And when I got to America, I say it blew
my mind
And when I got to America, I say it blew my mind
The Apollo Theater on a 125th street,
the place was closed, it was pouring rain,
I had a feeling I'd go there again,
The taxi driver thought I was insane,
Brown girl from the Bronx showed me her
home,
We went there by subway train
She took me there time and time again
Love was our sweet song's name
And when I got to America, I say it blew
my mind
And when I got to America, I say it blew my mind
The Negro was my hero and leader
His strange tasting ways
they turned me on
I tried my best to sound just like him
When he moves
he moves like lightning
Across the world the news was flashed
The country's young leader was laid to rest
Another ending of a new beginning
Others cried
some were grinning
And when I got to America, I say it blew
my mind
And when I got to America, I say it blew my mind
In Central Park the children were playing
Behind the bars the tiger walked
Smiling young faces of many colours
Many young tongues were being talked
The garbage lying in the streets of the Village,
Smiling face of an unknown Bob Dylan
(do it again, man)
She was sixteen, young and so willin'
The sudden violence of a Village killin'
(and here comes the Police as usual, eh, what good are you now)
And when I got to America, I say it blew
my mind
(and all ya people standing around here with your hands in your
pockets)
And when I got to America, I say it blew
my mind
Interview:
What did you do in the services?
What did I do in the services? I was a fighter pilot.
Yeah, that's right. But they didn't like me. They didn't
want me. When I was sent overseas, the first thing they
told me was: "um, we can't use you because we didn't
send for you"
I was trained. The government paid, the government spent
over $250,000 to train me as a pilot, and then after
I got overseas, a general sent his adjutant down to
meet our group to say that we didn't send for you and
we don't want you. That's right. This is the truth,
I'm telling you the truth! This is straight life but,
ah, somehow we go on
We go on because we would
like to think there's hope. But that's a lie, there
ain't no hope and that's the truth, that's the truth
baby!
That's right when I know you out of the box. (laughter)
Yeah, that's right! You know the town that I was born
in, we didn't have no streets? It was all dirt roads,
dirt roads and poor people, nobody had nothing. Matter
of fact, we used to get together to have community meals.
Somebody had cabbage, somebody else had some meat, somebody
else had some corn mean and we'd get together and we'd
make a meal, have a community dinner. That was when
we were lucky and then we'd play cards. We didn't have
any signals 'cause we didn't need any. Nobody had any
cars. That's right! And on the corner, on particular
corners, there were accidents all the time. Most of
the people who were hurt in the accidents died just
because nobody came to pick them up. The ambulance never
came. That's right, the ambulance never came. I've just
seen many a man bleed to death, lying on the street
There's got to be a change, there's got to be a change
and there's enough people to do it! If they would get
off their big fat you-know-what, and move! Because we
don't have much time. There's enough people sayin',
"Ain't it a shame? Ain't it a shame? Ain't it a
shame?" Standing around. Good people, oh yeah!
They all regard themselves as good people and they are
full of "ain't it a shame's". And why don't
people, why can't they see and why don't everybody do
this and why don't everybody do that?
But if they, it's time for them to make a move, gets
hands outta your pockets and go to work. Do something!
Otherwise there gonna be nothing to do (laughter) Yeah,
and that's funny!
Ende des Interviews |
Oh, hang on
Wanna be free babe, wanna be free
I made up my mind, that's where I wanna be
That's all I wanna do, to be free, to be free
To smell the grass beneath my feet
To smile at people on the street
To be in love with everyone,
To know that life has just begun
That's where I want to be, I want to be free babe
You know when I'm feelin' good babe?
That's when I feel free
when I feel good
And when I feel good it's because, because I'm stoned babe
(I don't believe you)
Oh yes, I'm so stoned, babe
(I don't believe you)
It's a good good feeling, oh yes it is
(I still don't believe you)
Ohhh, I don't care if you don't believe me
(I don' believe you)
It's a good, good feelin' babe
I want to give it away
(No good will come this day)
I want to give it all away
(don't give it to me)
I'll die if I can' t give it away
(You cannot give it away)
Tell me
(I can't tell you anything)
Tell me you want to be free, tell me, tell me,
Give me some encouragement
(I feel, I feel, I feel)
And make me baby, I want, I want to make everybody to feel free
with me
(I feel, I feel all wrong, you must me wrong)
Because I know but I don't care,
Maybe I'm wrong,
(You've got to be wrong)
I know I'm wrong babe
(You're so wrong)
I'm so very very wrong and what's good for me is good for you
(You cannot be free this way)
It's got to be, oh, free me, oh, free me
(you'll never be free this way)
I got to be free
You can't tell me that I don't feel free because I feel free
(You'll never be free this way)
I wanna be free of all this, I wanna be outta here
(You'll never be free this way)
An animal would do much to protect his young.
And animal will fight to the death to protect his security and
future life the way I have to live it.
It's altogether something that you would
definitely not understand. Nobody understands this because,
take for instance Saturday night, Saturday night is a big, big
experience
I think I can feel it, I think I've got
it, got to be free
(is it really freedom?)
I wanna give it to you
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