The Meaning Behind “You Get What You Give” by New Radicals and a Rage Against Despair and the Machine

New Radicals landed a smash hit in 1998 with “You Get What You Give”. Then the Los Angeles band abruptly broke up the following year. However, the band’s leader, Gregg Alexander, has enjoyed a quieter life outside the spotlight, writing hits for other artists. And recently, New Radicals returned with the group’s first new song in 28 years.

Written by Alexander and Rick Nowels, “You Get What You Give” offers both a corporate and pop culture critique with an optimistic hook for cynical youth.

Wake Up, Kids!

The opening verse begins with a wake-up call for the youth. The kids here are tired of politeness, so they smash expensive cars, which may be a metaphor for smashing norms. But it may also just be an ode to the rush of petty crime.

Wake up, kids, we got the dreamers’ disease,
Age 14, they got you down on your knees,
So polite, we’re busy still saying please.

Frenemies, who, when you’re down, ain’t your friend,
Every night we smash a Mercedes-Benz,
First we run, and then we laugh till we cry.

Hold on, keep going. Rage against despair.

But when the night is falling,
You cannot find the light,
You feel your dreams are dying, hold tight.

Each generation feels like the world is hopelessly in chaos. But it’s also up to new generations to fix what’s broken. The new radicals, you might say.

Don’t let go, you’ve got the music in you,
One dance left, this world is gonna pull through.
Don’t give up, you’ve got a reason to live,
Can’t forget, we only get what we give.

A Pop Culture Diss

The next verse acknowledges the economic despair many young people feel, which is a sentiment that never seems out of style. And the “bad rich” line may allude to a two-tier justice system where the wealthy—armed with expensive legal teams—can operate above the law.

4 A.M., we ran a miracle mile,
We’re flat broke, but hey, we do it in style,
The bad rich, God’s flying in for your trial.

Finally, this became the most controversial lyric in the song. Alexander takes on pop culture stars like Beck, Hanson, Courtney Love, and Marilyn Manson.

Looking at this list, they seem unfairly clustered. Nonetheless, Alexander’s critique of fame and the public’s obsession with celebrities brought more attention to the song, helping it climb the charts.

Then, with his band at its commercial peak, Alexander quit.

Fashion shoots with Beck and Hanson,
Courtney Love and Marilyn Manson.
You’re all fakes, run to your mansions,
Come around, we’ll kick your a** in.

Photo by: Joey Del Valle/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images