Special AKA - "Free Nelson Mandela"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post is Part II of a series that showcases songs about South African activist, humanitarian, and former President of South Africa, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.

This post showcases the song "Free Nelson Mandela" by The Special AKA, a trio from the United Kingdom. The lyrics to that song are also included in this post.

Part I showcases two performances of Hugh Masekela's "Bring Him Home" (also known as "Bring Back Nelson Mandela"). Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/06/hugh-masekela-bring-him-home-bring-back.html for that post.

Part III of this series showcases the song "Mandela Free" by Barrington Levy. Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/06/barrington-levy-mandela-youre-free-with.html for that post.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, inspirational, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

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SHOWCASE SONG The Special AKA - Free Nelson Mandela - Formel 1 - 1983



mattervalley, Uploaded on Mar 21, 2011

The Special AKA - Free Nelson Mandela - Formel 1 - 1983

Music video by The Special AKA performing Nelson Mandela.
-snip-
Here's an excerpt of an article about this song from http://www.bbcamerica.com/anglophenia/2013/06/nelson-mandela-and-the-most-potent-protest-song-ever-recorded/:
"To a generation of British kids who had never heard of him before “Free Nelson Mandela” is all they ever needed to know about the man. Fittingly, Jerry Dammers, who wrote the song, had no idea who he was until he attended an anti-apartheid concert in 1983. Had he then come up with something more hectoring or angry, it’s possible the anti-apartheid movement would have had a very different level of support throughout the 1980s. Certainly in South Africa the song was seized upon as an instant anthem for the African National Congress."

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LYRICS - "FREE NELSON MANDELA"
(Jerry Dammers)

Free Nelson Mandela
Free, free, free, free, free Nelson Mandela

Free Nelson Mandela
21 years in captivity
Shoes too small to fit his feet
His body abused but his mind is still free
Are you so blind that you cannot see? I said…
Free Nelson Mandela, I'm begging you
Free Nelson Mandela

Visited the causes at the AMC
Only one man in a large army
Are you so blind that you cannot see?
Are you so deaf that you cannot hear his plea?
Free Nelson Mandela, I'm begging you
Free Nelson Mandela

21 tears in captivity
Are you so blind that you cannot see?
Are you so deaf that you cannot hear?
Are you so dumb that you cannot speak? I said…
Free Nelson Mandela, I'm begging you
Free Nelson Mandela
Free Nelson Mandela, begging you, begging you please
Free Nelson Mandela, you got to, you got to, you got to free, you got to free, you got to free
Free Nelson Mandela
Free Nelson Mandela
Free
Free (I'm telling you, telling you, telling you)
Free (You've got to free, yeah, you've got to free)
Free (Yeah, you've got to free, yeah, you've got to free)
Free (Nelson Mandela)
Free
Free (I'm telling you, telling you, telling you)
Free (Free, yeah, you've got to free him now)
Free (You've got to free him now, you've got to free him)
Free (I'm telling you, telling you, telling you)
Free (You've got to free, yeah, yeah)
Free (You've got to free, yeah, yeah)
Free (I'm telling you, telling you, telling you)
Free (Begging you, begging you please)
Free (I'm telling you, you've got to free, yeah
Free (you've got to free)

Source: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/s/specials/nelson_mandela.html

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RELATED LINK
Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelson_Mandela for information about Nelson Mandela (July 18, 1918).

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Thanks to Nelson Mandela for his positive role modeling & his life work. Thanks to Jerry Dammers for composing this song and thanks to the members of Special AKA for performing this song. Thanks also to the publisher of this sound file on YouTube.

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