'In America' is a soundtrack written and produced by John Legend for WGN's pre-Civil War drama, 'Underground'.
- Mar 23, 2017
AceShowbiz - It is no secret that John Legend is heavily involved in WGN's series "Underground". Besides being an executive producer of the series, in the second season he is set to play Frederick Douglass, an American abolitionist and hero. His further contribution is by producing a song for soundtrack of the upcoming season.
The soundtrack is called "In America". In the powerful anthem, Legend expresses his anger and hope for his beloved country. He sings in the chorus, "In America, in America/ I poured my sweat in America/ This land is my land, it's America/ I broke my back for America/ All the money I make, all these chances I take/ Just paying my rent, in America/ Won't just stand around and watch it go down."
Legend co-wrote the song with producer and songwriter Dave Tozer, who seemed to have similar visions about America with the singer. "When John and I were writing 'In America', we wanted to give voice to the frustration that some people have been feeling in recent times," Tozer said. "To channel the experiences of people who feel targeted for who they are and those forced to work long hours just to keep their families afloat, and show that as a country we sometimes struggle to live up to the promise of the American dream. But we also wanted it to be hopeful, and show the optimism that leads people to pursue that dream."
Legend pours his soul into the song, sincerely wishing for the best for America. " 'In America' was born around the same time I was working on my most recent album 'Darkness and Light'," the husband of Chrissy Teigen said in a press release. "It's a song I was writing while thinking about the duality of America, where it's known to be this place of freedom, equality and where anyone can make it."
The "All of Me" hitmaker added, "The song points out the tension between the promise of America, the ideals of America, and sometimes us not living up to those ideals in practice. 'In America' was the perfect song for 'Underground', a series I'm incredibly proud to be a part of, and one that does a beautiful job of portraying a challenging time in our nation's history while reminding us that change is possible."
