Song Premiere: Eliza Gilkyson’s “In America”
I have an ongoing argument with a member of my family about the state of the world. Lifelong. Intense. You know the argument I’m talking about. People joke about the divide in families making a few holiday meals per year uncomfortable (“Don’t get your uncle started!”), but the fact is: how much I disagree with this person makes me sad and/or mad every day.
Fine. It’s my Dad. It’s so obviously my Dad. My Dad and I are great friends who disagree about everything except Dolly Parton, coffee, and a nice hand-cut french fry. We also like each other’s partners and I love his dog. The way he defends recent actions by leadership in our country is not at all fun for me (and that is a huge understatement). I have big feelings and loud thoughts about it. In previous versions of our relationship I have yelled at him. I always make my points. It’s not that he won’t listen – we simply don’t agree and neither of us is ever going to change the other’s mind. Lately, we mostly avoid the topic. He’s my Dad. He’s not young. He’s been a little sick. I don’t know what else to do.
All this overshare to say: the great Eliza Gilkyson agrees with me and I’m not mad or sad about that.
A march toward devastation pushes Gilkyson’s new song “In America” from mournful assessment of the national situation to the realization that there is only one thing to do: hold your ground for what is right and prove that the American Dream deserved to exist and applies to everyone. Small ask. The song is cinematic and anthemic and Gilkyson’s clear voice and lyrical imagery deliver the message clearly and with resolve.
From Eliza:
“Right now what I worry about most is that these outrageous acts of violence and cruelty, against humans and the entire natural world, are becoming normalized to the point that we are desensitized to them, and we compartmentalize these daily onslaughts to our humanity and decency in order to cope. ICE is daily doing what they did from the first moment they were let loose in our world, but we don’t hear about it as much in the news. I want to do everything I can to nurture my outrage, and everyone else’s as well. Therein lies our ability to stay sentient and caring, and to fight back, every damn day.”
SONG CREDITS
Written by Eliza Gilkyson, GilkySongs/Bluewater/BMI (2026)
Produced by Don Richmond, Cisco Gilliland, Eliza Gilkyson
Recorded by Don Richmond at Howlin’ Dog Studio (Alamosa CO)
Additional recording by Justin Douglas at King Electric Recording (Austin, TX) and by Cisco Gilliland at Studio 45 (Austin, TX)
Mixed by Cisco Gilliland and Justin Douglas
Mastered by Max Lorenzen at Rare Ear (Lockhart, TX)
Cover photo Eliza Gilkyson
Art Direction Judy Werle, Suite5Artists
Musicians:
Eliza Gilkyson – acoustic guitar, vocal
Don Richmond – vocal
Cisco Gilliland – drums, percussion, vocal
Jimmy Stadler – piano
Glenn Fukunaga – bass
Mike Hardwick – electric guitars
Lyrics:
Vigilantes stalking the city streets
Use their rage to feed the beast
It’s their time now, there can be no peace
In America
They target you when your skin is brown
Throw you hard onto the ground
And it pleases them to hear the sounds of your helplessness
Fantasy red white and blue
Fairytale that can’t come true
You never dreamed it could happen to you
They mask their faces in daylight
Move like demons through the night
There’s no law when you’re in their sights
In America
They kick the door down, raid your homes
Take your children break your bones
Haul you off to jails unknown
In America
Fantasy red white and blue
Fairytale that can’t come true
You never dreamed it could happen to you
The clock strikes twelve and the last bell tolls
No one knows how the story goes
But you won’t give up when it’s for the soul
Of America
You light your torch and you hold your ground
Raise your fist and you turn around
We’re all here and we won’t back down
In America
Fantasy red white and blue
Fairytales that won’t come true
Now the only way out is through
Forward
