Freedom! Yea!
March 17, 2010 10:44 PM Subscribe
Songs for freedom?
Just got a new job, so I am free from the shackles of the old job. What should I put on my freedom playlist?
Just got a new job, so I am free from the shackles of the old job. What should I put on my freedom playlist?
The Mekons, “Sometimes I Feel Like Fletcher Christian”
posted by koeselitz at 10:53 PM on March 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by koeselitz at 10:53 PM on March 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
“Sometimes I feel like Fletcher Christianposted by koeselitz at 10:54 PM on March 17, 2010
In paradise with the tables turned
Yes, and I can feel the tatooist's needle
I can feel my neck and ankles burn...”
Any version of Woody Guthrie's This Land Is Your Land. The freest song that was ever free.
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 10:59 PM on March 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Fiasco da Gama at 10:59 PM on March 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
Even though the song might not be perfectly topical, in my opinion any excuse to put Ween's Freedom of '76 on a playlist is a good one.
posted by Balonious Assault at 11:05 PM on March 17, 2010
posted by Balonious Assault at 11:05 PM on March 17, 2010
Jurassic 5 - Freedom
posted by dunkadunc at 11:08 PM on March 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by dunkadunc at 11:08 PM on March 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
Waterboys - Fisherman's Blues.
fuck yeah!
posted by philip-random at 11:16 PM on March 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
fuck yeah!
posted by philip-random at 11:16 PM on March 17, 2010 [1 favorite]
Maggie's Farm.
posted by little light-giver at 11:52 PM on March 17, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by little light-giver at 11:52 PM on March 17, 2010 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Richie Havens, "Freedom" (I'm linking this one to the YT video, because watching him perform it is pretty powerful.)
Fleetwood Mac, "Go Your Own Way"
Nina Simone, "Feeling Good"
Doves, "There Goes the Fear"
Aloha, "Goodbye to the Factory"
The Shins, "Sea Legs"
Diana Ross, "You Keep Me Hangin' On"
shoot, while I'm at it, why not "I Will Survive"? hehehe.
posted by so_gracefully at 11:55 PM on March 17, 2010
Fleetwood Mac, "Go Your Own Way"
Nina Simone, "Feeling Good"
Doves, "There Goes the Fear"
Aloha, "Goodbye to the Factory"
The Shins, "Sea Legs"
Diana Ross, "You Keep Me Hangin' On"
shoot, while I'm at it, why not "I Will Survive"? hehehe.
posted by so_gracefully at 11:55 PM on March 17, 2010
Natalie Merchant's version of "Space Oddity" ought to do the trick.
posted by at the crossroads at 11:58 PM on March 17, 2010
posted by at the crossroads at 11:58 PM on March 17, 2010
The "Rumours" cut of "Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac, for sure.
posted by molecicco at 12:59 AM on March 18, 2010
posted by molecicco at 12:59 AM on March 18, 2010
Cheesy house:
Aquaman featuring Rozalla 'Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)'
Rebel folk:
Dick Gaughan's version of Hamish Henderson's Freedom Come All Ye
posted by Abiezer at 1:23 AM on March 18, 2010
Aquaman featuring Rozalla 'Everybody's Free (To Feel Good)'
Rebel folk:
Dick Gaughan's version of Hamish Henderson's Freedom Come All Ye
posted by Abiezer at 1:23 AM on March 18, 2010
Best answer: The Bob Marley song is actually called "Redemption Song," in case you're looking for it. It does contain the lyric "these songs of freedom." Many consider it his finest song. But of course it's a song about winning freedom from slavery for African people, as are more than a few of the recommendations above. I'm not sure I'd equate that with getting a better gig.
How about Johnny Paycheck's widely known but underrated "Take This Job And Shove It?"
And hey Abiezer, great call on the Dick Gaughan. There's someone who needs to be much better known.
posted by fourcheesemac at 1:36 AM on March 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
How about Johnny Paycheck's widely known but underrated "Take This Job And Shove It?"
And hey Abiezer, great call on the Dick Gaughan. There's someone who needs to be much better known.
posted by fourcheesemac at 1:36 AM on March 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
Springsteen's "Independence Day" is a worthy choice as well.
posted by fourcheesemac at 1:37 AM on March 18, 2010
posted by fourcheesemac at 1:37 AM on March 18, 2010
When I graduated high school, my theme song was Martina McBride's "Independence Day."
posted by IndigoRain at 1:54 AM on March 18, 2010
posted by IndigoRain at 1:54 AM on March 18, 2010
Too right, fourcheesemac: you could fill a good worker's playlist with Dick's singing and amazing guitar work alone, to be honest: his version of MacColl's Worker's Song or Ballad of Accounting; of Ed Pickford's Pound A Week Rise; or another Henderson number, The Gillie Mor to name just a few.
posted by Abiezer at 2:06 AM on March 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Abiezer at 2:06 AM on March 18, 2010 [1 favorite]
Oh yeah, Abiezer. We need a Dick Gaughan FPP. His life is an incredible story in its own right.
Gaughan's greatest, in my opinion, and apropos of the question, is "World Turned Upside Down" (also called "The Digger's Song" -- an ode to dying for your freedom, and an absolute masterpiece from *Handful of Earth*). It's more likely people know the Billy Bragg version, but Dick was the original Billy Bragg, and then some.
In 1649
To St. George’s Hill,
A ragged band they called the Diggers
Came to show the people’s will
They defied the landlords
They defied the laws
They were the dispossessed reclaiming what was theirs
We come in peace they said
To dig and sow
We come to work the lands in common
And to make the waste ground grow
This earth divided
We will make whole
So it will be
A common treasury for all
The sin of property
We do disdain
No man has any right to buy and sell
The earth for private gain
By theft and murder
They took the land
Now everywhere the walls
Spring up at their command
They make the laws
To chain us well
The clergy dazzle us with heaven
Or they damn us into hell
We will not worship
The God they serve
The God of greed who feed the rich
While poor folk starve
We work we eat together
We need no swords
We will not bow to the masters
Or pay rent to the lords
Still we are free
Though we are poor
You Diggers all stand up for glory
Stand up now
From the men of property
The orders came
They sent the hired men and troopers
To wipe out the Diggers’ claim
Tear down their cottages
Destroy their corn
They were dispersed
But still the vision lingers on
You poor take courage
You rich take care
This earth was made a common treasury
For everyone to share
All things in common
All people one
We come in peace
The orders came to cut them down
posted by fourcheesemac at 3:09 AM on March 18, 2010
Gaughan's greatest, in my opinion, and apropos of the question, is "World Turned Upside Down" (also called "The Digger's Song" -- an ode to dying for your freedom, and an absolute masterpiece from *Handful of Earth*). It's more likely people know the Billy Bragg version, but Dick was the original Billy Bragg, and then some.
In 1649
To St. George’s Hill,
A ragged band they called the Diggers
Came to show the people’s will
They defied the landlords
They defied the laws
They were the dispossessed reclaiming what was theirs
We come in peace they said
To dig and sow
We come to work the lands in common
And to make the waste ground grow
This earth divided
We will make whole
So it will be
A common treasury for all
The sin of property
We do disdain
No man has any right to buy and sell
The earth for private gain
By theft and murder
They took the land
Now everywhere the walls
Spring up at their command
They make the laws
To chain us well
The clergy dazzle us with heaven
Or they damn us into hell
We will not worship
The God they serve
The God of greed who feed the rich
While poor folk starve
We work we eat together
We need no swords
We will not bow to the masters
Or pay rent to the lords
Still we are free
Though we are poor
You Diggers all stand up for glory
Stand up now
From the men of property
The orders came
They sent the hired men and troopers
To wipe out the Diggers’ claim
Tear down their cottages
Destroy their corn
They were dispersed
But still the vision lingers on
You poor take courage
You rich take care
This earth was made a common treasury
For everyone to share
All things in common
All people one
We come in peace
The orders came to cut them down
posted by fourcheesemac at 3:09 AM on March 18, 2010
Looking for Freedom by David Hasselhoff.
/hidden track maybe.
posted by TheOtherGuy at 3:14 AM on March 18, 2010
/hidden track maybe.
posted by TheOtherGuy at 3:14 AM on March 18, 2010
Rolling Stones - I'm Free, or the Soup Dragons' version of it.
But the connoisseur's choice would be Loaded by Primal Scream, which includes a Peter Fonda sample from Wild Angels:
"Just what is it that you want to do?
We wanna be free
We wanna be free to do what we wanna do
And we wanna get loaded
And we wanna have a good time
That's what we're gonna do
Away baby let's go
We're gonna have a good time
We're gonna have a party"
posted by MuffinMan at 5:13 AM on March 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
But the connoisseur's choice would be Loaded by Primal Scream, which includes a Peter Fonda sample from Wild Angels:
"Just what is it that you want to do?
We wanna be free
We wanna be free to do what we wanna do
And we wanna get loaded
And we wanna have a good time
That's what we're gonna do
Away baby let's go
We're gonna have a good time
We're gonna have a party"
posted by MuffinMan at 5:13 AM on March 18, 2010 [2 favorites]
Refused - Coup d'etat
posted by blaneyphoto at 5:30 AM on March 18, 2010
posted by blaneyphoto at 5:30 AM on March 18, 2010
If you want to do some kind of ordering to it, here are some "early"/"before" ones:
Queen - I Want To Break Free
Phish - Free
Mojo Nixon - Gotta Be Free
Bodeans - Closer To Free
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Freebird
And for the latter half:
Ween - Freedom of '76
The Who - I'm Free
posted by knile at 6:09 AM on March 18, 2010
Queen - I Want To Break Free
Phish - Free
Mojo Nixon - Gotta Be Free
Bodeans - Closer To Free
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Freebird
And for the latter half:
Ween - Freedom of '76
The Who - I'm Free
posted by knile at 6:09 AM on March 18, 2010
How could you get this far in the answer without "Free Nelson Mandela" by the Specials?
posted by norm at 7:15 AM on March 18, 2010
posted by norm at 7:15 AM on March 18, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks guys, keep em coming. Gave a best answer for "Keep Me Hangin On", but I'm working through the others as well.
posted by crazycanuck at 7:36 AM on March 18, 2010
posted by crazycanuck at 7:36 AM on March 18, 2010
As embarsassing as this is to admit...
"I'm Free" by Jon Secada is perfect.
I'm free / I'm free / Things are only as important as I want them to be
posted by glenngulia at 9:24 AM on March 18, 2010
"I'm Free" by Jon Secada is perfect.
I'm free / I'm free / Things are only as important as I want them to be
posted by glenngulia at 9:24 AM on March 18, 2010
"Frankly Mr. Shankly" - The Smiths
"Breakout" - Swing Out Sister
posted by SisterHavana at 10:36 AM on March 18, 2010
"Breakout" - Swing Out Sister
posted by SisterHavana at 10:36 AM on March 18, 2010
Judy Collin's version of Bread and Roses ought to be in any emancipated worker's play rotation.
posted by paulsc at 10:43 AM on March 18, 2010
posted by paulsc at 10:43 AM on March 18, 2010
I absolutely LOVE "Freedom" by Akon. Really uplifting and catchy song.
posted by Spyder's Game at 11:54 AM on March 18, 2010
posted by Spyder's Game at 11:54 AM on March 18, 2010
For work related freedom I suggest Bob Seger - Feel Like A Number. To celebrate the end of a dark time try Paul Simon and Phoebe Snow - Gone At Last.
posted by irisclara at 12:50 PM on March 18, 2010
posted by irisclara at 12:50 PM on March 18, 2010
It's more a how-it-feels than what-the-lyrics-say, but after we ended a difficult relationship with a friend, my husband and I found ourselves repeatedly dancing around the living room singing along to this remix of Soul Coughing's "Circles". (Sometimes with slightly altered lyrics: "I don't need to walk around on eggshells, walk around on eggshells, walk around on eggshells...")
posted by Lexica at 12:21 PM on March 20, 2010
posted by Lexica at 12:21 PM on March 20, 2010
Sail away where no ball and chain
Can keep us from the roarin' waves
Together undivided but forever we'll be free
So sail away aboard our rig
The moon is full and so are we
We're seven drunken pirates
We're the Seven Deadly Sins
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 6:13 PM on March 21, 2010
Can keep us from the roarin' waves
Together undivided but forever we'll be free
So sail away aboard our rig
The moon is full and so are we
We're seven drunken pirates
We're the Seven Deadly Sins
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 6:13 PM on March 21, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Sweet Honey in the Rock - We Who Believe in Freedom
The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again
posted by ottereroticist at 10:49 PM on March 17, 2010