In the new video for "Hold On," contemporary bluesman Gary Clark Jr. bares a heavy mind and a hurting heart. In the bright white glow of news footage—from the civil rights movement of the '60s, the Million Man March, the Rodney King riots, protests in Ferguson, and beyond—being projected onto a blank space behind him, he shreds and ponders. Seem like new news is the old news from a different angle, he sings. Another mother on TV, crying because her boy didn't make it.
"This song is about a few things, but basically, let's not fuck up the world for our children," Clark explained in an email to The FADER about the song, which is off his 2015 album The Story of Sonny Boy Slim. "Let's teach them love not hate. That being said we have to lead by example. It's time to be open, patient and understanding of people. Let's love our differences and not hate each other for them. Let's learn from each other and grow together. Let's live in peace NOW."
Read Next: Watch Gary Clark Jr’s Tiny Desk Concert
"Inhale, exhale, pass it around, and chill the fuck out," he added.
