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'My Country': tUnE-yArDs Questions The American Dream
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Merrill Garbus, the woman behind the experimental folk-rock band tUnE-yArDs, wrote her song "My Country" with the state of the union on her mind. The melody resembles "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" at first but quickly veers into more chaotic territory.
" 'My Country,' first of all, does this thing of playing with the original patriotic melody," Garbus says. "It lands on this really weird, unexpected note, and that's something that musically says, 'There's something suspect here; let's investigate this more.' "
Garbus says she hopes the song will entice listeners to examine the notion of the American dream — an idea she finds disingenuous.
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"We cannot all have it," Garbus says. "You know, that's the whole idea of the American dream, that we can all have it as long we work hard — and that is untrue. There are so many ways in our country where we are not giving the same opportunities to everybody."
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
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