This past December, The Roots joined Gary Clark Jr. for a performance of “This Land”. The clip comes from an episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon that originally aired on December 11th, 2019.
In a prelude to the performance, host Jimmy Fallon acknowledges how many amazing guests his house band, The Roots, have played with over the years. One particular performance that sticks out in his mind is the following, previously unaired, encore performance with Gary Clark Jr.
Related: Gary Clark Jr. Performs “Low Down Rolling Stone” On ‘The Tonight Show’ [Watch]
As the camera zooms into the yuletide-decorated Tonight Show stage, an ominous synthesizer plays some dark notes to set the mood. Then comes the crash of symbols from Questlove as Clark drops in with some wah-soaked licks. The opening lyrics, “Paranoid and pissed off,” immediately set the tone for a song that is as relevant now as it was when it was released in February 2019. It’s a no-brainer why Fallon chose this clip, as protests across the country in response to the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer rage on. Clark’s lyrics paint a vivid picture of a system and society of oppression and discrimination that cannot be outrun no matter how successful a black person is in this country. After prescient line after prescient line, Clark rips into a blistering guitar solo filled with just as much rage as the lyrics. Finally, the ensemble hammers out the refrain “this land is mine” a few more times to remind listeners that this country belongs to us all.
Watch Gary Clark Jr. and The Roots perform “This Land” on The Tonight Show.
Gary Clark Jr. & The Roots — “This Land”
[Video: The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon]
Gary Clark Jr. was set to hit the road alongside The Black Keys, The Marcus King Band, Yola, and Jessy Wilson on the Keys’ summer tour next month, however that entire tour was cancelled. Even as businesses across the country continue to reopen following a gradual return to normalcy, the live music industry still has a long way to go. Visit Clark’s website for any announcements and check out the Live For Live Music concert cancellation tracker for daily updates on the state of live music.
Clark uploaded this video to Instagram after the performance debuted on Youtube, shedding more light on the song’s meaning.
View this post on Instagram
It’s not about me. It’s not about a neighbor. It’s not about a man in a suit. 👀 and👂🏾👂🏾🔍