594
00:40:17,331 --> 00:40:21,544
Country music
came out of a need to tell stories.
595
00:40:21,544 --> 00:40:24,797
And it's about real stories,
and it's about honesty.
596
00:40:24,797 --> 00:40:28,217
It's about being willing to express
597
00:40:29,427 --> 00:40:31,303
the greatest truths
598
00:40:31,762 --> 00:40:33,681
{\an8}and the greatest struggles.
599
00:40:52,074 --> 00:40:54,869
To me,
that's what country music is about,
600
00:40:54,869 --> 00:40:57,788
is just really putting your feelings
out there
601
00:40:57,788 --> 00:40:59,748
and maybe somebody will connect with it.
602
00:40:59,748 --> 00:41:02,376
{\an8}The old
country stuff, it feels like blues.
603
00:41:02,376 --> 00:41:05,504
{\an8}It feels like honesty, it feels like,
maybe it's a weird way to say it,
604
00:41:05,504 --> 00:41:07,173
{\an8}but, like, white people's soul.
605
00:41:07,173 --> 00:41:09,717
{\an8}It came from their home,
it came from their struggle.
606
00:41:26,400 --> 00:41:29,403
How comfortable do you feel like
country audiences are
607
00:41:29,403 --> 00:41:30,863
comfortable with change?
608
00:41:31,322 --> 00:41:35,034
Country music is music,
but it also is country culture.
609
00:41:35,034 --> 00:41:36,410
It's culture.
Sure.
610
00:41:36,410 --> 00:41:39,580
And so, I don't know that...
611
00:41:40,456 --> 00:41:44,001
culture is just ready to change always.
612
00:41:44,001 --> 00:41:47,046
There's a lot of misconceptions about
the origins of country music.
613
00:41:49,673 --> 00:41:52,176
There's this idea
baked in to country music
614
00:41:52,176 --> 00:41:54,762
that it was started in Appalachia,
615
00:41:54,762 --> 00:41:56,514
which is not entirely true.
616
00:41:56,514 --> 00:41:59,808
{\an8}And there's this idea that there
were no Black people in Appalachia,
617
00:41:59,808 --> 00:42:01,602
which is also not true.
618
00:42:04,104 --> 00:42:06,815
The banjo is an instrument that was
619
00:42:06,815 --> 00:42:10,194
forced to the United States
on slave ships
620
00:42:10,194 --> 00:42:13,239
in the minds of people from West Africa.
621
00:42:13,239 --> 00:42:17,034
The banjo was a plantation instrument.
622
00:42:17,034 --> 00:42:20,621
And we're still experiencing
the ripples of that today.
623
00:42:28,504 --> 00:42:32,132
How would you define
the sound of the country voice,
624
00:42:32,132 --> 00:42:35,219
and, like, just the overall
aesthetic or tone,
625
00:42:35,219 --> 00:42:36,720
like, how would you define that?
626
00:42:36,720 --> 00:42:39,014
I think it's anything you want it to be.
627
00:42:39,014 --> 00:42:42,768
And I think that's something
that music gives us the creativity,
628
00:42:42,768 --> 00:42:46,772
or it gives us the freedom
to have that creativity to use it
629
00:42:46,772 --> 00:42:47,856
{\an8}however we want it.
630
00:42:48,232 --> 00:42:51,193
{\an8}But I think I grew up
with so much gospel music,
631
00:42:51,193 --> 00:42:53,153
so much old-school country music,
632
00:42:53,153 --> 00:42:55,823
and I think all of that
really helped shape my voice.
633
00:42:56,156 --> 00:42:57,324
It's interesting.
634
00:42:57,324 --> 00:42:59,910
I'm sitting here, in my head I'm like,
"Gospel, say gospel.
635
00:42:59,910 --> 00:43:01,078
"I know it's gospel."
636
00:43:01,078 --> 00:43:04,873
The first time you opened your mouth,
I said, "That's a gospel singer."
637
00:43:04,873 --> 00:43:07,876
What is it that made you hear that?
If you could articulate it.
638
00:43:07,876 --> 00:43:09,795
The wail. The wail in her voice.
639
00:43:09,795 --> 00:43:10,963
The wail.
640
00:43:10,963 --> 00:43:13,674
There, you know... There was a truth,
641
00:43:13,674 --> 00:43:17,469
but there was a belt that feels like...
642
00:43:17,803 --> 00:43:19,054
Like God to me.
643
00:43:19,054 --> 00:43:20,639
Mmm.
Ooh, ooh.
644
00:43:20,764 --> 00:43:23,601
Gospel music is gospel music
645
00:43:23,601 --> 00:43:26,687
because the foundation is in God.
646
00:43:26,687 --> 00:43:31,734
In a lot of traditional
country music loving households,
647
00:43:31,900 --> 00:43:33,444
there is God.
648
00:43:33,444 --> 00:43:38,449
Now, what kind of God, whose God,
those are all up for discussion.
649
00:43:39,450 --> 00:43:43,954
But I believe that
that is the foundation of that.
650
00:43:44,371 --> 00:43:45,956
It's the melting pot.
Yeah.
651
00:43:45,956 --> 00:43:48,459
Meetings of those sounds, like--
Yeah.
652
00:43:48,459 --> 00:43:51,629
So, looking at a song
like The Star-Spangled Banner...
653
00:43:52,755 --> 00:43:54,715
Would you like to sing it for us?
654
00:43:54,715 --> 00:43:55,924
Sure.
655
00:43:57,593 --> 00:44:00,638
This is gonna be the first time
I've ever sang this sitting down.
656
00:44:00,804 --> 00:44:01,805
True.
657
00:44:01,805 --> 00:44:04,016
Like, I feel like I need
to be on my feet.
658
00:44:06,435 --> 00:44:11,398
Oh, say can you see
659
00:44:11,857 --> 00:44:16,445
By the dawn's early light
660
00:44:17,237 --> 00:44:22,034
What so proudly we hailed
661
00:44:22,284 --> 00:44:26,997
At the twilight's last gleaming
662
00:44:27,122 --> 00:44:30,876
I grew up in a family
with a lot of military.
663
00:44:30,876 --> 00:44:34,797
My grandfather was in the Navy, most of
his brothers were also in the Navy.
664
00:44:34,797 --> 00:44:37,383
My dad was
in the United States Marine Corps.
665
00:44:37,383 --> 00:44:40,719
So to me, I can't listen
to the national anthem
666
00:44:40,719 --> 00:44:45,057
without thinking about countless people
over the years who died for that.
667
00:44:47,017 --> 00:44:51,355
And the rocket's red glare
668
00:44:51,355 --> 00:44:56,402
The bombs bursting in air
669
00:44:58,278 --> 00:45:00,447
I know that a lot of people
don't see it that way,
670
00:45:00,447 --> 00:45:03,867
but coming from a fairly
military-based family,
671
00:45:03,867 --> 00:45:07,037
I would say that that's what it
brings home to me, you know?
672
00:45:07,871 --> 00:45:12,876
Oh, say, does that star-spangled
673
00:45:13,210 --> 00:45:17,673
Banner yet wave
674
00:45:19,299 --> 00:45:24,263
O'er the land of the free
675
00:45:25,764 --> 00:45:30,769
And the home of the brave
676
00:45:36,316 --> 00:45:38,193
That was beautiful.
Amazing.
677
00:45:38,986 --> 00:45:40,612
Beautiful.
678
00:45:41,655 --> 00:45:43,657
The thing I loved
about Charity's version
679
00:45:43,657 --> 00:45:45,492
of the anthem was how much
680
00:45:46,410 --> 00:45:50,038
you could feel her pride for her family
in the way that she sang it.
681
00:45:50,831 --> 00:45:53,917
It felt like she was singing
to her father,
682
00:45:53,917 --> 00:45:56,628
or to her family members
that have served
683
00:45:56,628 --> 00:45:59,548
in a way that was really beautiful
to witness.
684
00:46:00,507 --> 00:46:02,760
It became this really special moment.
685
00:46:03,927 --> 00:46:05,679
But it definitely made me think about
686
00:46:05,679 --> 00:46:08,766
how her family might perceive
what it is that we're doing.
687
00:46:09,141 --> 00:46:13,771
And it made me even more concerned
about this project.
688
00:46:15,105 --> 00:46:16,815
We can't replace the anthem
689
00:46:16,815 --> 00:46:20,402
because there are just millions
of people that love this song.
690
00:46:20,402 --> 00:46:22,196
There are millions of people
that do feel
691
00:46:22,196 --> 00:46:24,823
like this song is representing them
and our country,
692
00:46:24,823 --> 00:46:26,366
and we can't change that,
693
00:46:26,366 --> 00:46:29,286
because then they won't feel
like they're heard.
694
00:46:31,163 --> 00:46:33,290
In talking about a new version
of the song,
695
00:46:33,290 --> 00:46:36,752
do you think it's even possible
that we can create a song
696
00:46:36,752 --> 00:46:39,296
that has multiple identities
697
00:46:39,296 --> 00:46:42,257
that everybody would feel comfortable
singing and be like...
698
00:46:42,382 --> 00:46:44,092
I don't think so.
- You think...
699
00:46:44,092 --> 00:46:45,677
I think you always offend somebody,
700
00:46:45,677 --> 00:46:47,638
no matter what side of the fence
you're on.
701
00:46:47,638 --> 00:46:49,890
- Not everybody likes...
- I'd love it if you could.
702
00:46:50,015 --> 00:46:54,144
I think there's a difference
between made for and accepted by.
703
00:46:54,144 --> 00:46:59,066
I do think there could be a song
made for/with everyone in mind.
704
00:47:00,234 --> 00:47:03,612
I think we can try
and I think we should try
705
00:47:04,112 --> 00:47:06,573
because things have to progress.
706
00:47:06,573 --> 00:47:07,658
It has to.
707
00:47:08,367 --> 00:47:12,204
Country music is about stories.
708
00:47:12,204 --> 00:47:14,206
There's such truth in it.
709
00:47:14,206 --> 00:47:15,499
There is pain.
710
00:47:15,499 --> 00:47:17,835
There is history.
711
00:47:18,919 --> 00:47:22,589
What brought me to country music was
just the raw honesty of songwriting
712
00:47:22,589 --> 00:47:25,968
and raw emotion that country music
brings to the table.
713
00:47:27,511 --> 00:47:29,096
Maybe we were born here,
714
00:47:29,096 --> 00:47:31,849
but our families' origins
are all over the place, you know?
715
00:47:31,849 --> 00:47:36,103
I think America boils down
to the values that you have
716
00:47:36,103 --> 00:47:39,147
and the way you treat
other people a lot of times.
717
00:47:39,773 --> 00:47:43,861
And I think if we could focus
on partly that, maybe, in the song,
718
00:47:43,861 --> 00:47:46,321
I think it'd be maybe well taken.
719
00:47:46,446 --> 00:47:47,489
I would hope so.
720
00:47:47,489 --> 00:47:49,783
I'd hope people would at least
be willing to listen.
721
00:48:11,555 --> 00:48:14,725
In my head, it's funny 'cause
I have this idea of the American Dream.
722
00:48:14,725 --> 00:48:17,436
It is the story of just,
like, prosperity.
723
00:48:17,436 --> 00:48:20,480
And as we were traveling
we started to understand
724
00:48:20,480 --> 00:48:23,191
that it's not really a dream.
725
00:48:23,191 --> 00:48:26,695
It's, like, the struggle
to get to the dream.
726
00:48:26,695 --> 00:48:30,365
And country is American struggle music.
727
00:48:30,365 --> 00:48:32,451
It's very similar to hip-hop,
728
00:48:32,451 --> 00:48:35,704
where it's rooted in, like, kind of
hard stories, know what I'm saying?
729
00:48:35,704 --> 00:48:39,166
Trying to prosper here
or trying to make something of yourself.
730
00:48:39,166 --> 00:48:42,669
Or just having bad days
and trying to find ways to cope.
731
00:48:47,299 --> 00:48:50,385
I always found it interesting
that country music is talking about
732
00:48:50,385 --> 00:48:53,388
these really sad, vulnerable things
733
00:48:53,388 --> 00:48:55,307
and telling these really
intimate stories.
734
00:48:55,307 --> 00:48:56,391
Yeah.
735
00:48:56,391 --> 00:48:58,477
I would assume that,
for the most part,
736
00:48:58,477 --> 00:49:00,228
a lot of people that love country music
737
00:49:00,228 --> 00:49:03,857
might have a problem with the idea
of reconsidering the anthem
738
00:49:03,857 --> 00:49:07,861
or taking a deeper look
at ourselves as a country.
739
00:49:07,861 --> 00:49:08,946
But yet...
740
00:49:09,613 --> 00:49:13,784
they're attracted to music
that is doing that on a personal level.
741
00:49:13,784 --> 00:49:15,452
Yeah. Yep.
742
00:49:17,371 --> 00:49:20,624
Music is what really brings
people together.
743
00:49:20,624 --> 00:49:23,210
And I think a lot of places
don't really realize that.
744
00:49:23,210 --> 00:49:24,294
Yeah.
745
00:49:24,294 --> 00:49:27,881
Like, that doesn't really happen
unless you're in a community
746
00:49:27,881 --> 00:49:31,134
where music is ingrained
in the DNA of the culture.
747
00:49:31,134 --> 00:49:34,012
Like, I think about
a place like New Orleans...
748
00:49:39,184 --> 00:49:42,354
I would imagine it's probably harder
not to be affected by the music here.
749
00:49:42,354 --> 00:49:43,480
Yeah.
750
00:49:53,615 --> 00:49:56,451
It seems like everybody
gravitates toward it so early
751
00:49:56,451 --> 00:49:58,829
because that's so much
a part of the culture.
752
00:50:40,370 --> 00:50:42,456
Yeah. All right.
753
00:50:42,456 --> 00:50:43,832
So...
754
00:50:43,832 --> 00:50:47,419
So, as you can tell by that,
it's not a complicated music,
755
00:50:47,419 --> 00:50:50,797
{\an8}but it's conceptual music,
that's got some
756
00:50:51,381 --> 00:50:54,342
{\an8}things that ain't in other cultures,
you know?
757
00:50:54,342 --> 00:50:57,262
If you could speak a bit more
to where these rhythms came from
758
00:50:57,262 --> 00:50:59,139
before they were here, you know.
759
00:50:59,139 --> 00:51:00,682
We had the biggest port!
760
00:51:00,682 --> 00:51:02,017
We had the biggest port.
761
00:51:02,893 --> 00:51:05,103
Everybody came through here.
762
00:51:05,103 --> 00:51:07,230
I mean, you know,
they credit Ellis Island
763
00:51:07,230 --> 00:51:09,775
with a lot of the European stuff
that came through there.
764
00:51:09,775 --> 00:51:13,070
But all the other nations
came through New Orleans.
765
00:51:13,945 --> 00:51:16,823
The French, the Spanish,
the Filipinos, the Mexicans.
766
00:51:16,823 --> 00:51:19,993
You know, Cuba, Santo Domingo,
that's where his family came from.
767
00:51:20,577 --> 00:51:23,413
{\an8}And all those people became a culture.
768
00:51:23,413 --> 00:51:24,498
Yeah.
769
00:51:25,415 --> 00:51:28,460
For me, the music that's closest
to my heart is jazz,
770
00:51:28,460 --> 00:51:31,338
because that's what I've been doing
since I was eight years old.
771
00:51:31,338 --> 00:51:35,425
The folklore behind jazz is that
it came from trying to make music
772
00:51:35,425 --> 00:51:38,095
that multiple cultures can dance to.
773
00:51:38,095 --> 00:51:42,390
And it came from this combination
of cultures in New Orleans.
774
00:51:51,525 --> 00:51:53,610
You know,
we gotta grow as a community,
775
00:51:53,610 --> 00:51:56,321
and this music is from the community,
that's what I say.
776
00:51:56,321 --> 00:51:58,198
All of those cultures became a culture.
777
00:51:58,198 --> 00:52:00,033
That's why
they call us The Gumbo.
778
00:52:00,033 --> 00:52:01,660
There you go. That's right.
779
00:52:01,660 --> 00:52:03,829
That's right. You're right.
You're exactly right.
780
00:52:04,162 --> 00:52:08,542
What do you think of what
that sound would need to be today?
781
00:52:08,542 --> 00:52:11,128
'Cause, like, what we're tasked with is
782
00:52:11,128 --> 00:52:14,798
writing a piece of music
that can be considered a new anthem
783
00:52:14,798 --> 00:52:17,843
or feel like it's more
representative of the cultures
784
00:52:17,843 --> 00:52:20,303
that have come together,
that are here now.
785
00:52:20,303 --> 00:52:23,014
{\an8}What we'd probably do is the same thing
786
00:52:23,014 --> 00:52:25,475
{\an8}as when we play Happy Birthday
for someone.
787
00:52:25,475 --> 00:52:27,185
{\an8}We don't play, "Happy...
788
00:52:27,185 --> 00:52:28,687
{\an8}We put the second line on.
789
00:52:44,744 --> 00:52:47,581
Can you talk about where
the second line tradition comes from
790
00:52:47,581 --> 00:52:50,167
and the tradition of the parades
and all of that?
791
00:52:56,548 --> 00:52:59,676
The tradition of music
at funerals is widespread.
792
00:52:59,676 --> 00:53:01,428
A dirge is performed on the way
793
00:53:01,428 --> 00:53:03,847
to the final resting place
of the deceased.
794
00:53:22,324 --> 00:53:23,658
{\an8}We strike up,
795
00:53:24,117 --> 00:53:27,287
{\an8}what we consider a lively number,
796
00:53:28,246 --> 00:53:31,082
{\an8}to make the people forget
their griefs and their sorrows,
797
00:53:32,500 --> 00:53:35,378
{\an8}and take their minds off
of what had just happened.
798
00:54:30,267 --> 00:54:31,851
{\an8}What about you, Glen?
799
00:54:31,851 --> 00:54:36,273
{\an8}Do you have any advice for us as
we are off to work on this new anthem?
800
00:54:36,273 --> 00:54:38,400
What would you wanna hear in that?
801
00:54:38,775 --> 00:54:40,652
Mmm. Truth.
802
00:54:41,069 --> 00:54:43,071
- Truth?
- Yeah, yeah, yeah. The truth.
803
00:54:43,071 --> 00:54:44,322
- Truth.
- That's it.
804
00:55:09,806 --> 00:55:11,224
I just saw the thing about,
805
00:55:11,224 --> 00:55:13,268
"PBS has sparked backlash
over a decision
806
00:55:13,268 --> 00:55:16,229
"to have Vanessa Williams perform
the Black national anthem
807
00:55:16,229 --> 00:55:17,897
"during its 4th of July coverage,
808
00:55:17,897 --> 00:55:20,567
"with critics blasting the move
as un-American."
809
00:55:20,567 --> 00:55:21,651
Oh. Wow.
810
00:55:24,738 --> 00:55:26,281
So what's the Asian national anthem?
811
00:55:26,281 --> 00:55:28,158
What's the Native American
national anthem?
812
00:55:28,158 --> 00:55:29,659
What's the Latino national anthem?
813
00:55:29,659 --> 00:55:32,537
Hell, I didn't know what
the white national anthem is
814
00:55:32,537 --> 00:55:33,913
because I don't think that way.
815
00:55:33,913 --> 00:55:37,417
If you're gonna do the "separate
but equal" segregation bullshit,
816
00:55:37,417 --> 00:55:39,794
at least do it all. Go all in. Commit.
817
00:55:40,128 --> 00:55:42,213
This isn't unity. It's stupid.
818
00:55:49,763 --> 00:55:51,890
You know,
I think about the amount of things
819
00:55:51,890 --> 00:55:53,308
that people get up in arms about
820
00:55:53,308 --> 00:55:55,769
when they haven't even
looked at it deeply.
821
00:55:55,769 --> 00:55:58,605
Like the amount of people
that are upset about a movie,
822
00:55:58,605 --> 00:56:00,482
and they only saw the trailer.
823
00:56:00,482 --> 00:56:03,276
The amount of people that are upset
about critical race theory
824
00:56:03,276 --> 00:56:04,486
and don't know what it is.
825
00:56:04,486 --> 00:56:08,031
I think that any American that is trying
826
00:56:08,031 --> 00:56:10,909
to deny the history of our country
827
00:56:11,618 --> 00:56:14,662
is only fooling themselves.
828
00:56:16,706 --> 00:56:19,000
America... America needs therapy, man.
829
00:56:19,000 --> 00:56:22,045
I think we actually need
to talk about these things,
830
00:56:22,045 --> 00:56:26,174
because, you know, we're just gonna
keep doing the same things
831
00:56:26,174 --> 00:56:28,093
over and over and over.
832
00:56:29,344 --> 00:56:32,722
It's also gonna be an issue to think of,
like, the shape of the song
833
00:56:32,722 --> 00:56:37,685
and how to, like, represent these people
that are wanting to recognize trauma
834
00:56:37,685 --> 00:56:40,355
or the difficulty
of how this country started.
835
00:56:40,355 --> 00:56:42,607
It's kind of like the New Orleans
second line thing,
836
00:56:42,607 --> 00:56:47,112
like, that joy and celebration
is kind of not really, like, earned,
837
00:56:47,237 --> 00:56:50,824
unless everything else has been
at least looked at
838
00:56:50,824 --> 00:56:54,160
or talked about
or unearthed or dealt with.
839
00:56:55,203 --> 00:56:58,665
They're not celebrating in the second
line to forget the pain.
840
00:56:58,665 --> 00:57:02,419
It's more so that they're trying
to move that pain in a different way,
841
00:57:02,419 --> 00:57:05,171
but the pain is always there.
842
00:57:07,966 --> 00:57:11,177
I do think there's something
we can take from the second line
843
00:57:11,177 --> 00:57:14,264
and try to find a way
to take that same approach
844
00:57:14,264 --> 00:57:16,474
to our piece of music, to our anthem.
845
00:57:17,851 --> 00:57:20,603
I really do think this song
should be a form of therapy.
846
00:59:00,662 --> 00:59:03,039
In 1830, there was a law passed
847
00:59:03,039 --> 00:59:04,999
to get rid of all the tribes
848
00:59:04,999 --> 00:59:08,586
east of the Mississippi
to the west of the Mississippi.
849
00:59:10,255 --> 00:59:12,674
We were brought over here
on the Trail of Tears.
850
00:59:14,342 --> 00:59:16,219
Brought all the way to Oklahoma
851
00:59:16,219 --> 00:59:18,346
and that became our tribal grounds.
852
00:59:20,682 --> 00:59:23,601
We saw that the purest thing
was the sun.
853
00:59:27,522 --> 00:59:29,899
When we meet at our ceremonial grounds,
854
00:59:29,899 --> 00:59:31,609
we stay awake all night.
855
00:59:32,860 --> 00:59:34,362
We dance in a circle.
856
00:59:35,071 --> 00:59:38,825
In that circle, you learn things.
You're on a journey.
857
00:59:41,452 --> 00:59:42,704
You're born...
858
00:59:52,839 --> 00:59:54,007
You're married...
859
00:59:56,467 --> 00:59:58,011
Children...
860
00:59:58,011 --> 01:00:00,847
And as you get older,
you come back to that day
861
01:00:00,847 --> 01:00:04,350
because as an old person,
you're like a little child again.
862
01:00:04,350 --> 01:00:05,768
You have to be taken care of.
863
01:00:06,477 --> 01:00:09,355
That's when you get ready
to pass on to that next world.
864
01:00:11,566 --> 01:00:13,735
Once that sun comes up, we quit.
865
01:00:17,780 --> 01:00:19,365
-Mvto!
-Mvto!
866
01:00:20,033 --> 01:00:21,784
Mvto...
867
01:00:22,619 --> 01:00:24,245
It means "Thank you."
868
01:00:24,954 --> 01:00:27,874
These songs were invented
on the Trail of Tears.
869
01:00:28,374 --> 01:00:30,168
If we were to lose that,
870
01:00:30,168 --> 01:00:33,546
then we lose who we are as a people.
871
01:00:34,130 --> 01:00:36,257
We pass this on to our young people,
872
01:00:36,257 --> 01:00:39,677
so, in the future,
maybe 50, 60, 100 years from now,
873
01:00:39,677 --> 01:00:41,679
they'll still be singing
what we're singing.
874
01:00:41,679 --> 01:00:42,764
Yeah.
875
01:00:42,764 --> 01:00:46,476
Because this is our home,
the United States of America.
876
01:00:47,352 --> 01:00:50,980
Well, we don't call it that,
but it's where we're from.
877
01:00:52,065 --> 01:00:54,400
When you say you don't call it that,
what do you call it?
878
01:00:54,400 --> 01:00:55,485
Ours.
879
01:00:56,986 --> 01:00:58,112
That's a joke.
880
01:01:05,703 --> 01:01:06,788
Questions?
881
01:01:07,038 --> 01:01:09,248
I think one of the first questions
I have is just,
882
01:01:09,248 --> 01:01:12,210
knowing the little bit that I do
about the Trail of Tears
883
01:01:12,210 --> 01:01:14,212
and how, you know, so many different...
884
01:01:14,212 --> 01:01:16,631
tribes were pushed into the same space,
885
01:01:16,631 --> 01:01:19,425
if you all could maybe speak
to the music
886
01:01:19,425 --> 01:01:21,219
from some of those different cultures,
887
01:01:21,219 --> 01:01:23,763
and how those things are
different and similar.
888
01:01:23,763 --> 01:01:26,974
Yes, I like to think
of the Trail of Tears
889
01:01:27,100 --> 01:01:29,227
{\an8}as also the trail of American music.
890
01:01:29,894 --> 01:01:31,229
{\an8}From the South.
891
01:01:31,604 --> 01:01:36,317
Muskogee people share music,
share instruments, they also dance.
892
01:01:36,317 --> 01:01:39,612
And all the elements that characterized
blues and jazz
893
01:01:39,612 --> 01:01:41,739
are in our Stomp Dance.
894
01:01:42,323 --> 01:01:44,867
You've got call and response.
895
01:01:47,829 --> 01:01:50,456
You have syncopation.
896
01:01:51,791 --> 01:01:52,792
Swing.
897
01:02:01,175 --> 01:02:03,010
You know, it's all there.
898
01:02:03,010 --> 01:02:07,390
And we've been left out
of the American story of music.
899
01:02:07,390 --> 01:02:08,766
How do you think that happened,
900
01:02:08,766 --> 01:02:10,893
that it's been left out that way?
901
01:02:11,310 --> 01:02:15,189
Well, to recognize
that the whole North America
902
01:02:15,189 --> 01:02:18,526
and even into the South America
is indigenous country
903
01:02:18,526 --> 01:02:21,237
really kind of messes
904
01:02:21,863 --> 01:02:23,531
with the American Dream story.
905
01:02:25,241 --> 01:02:30,079
There will not be
a healthy, whole person in a country,
906
01:02:30,079 --> 01:02:32,457
and I think a country is like a person,
907
01:02:32,457 --> 01:02:36,544
until all of the stories are told,
until it is recognized
908
01:02:36,544 --> 01:02:40,173
that America has indigenous roots.
909
01:02:40,173 --> 01:02:42,175
Yeah, it's like the foundation of it.
910
01:02:46,721 --> 01:02:49,265
In our travels, me and Kris,
we've been realizing
911
01:02:49,682 --> 01:02:51,392
symbols are important to people,
912
01:02:51,392 --> 01:02:56,063
and sometimes
people think of symbols as personal
913
01:02:56,606 --> 01:02:58,983
without thinking about everybody else.
914
01:02:58,983 --> 01:03:01,152
Are there things from your culture
915
01:03:01,152 --> 01:03:03,988
that you feel are like symbols
of your community?
916
01:03:03,988 --> 01:03:06,407
Well, just like the songs
we sang a while ago.
917
01:03:06,407 --> 01:03:07,492
Yeah.
918
01:03:07,492 --> 01:03:10,495
Our families brought those songs over
in Trail of Tears
919
01:03:10,495 --> 01:03:11,954
and that's what kept them going.
920
01:03:11,954 --> 01:03:14,165
I mean, if they wouldn't have had that,
921
01:03:14,165 --> 01:03:15,500
they would've never made it.
922
01:03:15,500 --> 01:03:17,168
Today, we have prayer songs,
923
01:03:17,168 --> 01:03:19,337
you know, and songs for healing,
924
01:03:19,337 --> 01:03:22,590
songs for death, songs for birth.
925
01:03:22,590 --> 01:03:25,718
{\an8}This ties us all back
into that strength,
926
01:03:25,718 --> 01:03:27,261
{\an8}that power of that circle
927
01:03:27,595 --> 01:03:31,057
that we dance in the fire.
There's your symbol.
928
01:03:31,057 --> 01:03:32,809
Yeah, that's
what I was gonna say.
929
01:03:32,809 --> 01:03:35,311
The fire in the center
and the circle spiraling out,
930
01:03:35,311 --> 01:03:37,438
that's the biggest power
you could ever find.
931
01:03:37,438 --> 01:03:38,523
Yeah.
932
01:03:38,523 --> 01:03:40,483
But it's a circle that moves.
933
01:03:41,859 --> 01:03:43,986
You know, and it connects...
934
01:03:44,111 --> 01:03:47,448
It goes out in concentric circles
and connects every...
935
01:03:47,448 --> 01:03:49,534
A circle never ends.
Yeah.
936
01:03:49,659 --> 01:03:52,203
These songs make us united.
937
01:03:52,203 --> 01:03:53,287
Yeah.
938
01:04:00,711 --> 01:04:04,882
Looking at how
to create a piece of music
939
01:04:04,882 --> 01:04:08,886
that can be more representative
of our country,
940
01:04:08,886 --> 01:04:12,515
I was wondering
what you all think of that idea.
941
01:04:12,890 --> 01:04:15,726
You don't have winners and losers
in a circle.
942
01:04:15,726 --> 01:04:19,605
If we're gonna get anywhere, we need
a song that says, okay, here we are.
943
01:04:19,605 --> 01:04:22,733
And this country,
this land, is beautiful.
944
01:04:22,900 --> 01:04:26,237
We're part of this land.
We're not separate from this land.
945
01:04:26,237 --> 01:04:28,364
And yet here we are all together.
946
01:04:28,364 --> 01:04:31,325
If we heard all...
The stories are so individual.
947
01:04:33,160 --> 01:04:36,122
You know, they're not
this homogenized overculture version
948
01:04:36,122 --> 01:04:37,957
that is hurting everybody.
949
01:04:38,958 --> 01:04:40,543
Then we would see the humanity.
950
01:04:41,377 --> 01:04:44,672
Then we would understand
our absolute connection to the earth.
951
01:04:45,381 --> 01:04:46,674
And then we would understand,
952
01:04:46,674 --> 01:04:50,720
"Yes, why not a song
that would bring people together?"
953
01:04:53,431 --> 01:04:56,684
Our tribes, all tribes,
we don't have a word for goodbye.
954
01:04:57,184 --> 01:04:59,604
- Wow.
- It's always, "We'll see you again."
955
01:04:59,604 --> 01:05:01,022
And the way we say it is...
956
01:05:02,398 --> 01:05:05,151
"Again, we're going to see each other,"
957
01:05:05,151 --> 01:05:06,819
and that's what this song is saying.
958
01:05:40,603 --> 01:05:45,024
Of all the places we've gone,
this felt like a source.
959
01:05:45,024 --> 01:05:46,442
- Yeah.
- You know what I'm saying?
960
01:05:46,442 --> 01:05:47,526
It felt like...
961
01:05:48,277 --> 01:05:49,946
I don't know, it just felt like home.
962
01:05:49,946 --> 01:05:52,490
It felt like this is where
we needed to...
963
01:05:52,490 --> 01:05:54,283
Everything started to make sense.
964
01:05:54,283 --> 01:05:55,660
Yeah, definitely.
965
01:05:57,370 --> 01:05:58,621
It just felt like church, man.
966
01:05:58,621 --> 01:06:03,209
It felt like real, you know...
Like I'm talking to my ancestor.
967
01:06:03,209 --> 01:06:08,130
I'm talking to my, you know, folks
in my past, talking to my kids,
968
01:06:08,130 --> 01:06:11,300
and that's where it felt like
the Holy Ghost. Know what I'm saying?
969
01:06:11,300 --> 01:06:14,595
Which is in what
I've grown up in church,
970
01:06:14,595 --> 01:06:17,723
that's just a something
that nobody still can explain.
971
01:06:17,723 --> 01:06:19,016
It's like a feeling.
972
01:06:20,726 --> 01:06:23,980
I can imagine, like,
being at one of those ceremonies...
973
01:06:23,980 --> 01:06:25,064
Mmm-hmm.
974
01:06:25,064 --> 01:06:28,609
...with, like, 100 or hundreds
of people, like, in that circle.
975
01:06:28,609 --> 01:06:31,320
Has to be such a cathartic...
I mean, like you said, church.
976
01:06:31,320 --> 01:06:33,197
It's, like, such a cathartic experience.
977
01:06:33,197 --> 01:06:34,281
Yeah.
978
01:06:35,950 --> 01:06:38,160
Even the whole idea about,
like, the circle,
979
01:06:39,036 --> 01:06:43,124
I'm starting to really see
the importance of positive symbols, man,
980
01:06:43,124 --> 01:06:46,836
that everybody can understand
and get, man.
981
01:06:47,336 --> 01:06:50,131
I think, shows what this song can be.
982
01:06:51,007 --> 01:06:54,427
I think it just has to feel intentional,
983
01:06:54,427 --> 01:06:58,973
and gotta have, like, a simple message,
you know what I'm saying?
984
01:06:59,598 --> 01:07:02,101
Yeah, something universal.
Yup.
985
01:07:28,169 --> 01:07:30,379
It's kind of cool
to end this road trip
986
01:07:30,379 --> 01:07:32,381
in a place like Bay Area
987
01:07:33,424 --> 01:07:37,386
that is deeply rooted
in not only Latin American music,
988
01:07:37,386 --> 01:07:38,679
but also activism.
989
01:07:52,359 --> 01:07:54,945
Big business,
big government know full well
990
01:07:54,945 --> 01:07:59,075
that a society divided on race
is easier to control
991
01:07:59,075 --> 01:08:01,952
than a society divided
along class lines.
992
01:08:02,119 --> 01:08:03,788
And would like to remind them
993
01:08:03,788 --> 01:08:06,916
that however powerful
and however strong they may be,
994
01:08:07,500 --> 01:08:10,711
that if we, the farm workers,
did not till the soil
995
01:08:10,711 --> 01:08:15,216
{\an8}and plant the seed and harvest the food,
they would not be able to eat.
996
01:08:20,346 --> 01:08:21,597
{\an8} That's all.
997
01:08:22,264 --> 01:08:24,391
That would be...
That's nice.
998
01:08:24,391 --> 01:08:26,977
Yeah, can you imagine, like,
having a national anthem
999
01:08:26,977 --> 01:08:30,564
with little kids could sing it
every morning in class that was like...
1000
01:08:31,774 --> 01:08:33,192
Get your day started good.
1001
01:08:34,902 --> 01:08:38,322
{\an8}So, you all are on the end
of this epic-ass trip, huh?
1002
01:08:38,322 --> 01:08:40,241
{\an8}Technically.
It's been good.
1003
01:08:40,241 --> 01:08:42,493
It's been interesting conversations
and, like...
1004
01:08:42,618 --> 01:08:46,080
We're excited to talk to you about,
I think, your background, specifically.
1005
01:08:46,580 --> 01:08:48,457
It's so exciting given how much,
1006
01:08:48,457 --> 01:08:51,168
like, your family comes from,
you know, music,
1007
01:08:51,168 --> 01:08:54,463
but also, just like, how much
you've been involved in activism
1008
01:08:54,463 --> 01:08:55,589
from such a young age,
1009
01:08:55,589 --> 01:08:59,260
and how that just naturally found a way
in your art as well.
1010
01:08:59,260 --> 01:09:02,012
Yeah, I mean, I think
that it's just totally useless
1011
01:09:02,012 --> 01:09:03,472
to have any type of platform,
1012
01:09:03,472 --> 01:09:06,475
and to not speak on issues
that are affecting your communities.
1013
01:09:06,475 --> 01:09:07,560
Yeah.
1014
01:09:08,018 --> 01:09:11,272
{\an8}And, you know,
I just try and express solidarity
1015
01:09:11,272 --> 01:09:14,859
{\an8}with all the struggles,
the anti-border movement.
1016
01:09:36,297 --> 01:09:37,923
{\an8}I'm very proud of my children
1017
01:09:37,923 --> 01:09:41,302
{\an8}that they are conscious
of the same things that we were
1018
01:09:41,302 --> 01:09:44,013
{\an8}conscious of because
these things are not new.
1019
01:09:44,013 --> 01:09:46,432
But these are different times,
1020
01:09:46,432 --> 01:09:50,895
and I think that younger artists
have as big an influence, you know.
1021
01:09:52,605 --> 01:09:55,482
{\an8}You know, we all have
our distinct cultural backgrounds,
1022
01:09:55,482 --> 01:09:59,820
{\an8}but coming together
and kind of understanding our ability
1023
01:09:59,820 --> 01:10:03,991
to reflect so many different faces
in the Bay Area,
1024
01:10:04,617 --> 01:10:05,868
it's really empowering.
1025
01:10:05,868 --> 01:10:07,912
And that's why, when thinking about it,
1026
01:10:07,912 --> 01:10:10,998
it's really difficult to think about,
like, a national anthem
1027
01:10:10,998 --> 01:10:13,542
because there's so many
different identities
1028
01:10:13,542 --> 01:10:16,503
within one nation state, right?
1029
01:10:16,503 --> 01:10:18,214
Like, what we consider the nation.
1030
01:10:18,214 --> 01:10:19,465
So, it's really like,
1031
01:10:19,465 --> 01:10:21,217
how can you universalize
1032
01:10:22,593 --> 01:10:24,720
the experience of being an American?
1033
01:10:24,720 --> 01:10:27,765
How can you even say that
there is one way to understand it,
1034
01:10:27,765 --> 01:10:31,101
or to represent it through music even,
1035
01:10:31,101 --> 01:10:32,770
but through anything, you know.
1036
01:10:33,187 --> 01:10:34,230
Yeah, for sure.
1037
01:10:34,230 --> 01:10:36,690
I think that making an anthem
1038
01:10:36,690 --> 01:10:41,487
{\an8}that's not contingent
on defining yourself within a border
1039
01:10:41,487 --> 01:10:43,447
{\an8}or keeping people out, right?
1040
01:10:43,447 --> 01:10:47,284
It's about being together
and creating a better world.
1041
01:10:47,284 --> 01:10:50,537
That's what I find inspiring in a song.
1042
01:10:51,538 --> 01:10:52,957
That's what I would like to see.
1043
01:10:52,957 --> 01:10:55,626
You know,
connection to humanity, basically.
1044
01:10:55,626 --> 01:10:58,087
Yeah.
- And recognizing the unrecognized.
1045
01:10:58,087 --> 01:10:59,255
Yeah.
1046
01:11:05,886 --> 01:11:10,516
Cecilia's perspective is so vital
to the unspoken of this country.
1047
01:11:10,516 --> 01:11:13,727
From folks who got here undocumented,
1048
01:11:13,727 --> 01:11:16,563
those who have children
who are undocumented here
1049
01:11:16,563 --> 01:11:18,607
to the labor that people
don't talk about,
1050
01:11:18,816 --> 01:11:20,025
the undocumented labor.
1051
01:11:20,359 --> 01:11:22,403
Especially, like,
on the lyrical side,
1052
01:11:22,403 --> 01:11:24,488
like, I feel like it's only
going to bring
1053
01:11:24,488 --> 01:11:26,573
the important context
to the conversation.
1054
01:11:26,573 --> 01:11:27,700
Yeah.
1055
01:11:28,284 --> 01:11:30,661
Because, you know,
I think, oftentimes
1056
01:11:30,661 --> 01:11:33,372
if there's a song
that speaks to a number of people
1057
01:11:33,372 --> 01:11:34,832
that are feeling a certain way,
1058
01:11:34,832 --> 01:11:39,503
that feeling of being seen
is what catalyzes some sort of movement.
1059
01:11:40,379 --> 01:11:44,300
That's why the conversations we had
in each of these cities
1060
01:11:44,717 --> 01:11:45,801
were so illuminating.
1061
01:11:47,469 --> 01:11:50,097
I feel excited to, like,
start getting into the room
1062
01:11:50,097 --> 01:11:52,808
and, like, filter all these feelings
and thoughts
1063
01:11:52,808 --> 01:11:54,143
into the music, you know.
1064
01:11:56,145 --> 01:11:58,314
You know, I think the idea of it
1065
01:11:58,314 --> 01:12:01,150
was just initially kind of,
seemed just big.
1066
01:12:01,150 --> 01:12:03,402
It's just like, you're making
a new national anthem,
1067
01:12:03,402 --> 01:12:05,487
which is, like, kind of crazy, but...
1068
01:12:05,487 --> 01:12:08,824
The biggest thing
that I took from the trip is
1069
01:12:09,408 --> 01:12:11,327
just make the music feel emotional.
1070
01:12:11,869 --> 01:12:14,163
At the heart of it,
it just has to connect.
1071
01:12:14,788 --> 01:12:16,373
- Mmm.
1072
01:12:38,270 --> 01:12:40,189
I think the only thing
I have with that...
1073
01:12:40,189 --> 01:12:41,398
The only thing I hear...
1074
01:12:43,192 --> 01:12:46,570
How do you make something that
sounds like you've been through shit?
1075
01:12:46,570 --> 01:12:48,864
But it's not so much, like, sad.
1076
01:12:48,864 --> 01:12:52,034
It's almost like
I'm kind of digging through something.
1077
01:12:52,034 --> 01:12:54,828
There's light in the tunnel,
but we're still moving through it?
1078
01:12:54,828 --> 01:12:56,455
Yes, exactly. Exactly.
1079
01:12:58,415 --> 01:13:00,709
I kept thinking about the Muscogee tribe
1080
01:13:00,709 --> 01:13:03,545
and, like, listening to
their kind of spiritual hymns.
1081
01:13:03,921 --> 01:13:05,589
There's something about what they did
1082
01:13:05,589 --> 01:13:08,467
that felt kind of a bridge
to Negro spirituals.
1083
01:13:09,218 --> 01:13:10,219
It is kind of cool.
1084
01:14:00,394 --> 01:14:03,272
- It feels a little kumbaya-ish...
- Mmm-hmm.
1085
01:14:03,439 --> 01:14:06,442
...which I'm fine with that feeling,
but I'm thinking, too, if it...
1086
01:14:12,614 --> 01:14:13,949
That feeling, it's like...
1087
01:14:43,145 --> 01:14:44,146
Hold it.
1088
01:15:04,917 --> 01:15:06,084
- That's dope.
- Yeah.
1089
01:15:12,591 --> 01:15:13,926
Yeah.
1090
01:15:13,926 --> 01:15:15,010
- Yep.
- Yeah.
1091
01:15:15,010 --> 01:15:18,931
It feels like everybody could feel good
about singing.
1092
01:15:19,681 --> 01:15:22,476
- That's what it makes me feel like.
- Yeah. Yeah, totally.
1093
01:15:23,018 --> 01:15:24,311
Emotionally, we were coming up
1094
01:15:24,311 --> 01:15:26,480
with some really good progressions
and chords
1095
01:15:26,480 --> 01:15:30,526
that I think can inspire,
like, some really profound lyrics.
1096
01:15:30,817 --> 01:15:32,778
And I think
the lyrics is going to really be
1097
01:15:32,778 --> 01:15:34,404
the forefront of the song.
1098
01:15:36,406 --> 01:15:38,492
At that point,
I think the important thing
1099
01:15:38,492 --> 01:15:42,329
was for us to have
as many voices in that room
1100
01:15:42,329 --> 01:15:44,540
from as diverse a background as possible
1101
01:15:44,998 --> 01:15:47,000
to create something that felt like
1102
01:15:47,000 --> 01:15:50,087
it was at least doing its best
to acknowledge those experiences.
1103
01:15:51,672 --> 01:15:54,841
We decided to form this writers' room,
1104
01:15:54,841 --> 01:15:57,469
comprised of people
that we met along this journey.
1105
01:15:57,844 --> 01:15:59,179
Hey, y'all, it's Ruby.
1106
01:15:59,179 --> 01:16:00,722
Hey, Ruby.
Hey, Ruby.
1107
01:16:00,722 --> 01:16:02,724
I have to be on audio,
1108
01:16:02,724 --> 01:16:06,937
but please enjoy
this very dated photo of me in yellow.
1109
01:16:07,729 --> 01:16:11,316
We talked about Ruby Amanfu
because, you know,
1110
01:16:11,316 --> 01:16:13,735
Ruby is one of the greatest songwriters
of our time
1111
01:16:13,735 --> 01:16:18,574
and also has an incredibly
unique experience as an American,
1112
01:16:18,574 --> 01:16:22,369
being an immigrant from Africa,
living in a place like Nashville.
1113
01:16:22,953 --> 01:16:25,706
Hey, yo. So, I'm Charity.
1114
01:16:26,206 --> 01:16:30,085
You can probably guess
what kind of music I sing. I grew up...
1115
01:16:30,085 --> 01:16:33,922
And then Charity Bowden
has a purity about her
1116
01:16:33,922 --> 01:16:37,676
and this connection to country music
that felt important to have
1117
01:16:37,676 --> 01:16:39,720
in this writers' room as well.
1118
01:16:40,470 --> 01:16:42,764
Has everybody else
met each other already?
1119
01:16:42,764 --> 01:16:44,933
I haven't met you. I'm Charity.
1120
01:16:44,933 --> 01:16:47,311
Okay, yeah, I'm Joy Harjo.
1121
01:16:47,311 --> 01:16:50,147
I am a poet, writer, musician.
1122
01:16:51,106 --> 01:16:54,985
Joy Harjo is the first Native
American U.S. poet laureate.
1123
01:16:54,985 --> 01:16:58,989
And she felt like an incredibly
important voice to have in this room,
1124
01:16:58,989 --> 01:17:01,199
so we can make sure that the people
1125
01:17:01,199 --> 01:17:03,910
that were here before
this country was founded,
1126
01:17:03,910 --> 01:17:06,663
make sure that voice was felt
in the song as well.
1127
01:17:07,122 --> 01:17:11,293
Hey, everybody, my name is Cecilia,
my artist name is La Doña...
1128
01:17:12,002 --> 01:17:15,464
And then Cecilia is
an incredible Bay Area artist,
1129
01:17:15,464 --> 01:17:20,427
and her roots in not only
Latin American music, but also activism
1130
01:17:20,427 --> 01:17:22,888
felt incredibly important
to have in this room.
1131
01:17:27,976 --> 01:17:30,395
In building an anthem, we need something
1132
01:17:30,395 --> 01:17:32,147
- that connects people...
Yeah.
1133
01:17:32,147 --> 01:17:34,358
...everybody, all the voices.
1134
01:17:34,358 --> 01:17:35,776
- There's challenges.
- Yes.
1135
01:17:35,776 --> 01:17:37,819
- And everybody has a story.
- Yup.
1136
01:17:37,819 --> 01:17:39,905
But we are here together.
Yes.
1137
01:17:39,905 --> 01:17:41,907
We are making a story field.
1138
01:17:41,907 --> 01:17:43,867
There's a lot of tension in this, too,
1139
01:17:43,867 --> 01:17:47,204
and I think we definitely
need to find a way to write the tension.
1140
01:17:47,329 --> 01:17:50,248
I think it might be useful
if we can each write our own verses
1141
01:17:50,248 --> 01:17:51,458
of what we hear for it.
1142
01:17:51,458 --> 01:17:54,211
And then once we have
a lot of that written material,
1143
01:17:54,211 --> 01:17:56,254
then maybe we could hash out the ending.
1144
01:17:56,254 --> 01:17:57,798
That sounds good. Yeah, for sure.
1145
01:17:57,798 --> 01:17:58,965
Okay, here we go.
1146
01:18:02,511 --> 01:18:06,056
I'm gonna just write down a bunch
of different lines and see if it works.
1147
01:18:07,015 --> 01:18:10,394
"Our people traveled long ago,
we made a home on stolen land.
1148
01:18:10,394 --> 01:18:12,604
"I claim a country that never
claimed me.
1149
01:18:13,021 --> 01:18:14,147
"I am America."
1150
01:18:14,940 --> 01:18:18,318
Claim a country that might not claim us.
1151
01:18:18,318 --> 01:18:19,945
We are America.
1152
01:18:19,945 --> 01:18:22,739
We claim a country
that doesn't see us.
1153
01:18:22,739 --> 01:18:25,117
- A country that...
Doesn't.
1154
01:18:25,117 --> 01:18:26,868
...does not see us.
1155
01:18:26,868 --> 01:18:28,912
It's not,
"Look at our beautiful struggle.
1156
01:18:28,912 --> 01:18:32,082
Now we're strong."
It's like, "No, we're this way
1157
01:18:32,082 --> 01:18:34,918
"because of the horrible conditions..."
1158
01:18:34,918 --> 01:18:37,838
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah.
-"...that we're exposed to."
1159
01:18:38,171 --> 01:18:40,507
For me, something that's special
about this project
1160
01:18:40,507 --> 01:18:44,469
is really decentralizing
the archetypical American voice.
1161
01:18:44,469 --> 01:18:46,638
- So, it's just about the nuanced way...
- Yeah.
1162
01:18:46,638 --> 01:18:48,640
...that we want to talk
about white supremacy.
1163
01:18:48,640 --> 01:18:50,267
Yeah, right. Yeah.
1164
01:18:50,267 --> 01:18:52,894
Instead of just being like,
"This sucks and this sucks.
1165
01:18:52,894 --> 01:18:55,021
"We don't know what to do,
but it all sucks."
1166
01:18:55,021 --> 01:18:59,067
Sometimes, the grass is definitely
greener on the other side of the fence.
1167
01:18:59,901 --> 01:19:04,156
Yeah. Or there should be no fence,
and we should all have grass.
1168
01:19:06,700 --> 01:19:08,744
For me,
just thinking as a storyteller,
1169
01:19:09,411 --> 01:19:11,997
the key thing is making sure...
1170
01:19:13,248 --> 01:19:15,250
it's, like, validating
everybody's voices,
1171
01:19:15,250 --> 01:19:18,003
but making sure that the tone of it
1172
01:19:18,003 --> 01:19:22,382
is more hopeful
than critical of America.
1173
01:19:22,382 --> 01:19:24,593
I don't know. I hear your comments,
1174
01:19:24,593 --> 01:19:29,431
but it's hard as somebody
who, like, is 98% critique of America
1175
01:19:29,431 --> 01:19:31,266
and 2% positive,
1176
01:19:31,266 --> 01:19:33,560
that's hard for me
to, like, totally get behind.
1177
01:19:33,560 --> 01:19:37,439
Like, "it needs to be 75% positive"
'cause I just don't feel that way.
1178
01:19:37,439 --> 01:19:41,193
I don't think you should
bash it, though.
1179
01:19:41,193 --> 01:19:44,279
Like, it's fine to critique it,
but isn't the point of an anthem
1180
01:19:44,279 --> 01:19:46,490
to be uplifting?
1181
01:19:46,490 --> 01:19:48,116
Like, that's your point of view,
1182
01:19:48,116 --> 01:19:51,411
but my point of view is that
I've been raised here my entire life
1183
01:19:51,411 --> 01:19:53,622
and I realize that
it's absolutely not perfect,
1184
01:19:53,622 --> 01:19:54,956
and we have a long way to go.
1185
01:19:54,956 --> 01:19:57,042
I don't have the answers
for us to get there,
1186
01:19:57,542 --> 01:20:00,879
but I'll never say anything terrible
about my country.
1187
01:20:00,879 --> 01:20:04,049
I'll never say that I hate it here.
I'll never disrespect this country.
1188
01:20:05,842 --> 01:20:09,471
It's hard to do that if I'm constantly
disrespected by the "country."
1189
01:20:09,471 --> 01:20:11,556
It's hard for me to have
that same buy-in
1190
01:20:11,556 --> 01:20:14,059
'cause I don't have
the same respect from the "country."
1191
01:20:15,101 --> 01:20:18,355
I'd like those two truths
to be able to sit next to each other,
1192
01:20:18,355 --> 01:20:20,315
- as difficult as it may be.
Yeah.
1193
01:20:20,315 --> 01:20:22,442
What's so powerful about this idea
1194
01:20:22,442 --> 01:20:26,613
is the notion of allowing them
to sit in an authentic way in a song,
1195
01:20:26,613 --> 01:20:29,074
and then having a resolution
toward this bridge,
1196
01:20:29,074 --> 01:20:31,701
coming together despite the pain
1197
01:20:31,701 --> 01:20:33,745
and despite the discomfort
1198
01:20:35,539 --> 01:20:37,749
But also,
I feel we're talking about the idea
1199
01:20:37,749 --> 01:20:39,042
of being solution-oriented.
1200
01:20:39,042 --> 01:20:42,295
What will we do to change it
as opposed to what needs to be changed?
1201
01:20:42,420 --> 01:20:43,755
Action oriented.
- Yeah.
1202
01:20:43,755 --> 01:20:45,006
That would feel empowering
1203
01:20:45,006 --> 01:20:47,634
if it's like talking about
what we're going to do.
1204
01:20:47,634 --> 01:20:49,636
So, for me,
it feels like an anthem
1205
01:20:49,636 --> 01:20:52,848
would be more so
to mobilize and organize people
1206
01:20:52,848 --> 01:20:54,266
towards a different future,
1207
01:20:54,266 --> 01:20:56,476
because where we're at
is obviously not working.
1208
01:20:56,476 --> 01:20:58,895
This is how
we can make it work for everybody.
1209
01:20:58,895 --> 01:21:01,147
Right. You know,
we're right up against
1210
01:21:01,147 --> 01:21:02,774
environmental crisis,
1211
01:21:02,774 --> 01:21:04,776
and how do we deal with this?
1212
01:21:04,776 --> 01:21:06,111
We have to come together.
1213
01:21:06,111 --> 01:21:08,989
Ultimately, this is the Earth,
and we are of the earth.
1214
01:21:08,989 --> 01:21:10,574
We are the land.
1215
01:21:11,741 --> 01:21:14,077
I feel like, thematically,
the bridge can do something,
1216
01:21:14,077 --> 01:21:17,414
I think, musically
to help bring all these things together.
1217
01:21:17,414 --> 01:21:19,082
I think it'll flow really well.
1218
01:21:19,374 --> 01:21:21,459
I was thinking
of some even spoken word.
1219
01:21:21,459 --> 01:21:24,129
I wrote these little lines of prayer
in Muskogee, it's...
1220
01:21:27,841 --> 01:21:30,093
"With our praise to the breathmaker
1221
01:21:30,093 --> 01:21:33,263
"by whose grace we arrive here,
and whose grace we leave."
1222
01:21:33,972 --> 01:21:36,224
I mean, you can kind of go out
in the spoken word.
1223
01:21:36,224 --> 01:21:37,392
Love that!
1224
01:21:38,685 --> 01:21:40,520
- Beautiful.
- Beautiful.
1225
01:21:41,521 --> 01:21:44,983
Let's get some vocals down.
1226
01:21:44,983 --> 01:21:46,443
Yeah.
- Yeah.
1227
01:21:46,443 --> 01:21:50,655
We are born of the finest earth
1228
01:21:50,655 --> 01:21:54,492
We are America
1229
01:21:56,536 --> 01:21:59,497
We are America
1230
01:22:20,435 --> 01:22:21,436
Pow-pow.
1231
01:22:21,895 --> 01:22:25,357
If you could play almost like
more call and response.
1232
01:22:29,444 --> 01:22:30,987
Can you add a bit more distortion?
1233
01:22:30,987 --> 01:22:34,908
We want to try to get, like,
a Hendrix-style of electric guitar.
1234
01:22:44,042 --> 01:22:46,169
This is not...
This is all for us?
1235
01:22:46,169 --> 01:22:47,253
This is all for this?
1236
01:22:48,338 --> 01:22:49,714
We don't need an anthem
1237
01:22:49,714 --> 01:22:52,759
that tries to pretend
we are not the country that we are,
1238
01:22:52,759 --> 01:22:55,637
but one that actually
speaks to our aspirations
1239
01:22:55,637 --> 01:22:59,140
and tries to unify us
around the idea of,
1240
01:22:59,140 --> 01:23:01,601
if we desire it and work together,
1241
01:23:01,601 --> 01:23:03,687
we can become the country
that we wish to be.
1242
01:23:04,854 --> 01:23:07,649
Maybe there's a song
that actually speaks to us today
1243
01:23:07,649 --> 01:23:10,443
in a way that The Star-Spangled Banner
maybe doesn't for some.
1244
01:23:10,443 --> 01:23:11,528
It could replace it,
1245
01:23:11,528 --> 01:23:14,030
but it will be people
who start using the song,
1246
01:23:14,030 --> 01:23:15,865
I think, that make the difference.
1247
01:23:15,865 --> 01:23:19,327
It won't be an act of the legislature
that changes the song.
1248
01:23:19,327 --> 01:23:22,831
It'll be people's practice.
It'll be what we sing
1249
01:23:22,831 --> 01:23:25,250
and the stories we want
to tell about ourselves
1250
01:23:25,250 --> 01:23:27,752
that dictate what our songs are.
1251
01:23:30,088 --> 01:23:34,134
We need to come together
and collectivize and perform together.
1252
01:23:34,134 --> 01:23:38,888
I believe that singing together
absolutely changes the energy
1253
01:23:38,888 --> 01:23:41,474
of any given space,
of any given community,
1254
01:23:41,474 --> 01:23:43,935
and so those efforts are never in vain.
1255
01:23:43,935 --> 01:23:47,188
But we are so diverse,
we are so different,
1256
01:23:47,188 --> 01:23:49,190
I think we need many anthems.
1257
01:23:50,358 --> 01:23:52,318
Hi, Kris!
Y'all look good.
1258
01:23:52,318 --> 01:23:54,279
- Yeah.
- Welcome back. How are you doing?
1259
01:23:54,279 --> 01:23:56,197
Good. How are you?
- Good to see you.
1260
01:23:57,198 --> 01:23:58,908
How you guys feeling today,
1261
01:23:58,908 --> 01:24:01,870
especially having that much time
working on the song together,
1262
01:24:01,870 --> 01:24:04,164
and now, like,
how do you guys feel about it?
1263
01:24:04,164 --> 01:24:06,666
There's a lot of pressure with it,
you know,
1264
01:24:06,666 --> 01:24:09,127
and it's exciting
'cause it's like such an honor
1265
01:24:09,127 --> 01:24:11,004
to be asked to be part of such a thing.
1266
01:24:11,004 --> 01:24:13,465
But I had someone tell me,
1267
01:24:13,465 --> 01:24:16,593
and it was someone who I considered him
somewhat like a mentor,
1268
01:24:16,593 --> 01:24:18,511
and he was like,
"Who are you to do that?"
1269
01:24:18,511 --> 01:24:19,596
Ooh.
1270
01:24:19,596 --> 01:24:21,848
And I was like,
"I think that's the point."
1271
01:24:21,848 --> 01:24:24,100
- Exactly.
- I'm no one to be doing this.
1272
01:24:24,100 --> 01:24:27,479
I'm no one. I am your average gal.
1273
01:24:27,479 --> 01:24:31,691
And just because I don't, on paper,
look like I should be doing it,
1274
01:24:31,691 --> 01:24:34,235
that's more of a reason
why I should be a part of it.
1275
01:24:34,986 --> 01:24:36,029
Doing this project,
1276
01:24:36,029 --> 01:24:39,157
I think
it's actually really important for us
1277
01:24:39,157 --> 01:24:42,077
to be in these rooms
where it's kind of uncomfortable
1278
01:24:42,077 --> 01:24:45,121
or where you don't seem
like you're supposed to be there,
1279
01:24:45,121 --> 01:24:49,167
I think that's something
I've really started to think about.
1280
01:24:49,167 --> 01:24:51,836
- That story needs to be told.
Yeah, that's the point.
1281
01:24:51,836 --> 01:24:55,256
You know,
this country will not find itself
1282
01:24:55,256 --> 01:24:58,468
- until everyone's voice has a place.
Yes, that's right.
1283
01:24:59,719 --> 01:25:00,845
Completely agree.
1284
01:25:03,014 --> 01:25:07,018
Sometimes we create bubbles
within our own communities.
1285
01:25:07,018 --> 01:25:10,146
And we don't cross the line.
1286
01:25:10,146 --> 01:25:13,900
So I think that this was an experience
to help me cross the line
1287
01:25:13,900 --> 01:25:15,860
and want to continue to cross that line.
1288
01:25:16,694 --> 01:25:19,280
To me, the conversation
is more important than the song.
1289
01:25:19,280 --> 01:25:22,450
I'm just excited to see how it lives,
how it touches people,
1290
01:25:22,450 --> 01:25:26,913
then I would just love to dive into,
"Where do we go from here?"
1291
01:25:32,961 --> 01:25:37,173
Are you glad
that you chose to do this,
1292
01:25:37,173 --> 01:25:38,550
to go on this journey?
1293
01:25:39,342 --> 01:25:41,219
Yeah, I mean,
I'm definitely glad that...
1294
01:25:42,929 --> 01:25:44,556
I chose to be on the journey.
1295
01:25:44,556 --> 01:25:47,725
I think that there's a "dot, dot, dot"
that is, you know,
1296
01:25:47,725 --> 01:25:50,645
the reaction and any of that,
1297
01:25:50,645 --> 01:25:55,191
but I'm standing for, like,
curiosity and learning
1298
01:25:55,191 --> 01:25:57,193
and open dialogue,
1299
01:25:57,193 --> 01:26:00,446
and I think that
that's what the song stands for.
1300
01:26:02,282 --> 01:26:05,535
I feel happy that I did it,
dot, dot, dot.
1301
01:26:32,353 --> 01:26:37,192
We are born of the finest earth
1302
01:26:37,192 --> 01:26:41,738
Fed by the clearest waters
1303
01:26:42,572 --> 01:26:47,577
We walked through tears
in the darkest of nights
1304
01:26:48,203 --> 01:26:52,498
We are America
1305
01:26:55,168 --> 01:26:59,839
A man of ebony
1306
01:26:59,839 --> 01:27:04,928
With a grandchild on his knee
1307
01:27:04,928 --> 01:27:10,016
It's not long ago
that they were not free
1308
01:27:10,975 --> 01:27:15,313
They are America
1309
01:27:19,150 --> 01:27:22,362
Our Native land
1310
01:27:22,362 --> 01:27:27,367
We all stand together
1311
01:27:29,244 --> 01:27:33,498
Our changing earth demands
1312
01:27:33,498 --> 01:27:37,460
That we do better
1313
01:27:39,837 --> 01:27:44,384
We rise above and look ahead
1314
01:27:44,384 --> 01:27:45,969
Come take my hand
1315
01:27:45,969 --> 01:27:51,057
We lead each other through it all
1316
01:27:51,057 --> 01:27:55,436
We are America
1317
01:27:58,856 --> 01:28:02,986
Some arrived here long ago
1318
01:28:02,986 --> 01:28:07,490
Dreams to live and seeds to sow
1319
01:28:08,658 --> 01:28:13,204
Still, there's a borderland in me
1320
01:28:14,080 --> 01:28:18,501
I am America
1321
01:28:20,837 --> 01:28:25,675
They were brave when they were called
1322
01:28:25,675 --> 01:28:30,555
Some were forced to stand for cause
1323
01:28:31,723 --> 01:28:36,728
All gave some, but some gave all
1324
01:28:36,728 --> 01:28:41,816
They are America
1325
01:28:45,069 --> 01:28:48,156
Our Native land
1326
01:28:48,156 --> 01:28:53,119
We all stand together
1327
01:28:55,371 --> 01:28:59,125
Our changing Earth demands
1328
01:28:59,125 --> 01:29:03,087
That we do better
1329
01:29:05,298 --> 01:29:09,886
We rise above and look ahead
1330
01:29:10,595 --> 01:29:11,763
Come take my hand
1331
01:29:11,763 --> 01:29:16,809
We'll lead each other through it all
1332
01:29:17,060 --> 01:29:21,564
We are America
1333
01:29:43,252 --> 01:29:47,632
We rise above and look ahead
1334
01:29:48,508 --> 01:29:49,717
Come take my hand
1335
01:29:49,717 --> 01:29:54,764
We'll lead each other through it all
1336
01:29:55,098 --> 01:30:04,524
We are America
1337
01:30:05,233 --> 01:30:09,946
We are America
1338
01:30:17,412 --> 01:30:20,915
Whoo!
Congratulations, everybody.
1339
01:30:22,667 --> 01:30:25,920
Oh, man. Thank you all so much.
Thank you again for being here.
1340
01:30:25,920 --> 01:30:29,006
Thank you for being a part of this.
Let's have a round of applause.
1341
01:30:43,479 --> 01:30:46,232
- Oh, man. Yeah.
Thank you, guys.
1342
01:30:46,232 --> 01:30:47,900
We did it.
We did.
1343
01:30:48,609 --> 01:30:50,069
Thank you, bro. Appreciate it.
1344
01:30:53,698 --> 01:30:55,283
Thank you.
1345
01:30:57,869 --> 01:30:59,287
All right.
1346
01:31:02,039 --> 01:31:03,666
I'm so excited...
1347
01:31:07,920 --> 01:31:09,297
Hats off.
1348
01:31:10,006 --> 01:31:12,425
You sing well, man.
Yeah, thank you.
1349
01:31:13,634 --> 01:31:15,094
Appreciate it.
1350
01:31:15,094 --> 01:31:17,722
Music brings people together.
1351
01:31:18,931 --> 01:31:20,308
It does.
1352
01:31:20,308 --> 01:31:24,437
This ties us all back into that
strength, that power of that circle.
1353
01:31:38,784 --> 01:31:42,246
One, two, one, two, three, four.
1354
01:31:44,790 --> 01:31:47,919
We're just passing it on.
Passing the torch.
113416
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