“I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. The works of the Lord are great, Studied by all who have pleasure in them. His work is honorable and glorious, And His righteousness endures forever. He has made His wonderful works to be remembered…The works of His hands are verity and justice; All His precepts are sure. They stand fast forever and ever, And are done in truth and uprightness. He has sent redemption to His people…”(Psalm 111:1-4; 7-9)
The Road to Freedom
I was 12 years old when I first heard the Richie Havens song, “Freedom.” It moved me then and it still moves me now. Later on Havens would recount, “I think the word ‘freedom’ came out of my mouth because I saw it in front of me…I saw the freedom that we were looking for. And every person was sharing it, and so that word came out.”
What do you think?
Want to know what I hear in that song?
Havens lyrically presented a liberating absolute that resonated with the masses — the notion that there is something great to be attained that this world cannot provide. We feel the anguish-laden desire in his voice, we sigh, and then we grasp at it, for it is the very same thing we simultaneously agonize over and long for. We recognize the words of this simple song. We’ve seen them before. They’re scrawled like graffiti upon the walls that define the hole in our heart.
I found this blurb about Richie (and the song) in an article from Rolling Stone (1972) that gives us some much-needed Spiritual insight:
“As the opening act at Woodstock, Richie Havens was supposed to perform for only 40 minutes. But when an unexpected traffic jam delayed the other performers, organizers asked him to keep playing. Three hours into it, Havens had run out of songs, so he started to make one up to the melody of “Motherless Child,” a spiritual he’d sung as a kid.”
Richie’s quote reminds me of God’s promise.
Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6)
Back to Woodstock
There was another kind of desperation going on this day in 1969. Havens was running out of music to 
play. Havens later said of his performances, “I really sing songs that move me. I’m not in show business; I’m in the communications business. That’s what it’s about for me”.
With that in mind, he wasn’t looking to just fill a space — he needed to dig deeper into his soul and pull out something he knew in heart would move the crowd. It was in this empty place, perhaps in an act of futility, Richie Havens went back to church. The song that morphed forth still draws and captivates us.
Why is that so?
The truth be told, Richie Havens was drawing upon something that was not of himself, regardless if he realized it or not. The old negro spiritual that he borrowed in desperation was so thick with desperation, that when he touched it, he got it all over himself. In turn, he got it all over us.
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
A long ways from home
A long ways from home
True believer
A long ways from home
Along ways from home
Sometimes I feel like I’m almos’ gone
Sometimes I feel like I’m almos’ gone
Sometimes I feel like I’m almos’ gone
Way up in de heab’nly land
Way up in de heab’nly land
True believer
Way up in de heab’nly land
Way up in de heab’nly land
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
A long ways from home
There’s praying everywhere
(from « American Negro Spirituals» by J. W. Johnson, J. R. Johnson, 1926)
I suppose there’s not much more desperate than the life of a slave; agony far beyond my capacity to fathom. But like I said earlier, this stuff is like tar; so thick, so prevalent, when you’re near it, it just gets on you. We all identify with it, not because we have it in massive quantities, but because we all have (at least) a wee portion of it, and it grieves us. We know intuitively that there is freedom from it. The slave; the man or woman who first sang this song, put all their hope in freedom’s future. They knew of a place that was not of this world, but a sure haven for the true believer.
Richie Havens, consciously or not, tapped into it. When we heard it, consciously or not, we tapped into it to. Did Havens know ‘Who’ he was singing about? Perhaps. After all, he sang, “I got a telephone in my bosom and I can call him up from my heart.” I pray he knew Him, but that’s not really my point. Whether or not Richie Havens was a follower of Jesus Christ, we’ll likely never know, but God knows. The only pertinent question to ask at this juncture is whether or not you are a follower of Jesus Christ.
It could rightly be said that “Freedom”, was an anthem of a generation, but it could also be said that by and large, the word was misappropriated. How do you define freedom and where do you see its source? If you said true freedom is found in Christ Jesus alone, you have answered wisely. If not, consider what God has to say…
Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. (2 Corinthians 3:17)
“If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32)
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)
Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. (Galatians 5:1)
Therein lies our freedom and our hope — Jesus Christ is the only One who can provide the eternal respite we all long for. Let’s face it: to deny Jesus is to forever embrace desperation. Jesus alone holds the cure for our bondage problem. If you want to know more about inviting Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, please drop me a comment below.
Related articles
- Richie Havens, Woodstock Festival’s Opening Act, Dies at 72 – Bloomberg (bloomberg.com)
- Folk Icon Richie Havens Dies At 72 (wncx.cbslocal.com)
- Richie Havens dies at 72 (imagesfromscott.wordpress.com)
- R.I.P. Richie Havens (poodyheads.wordpress.com)
- Richie Havens dies (uofmusic.wordpress.com)
- Richie Havens, Woodstock legend, dies at 72 (todayentertainment.today.com)
- Woodstock icon Richie Havens dies (bbc.co.uk)
- Richie Havens dies aged 72 (guardian.co.uk)
- U.S. folk musician Richie Havens dead at 72 (vindy.com)
- Richie sometimes felt like a motherless child (kenyatta2009.wordpress.com)
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He Dwells -- The B'log in My Eye 