Woke Up This Mornin' With My Mind Stayed On Freedom (civil rights song)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post provides lyrics and videos of the civil rights song "Woke Up This Mornin' With My Mind Stayed On Freedom."

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

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LYRICS: I WOKE UP THIS MORNIN' [civil rights song]
(Well I) woke up this mornin' with my mind stayed on freedom.
Woke up this mornin' with my mind stayed on freedom.
Woke up this mornin' with my mind stayed on freedom.
Hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah.

(Oh well) I walked and talked
talked and walked
with my mind stayed on freedom.
(I) Walked and talked
Talked and walked
With my mind stayed on freedom.
Hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah.

(You know) I sing and shout
shout and sing
With my mind stayed on freedom.
Sing and shout
Shout and sing
With my mind stayed on freedom.
Hallelu, hallelu, hallelujah.
Source: from my memories of the 1960s.
-snip-
The civil rights song "Woke Up This Mornin' With My Mind Stayed On Freedom " is an adaptation of the African American Spiritual "Woke Up This Mornin' With My Mind Stayed On Jesus."

My recollection is that the civil rights song "Woke Up This Morning" was sung in unison, usually with a lead singer starting the verse and everybody else joining in. As is the case with Spirituals, civil rights songs are "open ended". By "open ended" I mean that additional verses can be added to this song or substituted for verses #2 and #3. Also, verses that were already sung can be repetited. ThieprevieeeeThe interjections given in parenthesis are optional.

"My mind stayed on freedom" means to be constantly thinking about freedom [equal rights and justice under the law.]

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FEATURED YOUTUBE EXAMPLES

Example #1: Pastor Jackson - "Woke Up This Morning With My Mind Stayed On Jesus" [Spiritual]

ldyjcj2 | April 06, 2009

Pastor Jerome Jackson sings before giving his sermon. Southern Mission Baptist Church, East St. Louis, IL

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Example #2: The Freedom Singers - Woke Up This Morning

Princess Radojka, Published on Jul 14, 2014

From the Evening Concerts At Newport, Vol. 1...Vanguard/Orizzonte ORL 8197 (1964)>p> http://www.wirz.de/music/newpofrm.htm

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Example #3: Woke Up This Morning With My Mind Stayed On Freedom (Voice)

Sweet Honey in the Rock - Topic, Published on Nov 8, 2014
-snip-
Note that this recording of "Woke Up This Morning..." as sung by Sweet Honey In The Rock" was used as the background drop to this 2013 photo collage about Occupy CPS [Chicago Public Schools https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEtke0vBAPU. However, I don't think that this song was sung during those recent marches in Chicago, Illinois to protest the closing of numerous public schools in predominately Black neighborhoods of that city.

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