It's not the waking, it's the rising
It is the grounding of a foot uncompromising
It's not forgoeing of the lie
It's not the opening of eyes
It's not the waking, it's the rising
It's not the shade, we should be past it
It's the light, and it's the obstacle that casts it
It's the heat that drives the light
It's the fire it ignites
It's not the waking, it's the rising
It's not the song, it is the singing
It's the hearing of a human spirit ringing
It is the bringing of the line
It is the baring of the rhyme
It's not the waking, it's the rising
And I could cry power (power)
Power (power)
Power
Nina cried power
Billie cried power
Mavis cried power
And I could cry power
Power (power)
Power (power)
Power
Curtis cried power
Patti cried power
Nina cried power
It's not the wall but what's behind it
The fear of fellow men, his mere assignment
And everything that we're denied
By keeping the divide
It's not the waking, it's the rising
And I could cry power (power)
Power (power)
Oh, power
Nina cried power
Lennon cried power
James Brown cried power
And I could cry power
Power (power)
Power (power)
Power, lord
B.B. cried power
Joni cried power
Nina cried power
And I could cry power
Power has been cried by those stronger than me
Straight into the face that tells you
To rattle your chains if you love being free
I could cry power (power)
And power is my love when my love reaches to me
James Brown cried power
Seeger cried power
Marvin cried power
Yeah ah, power
James cried power
Lennon cried power
Patti cried power
Billie, power
Dylan, power
Woody, power
Nina cried power
It is the grounding of a foot uncompromising
It's not forgoeing of the lie
It's not the opening of eyes
It's not the waking, it's the rising
It's not the shade, we should be past it
It's the light, and it's the obstacle that casts it
It's the heat that drives the light
It's the fire it ignites
It's not the waking, it's the rising
It's not the song, it is the singing
It's the hearing of a human spirit ringing
It is the bringing of the line
It is the baring of the rhyme
It's not the waking, it's the rising
And I could cry power (power)
Power (power)
Power
Nina cried power
Billie cried power
Mavis cried power
And I could cry power
Power (power)
Power (power)
Power
Curtis cried power
Patti cried power
Nina cried power
It's not the wall but what's behind it
The fear of fellow men, his mere assignment
And everything that we're denied
By keeping the divide
It's not the waking, it's the rising
And I could cry power (power)
Power (power)
Oh, power
Nina cried power
Lennon cried power
James Brown cried power
And I could cry power
Power (power)
Power (power)
Power, lord
B.B. cried power
Joni cried power
Nina cried power
And I could cry power
Power has been cried by those stronger than me
Straight into the face that tells you
To rattle your chains if you love being free
I could cry power (power)
And power is my love when my love reaches to me
James Brown cried power
Seeger cried power
Marvin cried power
Yeah ah, power
James cried power
Lennon cried power
Patti cried power
Billie, power
Dylan, power
Woody, power
Nina cried power
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Album Nina Cried Power - EP
Featuring Mavis Staples
Un tributo alla canzone di protesta e ai grandi artisti che hanno influenzato Hozier, tra i quali Mavis Staples che partecipa come ospite in questa canzone trascinante.
“I’m thrilled to share the Nina Cried Power – EP with you all. The title track was written sometime last year, and my aim was to credit the actuality of hope, solidarity and love found in the human spirit at a time when their opposites were being given a mainstream platform 24/7. The song started as a tongue-in-cheek inquiry into modern popular language regarding political awareness and grew from there.
In many ways the song is a thank you note to the legacy of artists from the 20th Century whose work still inspires us, and whose well we draw from in times of uncertainty. Mavis Staples is one such artist. Getting to work with her on this song was a joy, and nothing short of a dream come true.“ –
[It’s] a suggestion that the battle for equality these artists championed remains an ongoing and necessary one. “The fights that took place 100 years ago or 200 years ago for whatever — civil rights or workers' right etc. — don’t stop. There is no final victory. [Staples is] the most amazing person, just fucking unbelievable. [Her] energy is still absolutely there.”
Hozier