Well I woke up this morning And I made a resolution I said, "I'm never going to sing Another sad song again." I decided I'd admit it I am not an intellectual No the words, they never come easy Unless I'm singing them And the hills that I was born in Will never leave me No matter how hard I try And then my brother was murdered While my father was in prison And the girl that I sometimes loved Up and moved away And my body filled up with blackness And the darkness, it wanted to drown me And I heard my father's footsteps catching up to me And he took me by the shoulders And he said, "Son, my hands are strong But I hope you have the strength to shake us free
Shake us free, boy Shake us free, my son You'd better shake us free." And now I'm lying in a van In Chicago in the springtime And the rain outside that's falling Sounds just like popcorn But before I open my eyes I think I'll make this resolution 'No, I'm never going to sing another Sad song for as long as I live!' And the light coming through the window Is making everything glow And he took me by the shoulders and he said "Son, I know my hands are strong But I hope you have the strength To shake us free Shake us free Shake us free Shake us free, my son!" I made a resolution I made a resolution I made a resolution I made a resolution