I Love These Lyrics

We Shall Be Free

I was reading a post on EP yesterday and saw that someone had quoted a song lyric in a comment. It was just one line, but it was so familiar to me. Try as I might, however, I couldn't place the lyric. All I could come up with was that it was from some old country song my dad used to listen to a lot when I was really little. So I called him. Lol, that's right, I actually made a real old fashioned phone call because he refuses to respond to my text messages!

Anyway, he recognized the song immediately as "Standing Outside the Fire" by a singer named "Garth Brooks." He proceeded to quote the entire song lyric to me from memory and it is an awesome lyric. In fact, I had just decided to post it here as a story when he said, "But you know that wasn't your favorite Garth song, right?"

Huh??? I had a favorite Garth Brooks song? How could that be? I don't even know who the guy is anymore.

Well, in his badly out of tune voice, he started with, "This ain't comin' from no prophet..." and I instantly remembered the entire song and sang along with him right through to the end. It was simply amazing to me how just a couple of words instantly brought back this memory of dancing around the house singing along with my dad when I was four or five years old.

I shared that with him and he went on to explain that I didn't *just* like singing this song. Apparently I asked him questions about the lyrics...."What does it mean crying for a crust of bread dad?" .... "Why would someone die for just saying words dad?" ... and on and on. Being the dad that he has always been, he patiently sat through my questions and explained things like social justice in a way that a five year old could understand.

This topic is particularly relevant to me today because I've been deep in discussion with one of my very best EP friends on the topic of social justice and political philosophies. You see, I'm a free market capitalist .... a libertarian .... practically a freedom loving anarchist; and my friend is an admitted socialist .... a big government social engineer! (Before you get carried away, we have nothing but admiration, affection, and love for each other!)

We both seek a better tomorrow for all people, we just see a different path to that same end. And so, this story and this song are for my very dear (but socialist) friend!! Love ya!! 😉

[media=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZCqozYTkb0]

Garth Brooks - We Shall Be Free

This ain't comin' from no prophet
Just an ordinary man
When I close my eyes I see
The way this world shall be
When we all walk hand in hand

When the last child cries for a crust of bread
When the last man dies for just words that he said
When there's shelter over the poorest head
We shall be free

When the last thing we notice is the color of skin
And the first thing we look for is the beauty within
When the skies and the oceans are clean again
Then we shall be free

We shall be free
We shall be free
Stand straight, walk proud
'Cause we shall be free
When we're free to love anyone we choose
When this world's big enough for all different views
When we all can worship from our own kind of pew
Then we shall be free
We shall be free

We shall be free
Have a little faith
Hold out
'Cause we shall be free

And when money talks for the very last time
And nobody walks a step behind
When there's only one race and that's mankind
Then we shall be free

We shall be free
We shall be free
Stand straight, walk proud, have a little faith, hold out
We shall be free

We shall be free
We shall be free
Stand straight, have a little faith

We shall be free

About me: https://similarworlds.com/sarabee1995/info

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bethturner

Thank you, this is so good! I have a fondness for Country songs. Some of them are very akin to the left wing protest songs I am always singing on the picket line! ;-) I did not know this one before, but now I love it and will treasure it. Perhaps one day we can sing it as we march hand in hand on the White House (as peaceful tourists, of course!) Love you too,

"Red" Beth xx

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yulico

люба, last empress live in Versailles end up short by a head. I would not like you to suffer this so best you retire quietly - government by the people, for the people, i think is the phrase i search for. It seems vaguely familiar...

sarabee1995 · 31-35, F

Lol yes, sounds vaguely familiar!! I guess I've been spending too much time talking to my east European friends!! ;-)

yulico

OK see you in Paris - Place de la Bastille would be good place to start... xxx

Sarahbellas

This is a good post, missySB...the song fits. But...I can't help but share this, since everybody else had such positive comments... I'm not actually a fan of the song. lol

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Sarahbellas

eep..I just showed my age didn't I?

I like that you see that in the lyrics and that you had a nice moments with your dad over the song. Thank you for sharing what you saw in it...because I didn't really see that in the lyrics...but it makes sense now. And I like that one phrase that you said: none of us are free until we're all free. :) (I didn't get that at all until you mentioned it)

To me, the song tells me that this ordinary guy has a dream, and that it's a dream many share, one that everybody should share (which is why he's singing about it so ya'll hear it now...kind of a thing)...where all oppression and judgement is gone, and then there will be true freedom. But the song also say to walk proud, and stand up straight and have faith in a dream...and to me that bothers me alot. Having a dream is great...but just believing something will come about because you wish and hope really really hard for it...bothers me... It takes alot of hard work to get there...and I think a part of me wishes that this song had something in it to urge people to be better people, rather then just dream of a far off future. What a person does NOW determines what the future will be like for their children, and children's children. Does that make sense?

sarabee1995 · 31-35, F

Yup, that makes perfect sense. There is no "call to action" in the song. I took a persuasive writing class once and sometimes the call to action is the hardest part to write. He states his case about a better future that he saw in his dream, but never asks anyone to help him work towards it. I get what you're saying.
I like the vision and the dream, and I will work toward it, but yes the song would be better if it asked people to do *something*. :-)

Sarahbellas

The song is what it is, and what it was probably designed to be. The mood of the song would change if it was how I imagined how I'd like it to be. What would be better, is if I just sat down and wrote my own song. :D

CountryExperiences

Very cool memory, it is interesting how such a small amount of re-prosesed information can make you remember the entire part. Still a cool thing that your dad shared with you.

sarabee1995 · 31-35, F

Yup, he's a cool guy. :-)

NotHisBabydoll

I've posted this exact song before on here....video too.....I love it. I got goosebumps from the first paragraph you wrote, just from hearing it in my head,.....thanks! ;)

sarabee1995 · 31-35, F

Thanks so much! I had more than a few goosebumps on the phone last night with my dad over this!

mother1983

I like that music lyrics. Garth Brooks is quite popular Country singer.

sarabee1995 · 31-35, F

Lol, well maybe he is, but I couldn't come up with his name before I called my dad last night. But yes, I LOVE these lyrics and added the song back into my iTunes last night (both songs actually).

PillarOfSalt

Great story. :) Thanks for sharing.

sarabee1995 · 31-35, F

You're welcome! Thanks for the comment!

yulico

люба, maybe more than one of your friends is dastardly lefty, believes in social justice, believes in government... and, worst of all, much prefers jazz to country music!

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yulico

Я люблю тебе!

sarabee1995 · 31-35, F

And I love you too! :-)

yulico

Дякую!

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