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Freedom Riders

Phil Ochs
Language: English


Phil Ochs

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[1962]
Compilation "Best of Broadside 1962-1988"
Testo trovato su Broadside Magazine n.18 del dicembre 1962, accompagnato dalla nota seguente:

"This song was written after hearing James Farmer speak at Ohio State University, Columbus"

James Farmer


L'afroamericano James Leonard Farmer, Jr. (1920 – 1999) fu uno dei leader del movimento per i diritti civili negli anni '50 e '60. Nel 1942 fu tra i fondatori del CORE, il Congress of Racial Equality.

"Freedom Riders", era il nome del convoglio del CORE che nel 1961 attraversò Virginia, Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi e Louisiana per denunciare che la segregazione razziale, bandita dalla Corte Suprema degli USA, continuava a persistere. Nonostante i continui, violentissimi attacchi armati da parte di segregazionisti e membri del KKK, i Freedom Riders portarono a termine con successo il loro viaggio a New Orleans.
Jackson, Mississippi, is a mighty white town,
the white folks they like to keep the black folks down
they think they'll be allright, but there's gonna be a fight
and they'll have to share that freedom crown,
yes, they'll have to share that freedom crown.

Freedom Riders roll along
Freedom Riders won't be long
won't be long.

They boarded a bus in Washington D.C.
to enter a state half slave and half free
the wheels hummed a song and they sang along
the song of liberty, the song of liberty.

Freedom Riders roll along
Freedom Riders won't be long
won't be long.

Jimmy Farmer was a hard fightin' man
decided one day that he had to make a stand
he led them down to slavery town
and they threw Jim Farmer in the can
and they threw Jim Farmer in the can.

Freedom Riders roll along
Freedom Riders won't be long
won't be long.

One of these days and it won't be long
the solid South is gonna sing another song
They'll understand that a man's not a man
'til he has all the freedoms of the land.

Freedom Riders roll along
Freedom Riders won't be long
won't be long.

Contributed by Alessandro - 2009/6/3 - 12:57




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