Lyr Req: Give Me Freedom

Subject: Give Me Freedom
From: SDShad
Date: 20 Jul 00 - 11:46 PM

I don't know if this is even the actual title of the song, and I've looked high and low for it on the Web and in the 'Trad, but we heard this song on this week's Mudcat Radio (apologies, but we don't even remember who sang it). Beautiful, evocative, impressive song. Who sang it the other night? Who wrote it? And does anyone have the lyrics?

Thanks,

Shad & Hypatia

Subject: ADD:Give Me Jesus ^^
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Jul 00 - 04:03 AM

Hi, Shad & Hypathia - I'm guessing you heard a version of the black spiritual, "Give Me Jesus." I think I've heard it more often as "Give Me Freedom."
-Joe Offer-

---

GIVE ME JESUS
(traditional black spiritual)

I heard my mother say,
I heard my mother say,
I heard my mother say,
"Give me Jesus."

CHORUS
Give me Jesus,
Give me Jesus,
You may have all this world,
Give me Jesus.

At dark midnight was my cry
At dark midnight was my cry
At dark midnight was my cry
Give me Jesus.

CHORUS

In the morning when I rise
In the morning when I rise
In the morning when I rise
Give me Jesus.

CHORUS

And when I come to die
And when I come to die
And when I come to die
Give me Jesus.

CHORUS

source: American Negro Songs, John W. Work, 1940.

Dover has this book available as a paperback, God bless 'em.

I'll send the tune to Mudcat MIDIs.
-Joe Offer- ^^

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Give Me Freedom
From: Jeri
Date: 21 Jul 00 - 08:38 AM

Drew and ...(senior moment) sang it. It was indeed "Give Me Freedom," and I'm pretty sure Drew wrote it. You could listen to the archive, or hope MaryMac can/would get in touch with them. Very rousing song.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Give Me Freedom
From: SDShad
Date: 21 Jul 00 - 10:10 AM

Thanks, Jeri! Ah, yes. Señor Moment has sung so very many good songs, at least in my memory. :-) I think it was Debbie, on reviewing the archive a little.

I've listened to it several times on the archive, actually, I just want to make sure I get the words and songwriter right if I learn the song. One of those songs so beautiful it brings on tears 'n' goosebumps, love to sing 'em.

Chris

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Give Me Freedom
From: Joe Offer
Date: 21 Jul 00 - 10:05 PM

Well, I guessed wrong - but it gave me a chance to post a great song.

So, Chris, did you say you were going to post the lyrics?
Hmmmm?
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr Add: GIVE ME FREEDOM
From: SDShad
Date: 22 Jul 00 - 03:54 PM

I'm not so sure you're wrong Joe. I think we have the folk process at work here--a protest song reworked from an old spiritual. When I got home Thursday night and played it for Hyp, she started singing along on the choruses right off. She didn't remember it, but she knew it anyway, if you know what I mean. We suspect that she probably sang it at MYF camp as a kid--maybe as "Give Me Jesus," but if "Give Me Freedom" is old enough, they might've sung it as such at the MYF camps she went to. They sang "We Shall Overcome" and such; MYF made her, and I quote, "a George McGovern South Dakota Methodist."

[Of course I like to point out to her that George's background is actually Wesleyan, since my ancestors were Ohio Wesleyan abolitionists, but she rightly accuses me of splitting hairs.]

So I went out looking for MIDIs of "Give Me Jesus" on the Web and found a passel of 'em. They range from very spiritual-sounding to very churchy to very Southern-Harmony-ish. But they all sound pretty darned similar, though not at all identical. We even found an MP3 (all hail Napster, if used in moderation :-)) of a Contemporary Christian singer named Fernando Ortega from New Mexico singing it. The melody he sings is similar as well; Beth described it as "the white boy version" of the tune.

The melody Drew sang for "Give Me Freedom" is the folkiest of them all, and the one I like the most--it's fairly suited to my voice. But I believe that they're related. The notes aren't all identical, but the chord structure and the feel of it are pretty much the same. So even if Drew's is not the "original" tune, I think I'll use it for "Give Me Jesus" when I'm in a gospelly mood. It fits. But I will be very interested to hear the melody you know "Give Me Jesus" by, Joe, when it hits the MIDI archive.

I'll PM Marymac and ask her to impart to us what she might know about the song and its origins.

But anyway, without further ado, yes, Joe, I've transcribed the lyrics from the Radio and here they be:

Give Me Freedom
by ?? (maybe Drew Calvin)

In the morning when I rise
To alarms and babies' cries
And the sun says who's this guy
Give me freedom

When I walk out in this world
And the teardrops shine like pearls
And the day is a flag unfurled
Give me freedom

Chorus:
Give me freedom
Give me freedom
As I make my way
Give me freedom

Give me freedom
Give me freedom
You can have this whole world
Give me freedom

Cause I earn my daily bread
And the bossman cuts me dead
I wish I could bust his head
Give me freedom

When I know I've done it right
And someone will sleep tonight
Because I have fought their fight
Give me freedom

[Chorus]

When the riches of this life
Are laid out before my eyes
I need only pay the price
Give me freedom

When my sweet one makes reply
To my complaints and alibis
With a love that I can't buy
Give me freedom

[Chorus]

When my fondest dreams and hopes
Blow away in a puff of smoke
And my life's a cruel joke
Give me freedom

When my body falls apart
Find a place to lay my heart
Til I make another start
Give me freedom

[Chorus]

So I'm going to learn me up both songs. If you haven't listened to Drew's "Give Me Freedom," by all means get thee to a Mudcat Radio archive and listen to Episode 44. It appears at about 1:46 into the episode. Correct my transcription of the lyrics, if you catch anything I've misheard. Learn it, sing it, spread it. It's a marvelous song.

Chris

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Give Me Freedom
From: Jeri
Date: 22 Jul 00 - 05:13 PM

Joe, they may be two different songs, but Drew's definitely sounds inspired by the one you posted.

One correction and some things I hear differently:

2nd verse: And the DEWdrops shine like pearls
(I'm sure about that, but the next ones are just "maybes.")

3rd: AS I earn my daily bread
5th: With a love that I can't HIDE
Chorus: You can have this OLD world

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Give Me Freedom
From: Marymac90
Date: 22 Jul 00 - 11:36 PM

Dear Folks,

This song was indeed written by Drew Calvin. I am gonna phone him in the am, and he'll be tickled pink to learn how well his song was received. He wrote the song for the big Unity 2000 demonstration that is gonna be here in Philly July 30, as the Republicans are arriving here for their convention. I believe he said something about it coming to him in a dream, but that could be a senior moment on my part. I think he first played it at the end of May-(Memorial Day in the US), when he and Elaine came here for a barbecue hosted by my housemates.

As far as the tune goes, I can't say what inspired Drew, but we've all been inspired by what we've heard, remembered, and absorbed by osmosis. Drew has one cd out, but this song is too new to be on it. When I get Drew to come back to Mudcat Radio again, (maybe for Debbie's birthday) remind me to have him do his song about his father-another very moving song.

Marymac

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Give Me Freedom
From: Marymac90
Date: 23 Jul 00 - 10:03 AM

I'm gonna call Drew now. I'm just posting this to bring the thread to the top. That way he can find it REAL easily, and it won't be like WORKing on the computer.

Marymac

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Give Me Freedom
From: Marymac90
Date: 23 Jul 00 - 10:15 AM

I did get Drew and Elaine, but Drew doesn't have a computer at home, and has no internet access on his work computer! Elaine does have internet access at work, however, and she will print it out for him tomorrow, I think. He definitely did seem pleased.

Marymac

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Give Me Freedom
From: SDShad
Date: 23 Jul 00 - 10:33 AM

Well, Drew, since I know you'll be reading this tomorrow, mind if I sing it on HearMe next Sunday? It'd be an honor. Every once in a while a song just grabs me by the collar and says "learn me," and this is one of them.

And Jeri--thanks for the corrections! I still think it's "buy" (wouldn't swear to it without another couple of listens), but I think you're spot on on the rest of them. Guess we'll know for sure soon enough....

Chris

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Give Me Freedom
From: Alan of Australia
Date: 31 Jul 00 - 11:31 PM

G'day,
Thanks to Joe the tune for "Give Me Jesus" can be found here at the Mudcat MIDI site.

Cheers,
Alan

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Give Me Freedom
From: SDShad
Date: 01 Aug 00 - 06:01 PM

Yeah, that's the tune I've been finding out on the Web. Thanks, Joe! I'm singing with a kind of pick-up gospel ensemble (some of the same people as last year) at the Gospel Stage of the Sioux River Folk Festival this weekend(a pre-concert concert early on Sunday), and when I was telling them about "Give Me Jesus" and how I'd come by it, I sang both the "Give Me Jesus" melody and the "Give Me Freedom" melody. They liked the latter more, so it looks like that's how we'll be singing it on Sunday! The folk process in action.

So any word from the Philly contingent on how Unity 2000 went/is going?

Chris

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Give Me Freedom
From: SDShad
Date: 03 Aug 00 - 09:24 AM

Oh, and the obvious question that I can't believe I haven't asked yet is: where can ya get hold of Drew's CD. If the earlier stuff is half as good as "Give Me Freedom," I'm interested.

Chris

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Give Me Freedom
From: SDShad
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 03:57 PM

Refresh

I'm thinking of using "Give Me Freedom" at an open mike tomorrow night, and coming back to this thread for the words, realized that I still don't know how to get 'hold of Drew's CD.

Chris

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Give Me Freedom
From: MMario
Date: 07 Jun 01 - 04:07 PM

PM MaryMac - she has a connection.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Give Me Freedom
From: wysiwyg
Date: 20 Sep 01 - 07:16 PM

See also:

Give Me Jesus, Book Of American Negro Spirituals

Give Me Jesus, Books Of American Negro Spirituals

Give Me Jesus, Faith, Folk, And Clarity

Give Me Jesus, Folk Songs Of The American Negro

Give Me Jesus, Songs Of Zion (Nix)

Give Me Jesus, Ev'ry Time I Feel The Spirit

Give Me Jesus, Lift Every Voice And Sing

Give Me Jesus, Arr. L. L. Fleming, Choral Sheet Music

CLICK HERE to hear a choral version from the Park
New Choir in France.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Give Me Freedom
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 18 Feb 02 - 11:43 AM

In Seward, Negro Spirituals, or The Songs of the Jubilee Singers; also in Johnson, The Book of American Negro Spirituals I, there is a verse not posted by Joe Offer.

I heard the mourner say,
I heard the mourner say,
Give me Jesus, give me Jesus, Give me Jesus,
You may have all this world, give me Jesus.