music clip of the day

Here’s a variation, from the 1960s civil rights struggles, on the gospel song we heard Sunday.

SNCC Freedom Singers (AKA The Freedom Singers), “Woke Up This Morning with My Mind on Freedom,” live, Turkey, 2007

We started singing songs at the mass meetings. Songs of the movement gave you energy–a willingness and a wantingness to want to be free. Whenever there was a march to be taken place, there were songs that we would use to motivate the people to get in the line. One such song was “I Woke Up This Morning with My Mind Stayed on Freedom.” Most of the songs from the movement were taken from spirituals, gospel, and rhythm and blues–any type of music. Someone in the audience would start and say, “Come and go with me to that land. Come and go with me to that land.” And the rest would just repeat it.

—Rutha Mae Harris, SNCC Freedom Singers

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And here’s another take on the original.

Mavis Staples, “Woke Up This Morning with My Mind on Jesus,” recording (One True Vine), 2013

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lagniappe

art beat

Danny Lyon (1942-), Atlanta (Toddle House), 1963