The 30th anniversary celebration of Democracy Now!, held in New York City’s historic Riverside Church this week, featured live performances and appearances from writers and musicians including Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith. The musical performances were kicked off by singer-songwriter Alynda Segarra and their band Hurray for the Riff Raff, performing the Puerto Rico-inspired anthem “Pa’lante.”

Transcript

AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now! I’m Amy Goodman.

We end today’s show with Hurray for the Riff Raff performing their song “Pa’lante” at Democracy Now!’s 30th anniversary.

HURRAY FOR THE RIFF RAFF: [performing “Pa’lante”]

Well, I just wanna go to work
And get back home, be something
I just wanna fall in line
And do my time, and be something
I just wanna prove my worth
On the planet Earth, and be something
I just wanna fall in love
And not ruin it, and feel something

Well, lately, don’t understand what I am

Treated as a fool
Not quite a woman or a man
Well, I don’t know
I guess I don’t understand the plan

Colonized, and hypnotized, be something

Sterilized, dehumanized, I’ll be something
They tell you take your pay
But stay out the way, go be something
They tell you do your best
Forget the rest, be something

Well, lately, it’s been mighty hard to see

Just searching for my lost humanity
I look for you, my friends
But do you look for me?

Lately I’m not too afraid to die

I wanna leave it all behind
I think about it sometimes
And lately all my time’s been movin’ slow
I don’t know where I’m gonna go
Just give me time, and I’ll know

Oh, any day now

Oh, any day now
I will come along
Oh, any day now
Oh, any day now
I will come along
Oh, I will come along

¡Pa’lante!, my friends!

From El Barrio to Arecibo, ¡Pa’lante!

And from Marble Hill to the ghost of Emmett Till, ¡Pa’lante!
And to Juan, Miguel, Milagros, Manuel, ¡Pa’lante!
And to all who have to hide, we say, ¡Pa’lante!
And to all who lost your pride, ¡Pa’lante!
And to all trying to survive, ¡Pa’lante!
¡Pa’lante!
To the earth under our feet, ¡Pa’lante!
To resistance in the street, ¡Pa’lante!
To the children of the world, ¡Pa’lante!
To the poets of Palestine, ¡Pa’lante!
To the dream that can never die, ¡Pa’lante!
To all who came before, we say, ¡Pa’lante!
To all who came before, we say, ¡Pa’lante!

AMY GOODMAN: Alynda Segarra and Hurray for the Riff Raff performing their song “Pa’lante” at Democracy Now!'s 30th anniversary on Monday at the historic Riverside Church here in New York. To watch the full event, go to democracynow.org. It included Angela Davis, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Stipe, Aaron Dessner, Mosab Abu Toha, V, Juan González, Nermeen Shaikh and more. Check it out at democracy now.org. And the film about Democracy Now!'s 30 years is opening in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and more. You can check it all out, StealThisStory.org. We’ll be doing Q&As at all the theaters. I’m Amy Goodman. Thanks for joining us.