Redemption Song

Old pirates yes they rob I
Sold I to the merchant ships
Minutes after they took I
From the bottomless pit

But my hand was made strong
By the hand of the almighty
We forward in this generation
Triumphantly

All I ever had, is songs of freedom
Won't you help to sing, these songs of freedom
Cause all I ever had, redemption songs
Redemption songs

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds
Have no fear for atomic energy
'cause none of them can stop the time

How long shall they kill our prophets ?
While we stand aside and look
Some say it's just a part of it
We've got to fulfill the book

Won't you help to sing, these songs of freedom
Cause all I ever had, redemption songs
Redemption songs, redemption songs

Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery
None but ourselves can free our minds
Have no fear for atomic energy
Cause none of them can stop the time

How long shall they kill our prophets ?
While we stand aside and look
Yes some say it's just a part of it
We've got to fulfill the book

Won't you help to sing, these songs of freedom
Cause all I ever had, redemption songs
All I ever had, redemption songs
These songs of freedom, songs of freedom

Lyrics by:
Bob Marley

Music by:
Brown / Dawson

Written:
N / A

Personnel:
Ian Brown (vocals)
Simon Dawson (bass)

Produced by:
Simon Dawson

Available on:
Second Coming Rehearsal Sessions

First live performance:
Never performed live.

Details:
This heartfelt cover of a Bob Marley track is from the Second Coming rehearsal sessions. The roots of Ian Brown's solo debut album, Unfinished Monkey Business, can be found here. Speaking in 1998, Brown cited a Bob Marley songbook as being a key learning aid:

He began teaching himself guitar four years ago during the sessions for 'Second Coming', when Roses' drummer Reni bought him an acoustic.
"Yeah, he bought me an acoustic guitar because he was pissed off that I was pissed off that John wanted to do everything on his own. He just walked in one day, handed me this guitar and goes, 'Fucking 'ave him - one day you'll thank me for it'.
"So after I finished my LP I phoned him up and said, 'Thank you'. I learned guitar from a blues songbook, Keys To The Highways, and the Marley songbook. It was pretty simple."
(Ian Brown, Making Music interview, June 1998)

Bob Marley. Ian Brown has also covered Redemption Song live in his solo career.

John Squire bemoans Ian's lack of initiative to become skilled on a musical instrument at an earlier stage in The Stone Roses:

"In the Stone Roses, I was... the initiator. I'm not disregarding Ian's contribution, but he didn't play any instruments and I think he should have learned. He got frustrated because he couldn't express himself without an accomplice. I wouldn't take credit for the whole thing, but..."
(John Squire: The Guitar Magazine, August 1997)

Back To The Songs