Freedom Land. Inspired by a human relations workshop for Los Angeles high school students that I attended in the 1960s. It was a wonderful experience that showed how people from many different racial, religious and ethnic backgrounds could get along. The song was originally written for and performed on a nylon-string guitar, but I sequenced it using my PSR 740 so that I could have a MIDI arrangement/recording of it. [Makes use of Chords 1 and Bass tracks from a style I created.]
FREEDOM LAND LYRICS
Where you go-ing, bro-ther? Where you go-ing, sis-ter? We're go-ing to a land where men are all bro-thers, Where love in-stead of hate rules their hearts. We're go-ing to a land called Free-dom. Go-ing to a land called Free-dom.
How you gon-na get there, bro-ther? How you gon-na get there, sis-ter? We're gon-na get there in a ship called Love, A ship that must be shared to be of worth. That ship's gon-na take us to a land called Free-dom, Take us to a land called Free-dom.
What you gon-na find there, bro-ther? What you gon-na find there, sis-ter?
We'll-find-a-land-where-grass grows green, And fra-grant flow-ers bloom e-ter-nal-ly. That's-what-it-looks-like-in-that-land-called-Free-dom. Beau-ty in a-land-called Free-dom.
But dee-per beau-ty still ex-ists in that place, Where black and white and brown and red and yel-low walk to-ge-ther In peace.
And re-li-gion is no bar-ri-er to love, nor is race. Where peo-ple love each o-ther as bro-ther was meant to love bro-ther. That's how it is in that land called Free-dom. Love in a land called Free-dom.
Can I go with you bro-ther? Can I go with you, sis-ter? Free-dom's gates are o-pen, my friend, As lo-ving hearts can see. Come with us to that land called Free-dom. Join us in that land called Free-dom.
Guitar Player Hoedown. This song uses only the auto-accompaniment, fill-ins and Multi-Pads on my Yamaha PSR 740 electronic keyboard. No separate "melody" line is used at all.
Copyright 2003 by Laura Remson Mitchell. and Cara Rosenberg Alson
(Please note: In the chorus, "deidel" is pronounced DYE-dull.)
I found the faded photograph
Buried 'neath years of memories
In a suitcase made of dust.
Who was this young mother
Clutching her sleeping babe?Skin of ivory, innocent eyes
Delicate mouth smiling on her child
Dark braids circled her head.
Fragile as glass she seemed
Clinging,
Clinging,
Clinging to the edge of a shelf.
[CHORUS]
Dye deidel deidel deidel dye
Dye deidel deidel dum dye
Dye deidel deidel deidel dye
Dye deidel deidel dum dyeWho were you? I ask
Frail and gentle woman
Lady of leisure perhaps?
Who kept and served you,
Tended to your needs?Turned over, writing appears
Mystery in Hebrew script
"Grandmother, who's this?"
Her name was Rachel
My Grandfather's sister.Her story echoes still
In our family corridors
She buried many an infant
And raised seven more
Thanking Heaven
Thanking Heaven
Thanking Heaven for them all.
[CHORUS]
Dye deidel deidel deidel dye
Dye deidel deidel dum dye
Dye deidel deidel deidel dye
Dye deidel deidel dum dyeShe secreted her children
From soldiers in the street,
Shipped them to their freedom
Saw her husband wither away
And survived a barbed-wire world.
Eyes glowing with courage
Mouth set firm and strong
You were not a top-shelf figurine.
I misinterpreted the cover
And neglected,
And neglected,
And neglected to read the story.
[CHORUS]
Dye deidel deidel deidel dye
Dye deidel deidel dum dye
Dye deidel deidel deidel dye
Dye deidel deidel dum dye.
Dye deidel deidel dum dye.
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu
Melech haolam m'shaneh hab'riot.
It's a blessing we've been given
If only we will see —
The diversity of Creation
And of all humanity.May we truly be united
By the spark of Divinity we share,
And may our differences enrich our lives in peace.
Oh, hear our prayer!
Blessed are you, oh God,
Ruler of the universe,
Who has given us diversity
Among Creation.
We know the life we want to live,
And we will sound the call
For independence, equal rights,
And Justice for All.
With wheelchair, scooter, cane and crutch,
And more — we must stand tall!
Dogs serve and guide, and hands can talk,
Saying "Justice for All."
It isn't pity that we want,
Just help along the way.
Disability isn't black or white.
It comes in shades of gray.
All of us have parts to play
Be they large or small.
Together, we can heal the world
With Justice for All!
For each of us, there is a Someone —
A special Someone, so they say.
But True Love, it seems, has its own little schemes
And its own games to play.I thought I'd found the perfect Someone,
But somehow, it turned out all wrong.
And so I resolved to stay uninvolved
And silence love's sweet song.I focused on the kinds of things that made life seem worthwhile,
And suddenly I found, to my surprise,
That what I really needed to make my life complete
Was right there in your eyes.And now our hearts sing out together,
Creating our own symphony.
I thought I'd never find my Someone,
But my Someone found me!