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Songs about dr martin luther king
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Subject: Dr Martin Luther King From: GUEST,ifor Date: 15 Jan 07 - 04:40 PM Today is a public holiday in America to celebrate the life and dream of Dr Martin Luther King.Have any songs about him entered the folk tradition since his death in 1968? IFOR |
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Subject: RE: dr martin luther king From: Liz the Squeak Date: 15 Jan 07 - 04:45 PM Not the folk tradition, but Stevie Wonder wrote 'Happy Birthday to you' for him, and was instrumental in creating this 'holiday'. LTS |
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Subject: RE: dr martin luther king From: artbrooks Date: 15 Jan 07 - 04:48 PM Abraham, Martin and John is the only one that comes immediately to mind, but I'm sure there are others. |
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Subject: RE: dr martin luther king From: Liz the Squeak Date: 15 Jan 07 - 04:51 PM Then there's 'I have a dream' last done to death by Westlife... I can't recall ever listening to it all the way through (voluntarily) so I can't tell you if it contains any other bits of the Dr's wisdom. LTS |
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Subject: RE: dr martin luther king From: artbrooks Date: 15 Jan 07 - 04:51 PM BTW. Liz, Stevie Wonder's Happy Birthday is a different song from the better known Happy Birthday to You |
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Subject: RE: dr martin luther king From: katlaughing Date: 15 Jan 07 - 04:53 PM The Ballad of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Pete Seeger. |
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Subject: RE: dr martin luther king From: katlaughing Date: 15 Jan 07 - 04:56 PM From this site: Dr King Had a Dream (tune: Old MacDonald) Dr. King had a dream for p-e-a-c-e. He wanted people to be friends and live in harmony. He had lots of love to share. He spread kindness everywhere! Dr. King had a dream for p-e-a-c-e! |
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Subject: RE: dr martin luther king From: katlaughing Date: 15 Jan 07 - 04:57 PM There's lots more for kids if you scroll down on that page. |
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Subject: RE: dr martin luther king From: Liz the Squeak Date: 15 Jan 07 - 05:06 PM Ah, we have a transpond translation glitch again... over this side it had the 'to you' stuck on the end... that's what I found in my record collection anyway! LTS |
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Subject: RE: Songs about dr martin luther king From: Herga Kitty Date: 16 Jan 07 - 04:47 PM Mike O'Connor's "Martin Luther King", which Johnny Collins recorded on his "Now and Then" CD in 2000, and which Johnny sang at the Herga folk club last night. Mike O'Connor(of Cornish Songwriters) has written some wonderful songs. The chorus of MLK includes "The children of slaves will stand with the children of owners hand in hand. I have a dream, I have a dream, I have a dream". Kitty |
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Subject: Lyr Add: MARTIN LUTHER KING'S DREAM (from Strawbs) From: Lanfranc Date: 16 Jan 07 - 07:33 PM There was a Strawbs song called "Martin Luther King's Dream" that went thus: ^^ "Martin Luther King's Dream" (Dave Cousins) (First Recorded on "Just a Collection of Antiques and Curios" in 1970) "Speak only with your voices And not the sword Listen to your leaders And the words of the Lord. Chorus: Shake hands with your brothers Has been my theme For I have had a dream. While fury gathers around you Provoking you to hate Remember what I told you Don't heed the dangled bait. The leaders of the country Are speaking much the same As those who've gone before them And those who are to blame. Proclaim a day of mourning And let the flags fly low The future is before us As I have told you so." Not the greatest of lyrics, but I recall it as a reasonably popular chorus number in the Strawbs' repertoire. Alan |
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Subject: Lyr Add: PRIDE (IN THE NAME OF LOVE) (from U2) From: Cluin Date: 16 Jan 07 - 07:41 PM U2's "Pride (In the Name of Love)" is about Dr. King. ^^ Pride (In The Name Of Love) One man come in the name of love One man come and go One man come, he to justify One man to overthrow In the name of love What more in the name of love? In the name of love What more in the name of love? One man caught on a barbed wire fence One man, he resist One man washed on an empty beach. One man betrayed with a kiss In the name of love What more in the name of love? In the name of love What more in the name of love? (nobody like you...) Early morning, April four Shot rings out in the Memphis sky Free at last, they took your life They could not take your pride In the name of love What more in the name of love? In the name of love What more in the name of love? In the name of love What more in the name of love? |
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Subject: Lyr Add: A MIGHTY MAN (David Saphra) From: oldhippie Date: 16 Jan 07 - 07:43 PM A MIGHTY MAN David Saphra (1998) ^^ A mighty man (a mighty man) A peaceful person (a peaceful person) Doctor Martin Luther King, Junior Hate won't help us...better our world But not all people know yet A humble man (a humble man) But proud to be one (but proud to be one) Doctor Martin Luther King, Junior Love has helped us...better our world But we've got far to go yet ... May Martin's work be done And Martin's work can be done by anyone That's kind and bold enough to do it The love of justice never can be brought down As long as souls survive to renew it... A mighty man (a mighty man) A peaceful person (a peaceful person) Doctor Martin Luther King, Junior Love has helped us (love has helped us)...better our world But we've got far to go yet ... May Martin's work be done The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King (The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King) The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King (The Reverend Doctor Martin!) The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Junior! Source: www.concentric.net |
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Subject: RE: Songs about dr martin luther king From: Scrump Date: 17 Jan 07 - 07:27 AM I was going to suggest the Strawbs' song but Lanfranc beat me to it. But is "I Have a Dream" by Westlife about MLK? I thought it was the Abba song, and that all seems to be about angels and fairy tales. |
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Subject: RE: Songs about dr martin luther king From: GUEST,ifor Date: 17 Jan 07 - 11:41 PM Its christmas in the ? by steeve earle....dr martin luther king gets an honorable mention in this great song.Joan Baez does a stirring version on her bowery songs cd ifor |
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Subject: RE: Songs about dr martin luther king From: Susan of DT Date: 18 Jan 07 - 08:56 AM see Martin Luther King for President in the DT |
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Subject: Lyr Add: LETTER TO MARTIN (Rachel Bissex) From: oldhippie Date: 23 Jan 07 - 07:49 PM another good one.... "Letter to Martin" (Rachel Bissex 1990-1) Dear Martin I'm sorry it's come to this now I stood on your birthday in front of the crowd the signs were held high hope was still shining through but the war came on schedule happy birthday to you Oh Martin it seems we learned nothing from you in the near thirty years since your wisdom rang through the newscasters' faces are smiling with glee they say United States Forces have won victory The firey rain fell on Baghdad for forty-four days we're still riding the crest of that patriotic wave We had over a year of hope in our lands saw the fall of the wall took the Soviet's hand I can still hear your voice saying I have a dream and you know if I could I would certainly scream The firey rain fell on Baghdad for forty-four days we're still riding the crest of that patriotic wave Dear Martin I'm sorry it's come to this now I sang on your birthday along with the crowd we sang the old songs they rang hollow but true the answer my friend Dear Martin forgive us we know just what we do happy birthday happy birthday happy birthday |
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Subject: RE: Songs about dr martin luther king From: GUEST,flowerchildrunningwild Date: 24 Jan 07 - 03:26 AM Does anyone remember the version of Abraham, Martin, and John that was done in the early 70's that had the actual voice of Bobby Kennedy speaking when MLK died, saying "none of us knows who will be next" or something like that? It also had the actual sounds of the shooting of Bobby Kennedy when someone was yelling "Get the gun! Break his hand if you have to!!" It was very emotional. I had it on a 8 track (telling my age) but lost it. |
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Subject: Lyr Add: NO EASY WALK TO FREEDOM (Yarrow/Tabankin) From: Joe Offer Date: 25 Jan 07 - 02:36 AM I always thought he Was a Friend of Mine (Byrds version) referred to the Kennedy brothers and Martin Luther King - no? as stated in the message above, Abraham, Martin and John certainly fits. -Joe- Here's one from http://www.peterpaulandmary.com
Peter Yarrow and Margery Tabankin ©1986 Silver Dawn Music (ASCAP) Brother Martin was walkin with me, chorus: Across the ocean, the blood's running warm (chorus) In our land, not so long ago, (chorus) Oh, bread for the body, there's got to be (chorus) You and me! |
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Subject: Lyr Add: MARTIN LUTHER KING (Fulton-Stevens) From: Shimbo Darktree Date: 25 Jan 07 - 07:59 PM The following song was written by Erling Graham "John" Fulton-Stevens, currently of Alice Springs, Australia. Hopefully the formatting comes out right. MARTIN LUTHER KING (Jon Fulton-Stevens 1968) Spoken: When Martin prayed on Monday, the people stood and stared, And they read their daily papers, 'cause they didn't really care, When Martin prayed on Tuesday the people stood in pews, But there wasn't one among them who could fill Martin's shoes, And Martin said, "Forgive them, for they know not what they do." Sung: There's a widow weeps in Memphis for a man who used to be, Shot down by a madman on the streets of Tennessee, Though your harvest was so bitter in the garbage and the litter, It's cold outside Doctor King. And tears won't bring him back again, won't bring him back again, Nor the killing nor the shooting nor the looting nor the pain, If your feelings of devotion were a drop upon the ocean, It could even start a river, says Dr. King. There's a cold wind blows through Harlem and it fans the flames of greed, The guns swing by the soldiers' side to silence the black man's dream. In the passing of an hour, how the peace fruit has gone sour, And the world will softly weep for Dr. King. There's a widow weeps in Memphis for a man who used to be, Shot down by a madman on the streets of Tennessee, If you're looking for destruction, there might be a resurrection, It's cold outside Dr. King. Alternative last verse, written by John at later date: There's no answer to the question when the question itself is mystery, And the windows quickly covered wrap the truth in secrecy, Like the opening of a flower, may your words remain the power, It's cold outside Dr. King. I sing the last verse as an extra, rather than an alternative, as I feel it adds to the song. Audiences used to drive John mad by requesting the song every time he got up to sing. My thanks to Hrothgar for pointing out this thread. -Shimbo |
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Subject: Lyr Add: WHY? (THE KING OF LOVE IS DEAD) From: Stefan Wirz Date: 26 Jan 07 - 12:35 PM WHY? (THE KING OF LOVE IS DEAD) Written by Gene Taylor, recorded by Nina Simone Once upon this planet Earth, Lived a man of humble birth, Preaching love and freedom For his fellow man. He was dreaming of the day Peace would come to Earth to stay, And he spread this message All across the land. "Turn the other cheek," he'd plead. "Love thy neighbor," was his creed. Pain, humiliation, death he did not dread. With his bible at his side, From his foes he did not hide. It's hard to think that this great man is dead. Will the murders never cease? Are they men or are they beasts? What do they ever hope to gain? Will my country stand or fall? Is it too late for us all? And did Martin Luther King just die in vain? But he had seen the mountaintop, And he knew he could not stop, Always living with the threat of death ahead. Folks you'd better stop and think, Everybody knows we're on the brink. What will happen, now that he is dead? He was for equality, For all people, you and me, Full of love and goodwill, Hate was not his way. He was not a violent man, Tell me folks if you can? Just why, why was he shot down the other day? But he had seen the mountaintop, And he knew he could not stop. Always living with the threat of death ahead. Folks you'd better stop and think, and feel again Cause we headed for the brink, What will happen, now that the King of love is dead? |
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Subject: Lyr Add: HAPPY BIRTHDAY (Stevie Wonder) From: Azizi Date: 26 Jan 07 - 01:08 PM YouTube video collage honoring Dr.Martin Luther Kin, Jr. and featuring Stevie Wonder's song Happy Birthday: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNAy6Bhij8A Added January 14, 2007; From LaVinnia ** HAPPY BIRTHDAY {Stevie Wonder} You know it doesn't make much sense There ought to be a law against Anyone who takes offense At a day in your celebration Cause we all know in our minds That there ought to be a time That we can set aside To show just how much we love you And I'm sure you would agree It couldn't fit more perfectly Than to have a world party on the day you came to be Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday I just never understood How a man who died for good Could not have a day that would Be set aside for his recognition Because it should never be Just because some cannot see The dream as clear as he that they should make it become an illusion And we all know everything That he stood for time will bring For in peace our hearts will sing Thanks to Martin Luther King Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday Why has there never been a holiday Where peace is celebrated all throughout the world The time is overdue For people like me and you Who know the way to truth Is love and unity to all God's children It should never be a great event And the whole day should be spent In full remembrance Of those who lived and died for the oneness of all people So let us all begin We know that love can win Let it out don't hold it in Sing it loud as you can Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday Happy birthday Happy birthday Happy birthday Ooh yeah Happy birthday... We know the key to unify all people Is in the dream that you had so long ago That lives in all of the hearts of people That believe in unity We'll make the dream become a reality I know we will Because our hearts tell us so http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/steviewonder/happybirthday.html |
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Subject: RE: Songs about dr martin luther king From: GUEST Date: 26 Jan 07 - 01:32 PM James Taylor's "Shed a Little Light." It may not make the folk tradition, but it'll be heard somewhere every January. |
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Subject: Lyr Add: BEAUTIFUL FOOL (Don Henry) From: GUEST,John3697 Date: 28 Jan 07 - 01:03 AM Might I suggest "Beautiful Fool" by Don Henry: Martin Luther, who did you think that you were Appointed by some higher up Merely mortal, you're plans were unaffordable Nobody wants to pay the price for love Oh, you beautiful fool, swimming upstream, kicking up waves Dreams weren't meant to come true, that's why they call 'em dreams Oh, you beautiful fool Walter Cronkite preempted Disney one night And all us kids were so upset We thought that you were a trouble instigator Marching through our TV set Oh, you beautiful fool,............. To fight a fight without a fist, all human instinct puzzles this How dare you threaten our existence? Mahatma Gandhi, Jesus Christ, history repeats itself so nice Consistently we are resistant to love Oh, you beautiful fool........ Saw you on the black and white with blacks and whites applauding you Saw you on, another time, without a sign of life in you Oh, you beautiful fool....... I think this song is a tribute to MLK, a dreamer of dreams and all other beautiful fools like him who dare to dream things we cannot imagine and make them a reality... |
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Subject: RE: Songs about dr martin luther king From: GUEST,HELP HELP HELP with a song Date: 30 Jan 07 - 12:23 PM I am looking for a song about MLK that has this phrase in it - "let's turn our attention to Martin Luther King...." I cannot remember the melody, but believe it may have been from the 60's/70's...any ideas? If so, what is the name of the song and the artist. |
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Subject: RE: Songs about dr martin luther king From: GUEST Date: 30 Jan 07 - 06:53 PM The opening line of James Taylor's "Shed a Little Light" is so similar to the phrase you give that I believe that's the song. |
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Subject: Lyr Add: SHED A LITTLE LIGHT (James Taylor) From: Alba Date: 30 Jan 07 - 07:07 PM James Taylor - Shed A Little Light Let us turn our thoughts today To Martin Luther King And recognize that there are ties between us All men and women Living on the Earth Ties of hope and love Sister and brotherhood That we are bound together In our desire to see the world become A place in which our children Can grow free and strong We are bound together By the task that stands before us And the road that lies ahead We are bound and we are bound There is a feeling like the clenching of a fist There is a hunger in the center of the chest There is a passage through the darkness and the mist And though the body sleeps the heart will never rest Shed a little light, oh Lord So that we can see Just a little light, oh Lord Wanna stand it on up Stand it on up, oh Lord Wanna walk it on down Shed a little light, oh Lord Can`t get no light from the dollar bill Don`t give me no light from a TV screen When I open my eyes I wanna drink my fill From the well on the hill There is a feeling like the clenching of a fist There is a hunger in the center of the chest There is a passage through the darkness and the mist And though the body sleeps the heart will never rest Oh, Let us turn our thoughts today To Martin Luther King And recognize that there are ties between us All men and women Living on the Earth Ties of hope and love Sister and brotherhood |
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Subject: RE: Songs about dr martin luther king From: GUEST,Marij Date: 02 Jul 07 - 09:32 PM Does anyone know the lyrics to a song my daughter sang in kindergarten? She can only remember: "There was a man whose name was King, Hallelujah!" Anyone know this one? TIA |
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Subject: RE: Songs about dr martin luther king From: GUEST,Marij Date: 02 Jul 07 - 09:44 PM I found the one I was looking for. Here it is in case anyone is interested: A Man Named King Sung to: "Michael, row your boat ashore" Once there was a man named King, Hallelujah; They called him Martin Luther King, Hallelujah King was wise and he was good, Hallelujah He believed in brotherhood, Hallelujah He had a dream for you and me, Hallelujah He knew that still men must be free, Hallelujah The freedom road is weary and long, Hallelujah But Martin sang a freedom song, Hallelujah We must keep the dream alive, Hallelujah Freedom's song can never die, Hallelujah Once there was a man named King Hallelujah They called him Martin Luther King, Hallelujah |
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Subject: RE: Songs about dr martin luther king From: GUEST,tianna_kendall Date: 18 Jan 08 - 01:56 PM dear martin luther king i am sorry taht a white man shot you |
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Subject: RE: Songs about dr martin luther king From: Jack Campin Date: 18 Jan 08 - 05:41 PM It's not in any way folk, but Luciano Berio's "O King" is wonderful. |
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Subject: Lyr Add: THEY KILLED HIM (Kris Kristofferson) From: GUEST,Mike B. Date: 19 Jan 08 - 01:11 AM This one's partly about Dr. King. The cover version by Dylan isn't very good. THEY KILLED HIM (Kris Kristofferson) There was a man named Mahatma Gandhi He would not bow down, he would not fight He knew the deal was down and dirty And nothing wrong could make it right away But he knew his duty, and the price he had to pay Just another holy man who tried to make a stand MY GOD, THEY KILLED HIM! Another man from Atlanta, Georgia By the name of Martin Luther King He shook the land like rolling thunder And made the bells of freedom ring today With a dream of beauty that they could not burn away Just another holy man who dared to be a friend MY GOD, THEY KILLED HIM! The only son of God Almighty The holy one called Jesus Christ Healed the lame and fed the hungry And for his love they took his life away On the road to glory where the story never ends Just the holy son of man we'll never understand MY GOD, THEY KILLED HIM! Sing about Mahatma Gandhi Sing of Martin Luther King Sing Of Jesus Christ Almighty And the brothers Kennedy There's also the children's song "I Just Want to Sing Your Name (The Martin Luther King Song)". Apparently it was written by Greg Artzner and Terry Leonino (the Magpie duo), although the only rendition I've heard was by Cathy Fink. |
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Subject: RE: Songs about dr martin luther king From: GUEST Date: 20 Jan 08 - 04:04 PM The Symphony of Brotherhood by Israeli Hip-Hop violinist Miri Ben-Ari samples Dr. King's "I have a Dream" |
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Subject: RE: Songs about dr martin luther king From: GUEST Date: 21 Jan 08 - 11:02 AM There was a song written in the 80's about Dr. king. The only part I can remember is "SING SING CELEBERRATE". I could swear the the song was called "KING HOLIDAY" but tha was a lon gtime ago. a\Also I beleive it was done by a bunch of famous singers not just one. Any ideas or help???? |
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Subject: Lyr Add: I HAVE A DREAM (Keller/Blume) From: oldhippie Date: 28 Jan 08 - 10:00 PM I HAVE A DREAM (Jerry Keller & Dave Blume) (This song was written during the late night hours after the news came of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.) Recorded by Carolyn Hester (CD "Texas Songbird") I Have a Dream that fills my mind About our land, about our time About the truth, the truth that we must find I have a dream, that will never, never die I Have a Dream that must come true About this soul,this soul I share with you About the good, the good that it can do I have a dream that will never, never die I Have a Dream, I have a prayer And if not me, now my child is there To see the joy, the joy our love will bear I Have A Dream; I Have a Dream I Have a Dream that will never, never die. @1968, Northern Music Corp (ASCAP) |
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Subject: RE: Songs about dr martin luther king From: GUEST,Georgina Date: 14 Nov 08 - 01:45 PM Hi there. I know about a song, which i used to listen to. I had about one line about Martin Luther King. It's by a band that are quite similar to The Streets. But i can't get the band name to come into my head. Any help would be much appreciated x |
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Subject: Lyr Add: BROTHER MARTIN (Richard Aberdeen) From: oldhippie Date: 17 Mar 09 - 09:07 PM from freedomtracks.com Lyrics Add: BROTHER MARTIN by Richard Aberdeen Freedom, freedom, freedom, over me. . . Was the darkest of many desperate days in nineteen sixty-eight Before a nation lost her soul in a hail of bullets at Kent State Like our best friend, in your prime, they had to go and take you down And I wonder how things would be today if you were still around? Would mainstream radio still be just as one-sided? And would a nation called "united" be so divided? Would there be a nightmare every day somewhere in Iraq? And would soldiers have their own nightmare who somehow made it back? Would backlash from a clueless Congress still be barely startin' If you were here with us today, brother Martin? Would children still be so afraid to go outside and play? As their future is discarded, would we still look the other way? Would a president still say, "if you're not with us, you're against us"? As veterans sittin' in wheelchairs are called "traitors" when they protest? Would World War Three be just a stone's throw away from startin' If you were here with us today, brother Martin? Now though we were born with a different shade of skin Freedom rings within my soul, just like we're next of kin And before I'll be their slave, I'll be buried in my grave And gone on to our home. . . free at last * |
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Subject: RE: Songs about dr martin luther king From: GUEST,.gargoyle Date: 17 Mar 09 - 10:41 PM In a Hispanic Community - in Southern California - in the earliest 1980's - in a LDS Morman population - the newly nationalized holiday was referred to as "James Earl Ray - Day"
Sincerely (un-political),
To it spell it out for the Brits...it is like Guy Fawlks Day ... without a perpetrator - there would never be a martyr. |
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Subject: RE: Songs about dr martin luther king From: GUEST,gargoyle Date: 17 Mar 09 - 10:47 PM Many throughout the USA still refer - amongst the lighter skinned populations (including Indiginous Tribes and Pacific Islanders but especially whites) to the holiday with the afore mentioned nomelclure. Gargoyle |
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Subject: RE: Songs about dr martin luther king From: Mark Ross Date: 18 Mar 09 - 11:40 AM I'm surprised looking at this thread that noone has mentioned the song about Dr. King written and performed by the Rev. F.D. Kirkpatrick. I don't have access to the words right now, but hjopefully someone will post them soon. Mark Ross |
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Subject: RE: Songs about dr martin luther king From: Azizi Date: 18 Mar 09 - 12:02 PM Those people who might read this thread as guests may not know that many folks here "play pass" most posts written by gargoyle because they are often "off the deep end". However, I would like Mudcat guests and Mudcat members to know that I consider his (I assume the poster is a "he") 17 Mar 09 - 10:41 PM and 17 Mar 09 - 10:47 PM posts to be very offensive. I'm not asking that those comments be deleted as by now I believe that a moderator has read those comments and decided that they should remain on this thread. Btw, I don't think that those posts reflect how far we have to go regarding race relations in the USA. Frankly, I don't think gargoyle's posts really have anything to do with race. I think gargoyle's outrageous, wacked out posts (and some of his posts aren't wacked) are his way seeking attention. The only reason why I'm rising to garygoyle's bait this time is because I don't want any guests to think that Mudcatters are oblivious to the offensiveness of his the comments. |
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Subject: RE: Songs about dr martin luther king From: Azizi Date: 18 Mar 09 - 12:38 PM Mark, I don't know the song. Hopefully, someone will post it soon. ** Here's a link to one of several YouTube videos of a song that includes this verse: Rosa sat, so Martin could walk Martin walked so Barack could run Barack ran so all our children could fly" Rosa Sat-Song for Barack Obama In that particular video, the song including that verse is written and performed by Amy Dixon-Kolar (c) 2008 Asharta Music/ASCAP. The video contains some historical photographs of Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr., and President Obama's inauguration. ** Here's a link to a discussion about the source/s for the "Rosa sat so Martin could walk" verse: http://forum.quoteland.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/99191541/m/9831074081 That discussion includes variant forms of this verse, and mentions that it has already been printed on tee-shirts. One member of that forum finally tracked down the person who composed the verse: Posted 12-10-08 03:10 AM by ontograph This was spoken by Cleo Fields at the 9th annual State of the Black Union 2008. A press release describing the event is at http://www.tavistalks.com/pdf/sobu_press_release.pdf It says: Panelists observed that Senator Barack Obama's historic run for the White House didn't come out of thin air. "Rosa Parks sat down so we could stand up. Martin Luther King marched so Jesse Jackson could run. Jesse Jackson ran so Obama could win," said Cleo Fields, former Louisiana State Senator and U.S. Congressman. Another version appears at http://sociologistsforobama.blogspot.com/ : Cleo Fields: Putting it all in Perspective "W. E. B. DuBois started to teach so that Rosa Parks could take a seat. Rosa Parks took a seat so that we could all take a stand. We all took a stand so that Martin Luther King, Jr. could march. Martin Luther King, Jr. marched so that Jesse Jackson could run. Jesse Jackson ran so that Barack Obama could win!" Cleo Fields at the State of the Black Union February. 23, 2008 |
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Subject: RE: Songs about dr martin luther king From: Janie Date: 31 Oct 09 - 08:47 PM Hadn't seen this thread before, and haven't done more than skim it and listen to the Amy Dixon-Kolar song on the Youtube link provided above. Loved it and loved the arrangement and harmonies. |
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Subject: RE: Songs about dr martin luther king From: GUEST,Tony Date: 28 Sep 10 - 10:02 PM Thanks for all your input. This helps tremendously in my research on music about Martin Luther King. |
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Subject: RE: Songs about dr martin luther king From: maple_leaf_boy Date: 29 Sep 10 - 02:45 PM I know a song that's about him and Robert and John Kennedy. It's a tribute to all three of them. "Six White Horses" is the song. |
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Subject: RE: Songs about dr martin luther king From: GUEST,bobf Date: 24 Nov 10 - 11:24 PM The "He Walked Up The Hill" public domain protest folk song was written in 1968 after MLK's assassination and a video of this song was recently posted at following youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PG7NGJWxqAc "He Walked Up The Hill" (for Martin Luther King) He walked up the hill And he knew that it was willed That the white racists they would slay All the good men who crossed their way And what else is their left to say Look! The Black Prince of Peace now lays. And all go and pray Though they kill people everyday Their soldiers kill 'cross the sea Their cops shoot up the cities Their managers steal our bread Their teachers, they ruin our heads. "Be NON-VIOLENT!" they scream For they fear what we all will dream Now that Moses is dead Shot in the back of the head "Love them" is what he said Yet look how they treated him. The hearts now are red As they rise up from their beds To say to the Man with hate "We're sorry but it's now too late We want to control our fate The Panther will kill your snake." Also, Rev. Frederick Doublass Kirkpatrick's Ballads of Black America album from Folkways of 1972 includes Kirk's biographical folk song about Martin Luther King, "Ballad of Dr. King." "Ballad of Dr. King" (by Rev. F.D. Kirkpatrick) There was a man from Atlanta town From a mountain top he had a plan He marched with God In a Birmingham jail Down on his knees He had a date and he conquered hate And he marched with God. A man he said in spite of it all Is nothin' but a man And he must not fall A woman too said Rosa Parks On Dusty roads In courthouse squares Wherever he went Love was always there The dream that he had was full of peace It burned his soul He cannot cease and He marched with God In brotherly love He marched with us all from Alabama To Chicago and New York In brotherly love He marched for us for us all Until that day he met his fall. To hear a clip from Kirk's folk song, you can click on following link: http://www.folkways.si.edu/TrackDetails.aspx?itemid=17163 |
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Subject: Lyr Add: MARTIN LUTHER KING (Rev F D Kirkpatrick) From: Jim Dixon Date: 02 Sep 13 - 11:13 AM The lyrics that GUEST,bobf posted above are a bit different from what I heard on the recording (via Spotify); also, the title is different: MARTIN LUTHER KING As sung by Rev Frederick Douglass Kirkpatrick (accompanied by Pete Seeger and Jeanne Humphries) on "Ballads of Black America" (Smithsonian Folkways FW07751, 1972) There was a man from Atlanta town. From a mountain top, he had a dream. He marched with God. In a Birmingham jail down on his knees, He had a date; he conquered hate. He marched with God. A man is a man in spite of it all. He's nothin' but a man; he must not fall. "A woman too," said Rosa Parks. Down dusty roads to courthouse squares, Wherever he went, love was always there. The dream he had was full of peace. It burned his soul; he must not cease. In brotherly love he marched with us all Until that day he met his fall. There was a man from Atlanta town. He's gone now; his word still stands. Let us march with God. |
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Subject: RE: Songs about dr martin luther king From: Felipa Date: 15 Jan 23 - 06:08 PM refreshed in time for Martin Luther King commeration day |
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Subject: RE: Songs about dr martin luther king From: Felipa Date: 15 Jan 23 - 06:17 PM see also lyrics of Martin Luther King by the Mighty Sparrow at https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=152021 that thread also has links to lyrics of these songs posted elsewhere on Mudcat 'Why? (The King of Love Is Dead)' - recorded by Nina Simone 'Abraham, Martin and John' - recorded by Dion 'Happy Birthday' - Stevie Wonder another Mighty Sparrow song Martin Luther King for President |
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Subject: RE: Songs about dr martin luther king From: Felipa Date: 16 Jan 23 - 03:49 PM https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20230113-martin-luther-king-day-the-song-that-changed-the-us With Happy Birthday, Stevie Wonder successfully campaigned to honour Martin Luther King Jr with a national holiday, in a long career of socially conscious songwriting, writes Diane Bernard. O On 15 January 1981, music legends Diana Ross and Gladys Knight, along with the "godfather of rap", Gil Scott-Heron, joined renowned musician Stevie Wonder on stage at the National Mall in Washington, DC. The 50,000-strong audience chanted: "Martin Luther King Day, we took a holiday," according to Scott-Heron’s 2012 memoir, The Last Holiday, as the stars began to sing Wonder's hit song, Happy Birthday, a tribute to the murdered civil rights leader. "I just never understood/ How a man who died for good/ Could not have a day that would/ Be set aside for his recognition," they sang, electrifying the crowd. The 1980 song had represented the start of Wonder's campaign to make the birthday of renowned peace activist, Martin Luther King Jr, into a federal holiday. For three years Wonder put his life on hold and dedicated tours, rallies and marches to bring his vision to life – a quest that would establish the first holiday in the US that honoured a black American. This year marks the 40th anniversary of US President Ronald Reagan signing into law the bill that established Martin Luther King Day. Many today might be surprised to realise the instrumental role Stevie Wonder played in getting the legislation passed. But in fact, the global superstar's artistry and political activism were intertwined throughout his career, even before the MLK Day drive, as he repeatedly called attention to social issues of mid-century America. After Dr King's assassination in April 1968, US Representative John Conyers Jr from Detroit, Michigan, and Wonder's congressman, introduced a bill to make the activist's birthday a federal holiday. But for 13 years, the bill languished, facing opposition from southern Democrats and conservative Republicans. For years, Wonder had quietly advocated for the holiday. But then, in 1979, he shared a dream he had with King's widow, Coretta Scott King. In a 2011 interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, Wonder said: "I said to her… 'I imagined in this dream I was doing this song. We were marching with petition signs to make Dr King's birthday a national holiday.'" Scott King was excited, Wonder explained, but she also doubted his dream could come true at a time the nation was turning more and more conservative with the rise of Reaganism and New Right politicians in the Sun Belt (the Southern US), a reaction against President Lyndon Baines Johnson's liberal agenda of the 1960s. But Wonder felt compelled by his dream and the next year he wrote Happy Birthday, for Hotter than July, a 1980 album that peaked at number three in the US charts and number two in the UK. Joined by Scott King, Wonder used his 1981 tour for that album as a worldwide drive to advocate for the holiday. It's amazing that someone could just write something that becomes a standard part of life as well as have political significance – Nelson George "Stevie Wonder could write almost any kind of song," music critic and documentary filmmaker Nelson George tells BBC Culture. "And as part of his mix of songs and melodies, he was always able to create songs about social injustice, particularly happy, major chord melodies that were easy to sing to," he adds. George compares Happy Birthday – a big, cheerful song – to another of Wonder's, Isn't She Lovely. "For a whole group of people who grew up in the past 40 years, Happy Birthday has become the standard birthday song," he says. "It's amazing that someone could just write something that becomes a standard part of life as well as have political significance, but he was able to do that." Soundtracking a movement Wonder's quest to create a Martin Luther King Day holiday also followed the tradition of US musicians and popular artists who joined movements for social change throughout the 20th Century, according to Kevin Gaines, the Julian Bond professor of civil rights and social justice at the University of Virginia. "He's right in line with Woody Guthrie in the 1930s and 40s, whose songs reflected the social issues of the time," Gaines tells BBC Culture. "And African-American opera singer, Marian Anderson, who sang in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC to protest the Daughters of the American Revolution's refusal to let her sing in their meeting hall," he adds. "And also Billie Holiday, who recorded the anti-lynching anthem, Strange Fruit, and was harassed in the South when she sang it live." Stevie Wonder's career closely tracked the mid-century civil rights movement, starting from his first number one hit, Fingertips, in 1963, Gaines says. Wonder was just 13 years old when Fingertips hit the charts in the summer of 1963 – released in the wake of King's campaign to desegregate public accommodations in downtown Birmingham, Alabama. Ostensibly a party song, Fingertips isn't overtly political like Wonder's later songs. But the live recording is symbolic, with the 13-year-old's call and response to African-American teens to follow him in his celebration of black American rhythm and blues and soul beats. "The Birmingham protests made world headlines," Gaines says, "with photos and footage of police attacking children with dogs and high-pressure water hoses." Fingertips was a harbinger for how young people were going to be involved in the civil rights movement and youth protests of the 1960s. "It becomes kind of a soundtrack to that movement," says Gaines. Although many of his early songs were not overtly political, throughout the 1960s, Wonder spoke directly in the African-American press about civil rights, Gaines says. "It's unclear whether or not white Americans are hearing what he's saying about the movement as it's gaining momentum. But he's on national TV along with other Motown artists crossing over into mainstream success," he says. And at that time, for any black artist to be on national TV with crossover appeal was a significant achievement. While touring internationally during his teen years, Wonder connected with audiences overseas, getting a sense of himself as a global superstar and spokesperson. By the late 1960s, he was inspired by other black artists, including Bill Withers, Curtis Mayfield and Gil Scott-Heron, who were making socially conscious music. In 1969, Wonder saw fellow Motown star Marvin Gaye struggle to make his concept album, What's Going On, for a label reluctant to be seen as overtly political. After hearing the song, What's Going On, in 1970, Motown owner Berry Gordy was absolutely opposed to releasing it, thinking that a social commentary concept song and album would be a disaster for Motown's crossover reputation. A seven-month power struggle began between Gaye and Gordy over making the record, which finally ended with the release of what became one of the most important protest albums in pop music history. Realising he wanted to express his own opinions, Wonder renegotiated his contract with Motown and by 1971, at the age of 21, Wonder retained full control of his music and publishing, a rare opportunity in the pop music world. He embraced the creative freedom and artistic independence he got from the new contract – fulfilling his ambitions of making music a forum for black political concerns and from a black perspective. n 1972, he released the seminal album, Talking Book, with politically charged songs including Big Brother, which contained some of the frankest, most socially conscious lyrics he had written up to that point. "Big Brother is a very strong protest song," Gaines tells BBC Culture. "He says 'You've killed all our leaders… You've caused your own country to fail.'" Wonder was describing a US society that responded to the social movements of the 1960s with violence and a series of political assassinations. "He's clearly questioning the legitimacy of the political order at that time," says Gaines. The early 1970s was a disastrous era for African-American activists, with state crackdowns on the Black Panthers and the killing of Black Power leaders in Chicago, and Big Brother reflected those real events. On Wonder's next album, Innervisions, songs including Higher Ground, Too High, and of course, one of his most influential songs, Living for the City, gave a stark view of the urban landscape. A cinematic story of the 20th-Century black American migration from the rural South to urban North, the song features a spoken word interlude that takes us right on to New York City streets with the roar of a bus and police sirens. It describes how a young black man from Mississippi gets caught up in crime, drugs and the police brutality many urban African Americans faced at the time – and remains relevant into the 21st Century. A new national holiday By 1980, with the release of Happy Birthday's call to action, Wonder was one of the most important musicians in the country, and Dr King's birthday became a rallying point to codify his activism, says Nelson George. "People were looking at that point to honour King and his movement and the change in America." But the America that King was murdered in, in 1968, was different from that of 1980, with civil rights struggles morphing into new challenges like equal opportunity in housing and education. The newly-elected Regan administration was cool on civil rights issues, and Reagan initially spoke out against the idea of a national holiday, resurrecting the old innuendo about King being a subversive communist, just as civil rights opponents in the 1950s had. "There were people then and probably still now, who just didn't want a black person to have a national holiday," George says. Many in the US also balked at the idea of making a holiday for someone who wasn't a president or a government official, let alone a social activist. "There were a lot of threads working against this happening," he adds. After Wonder's Hotter than July tour in 1981, he and Scott King began heavy lobbying of politicians and in 1982 delivered a petition to Congress with six million signatures. By January 1983, Wonder decided not to repeat his annual rally at the National Mall. Instead, he switched tactics and spent the day at a special legislative hearing to urge Congress to pass legislation. Finally, on 2 November 1983, their activism bore fruit, and President Reagan signed a bill into law to create a federal holiday honouring Martin Luther King Jr's birthday. "It was wonderful to see the biggest artist of his time, through his peak years of popularity, harness his talent and his celebrity to do something that actually made a difference," George says, adding that with the passage of the new law, we should see the song Happy Birthday as a "successful piece of political agitation". "I think that artists have been the catalyst for expressing social conditions since the beginning of all time,” Stevie Wonder said in 1980, when he first announced his drive for a national MLK Day. "I am not political. I am not a leader. I am a human being given the honour and gift of song. And with it, I give the best possible." |
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