We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Free

by wade baynham

supported by
lisalikeswadesmusic
lisalikeswadesmusic thumbnail
ki6esh
ki6esh thumbnail
/
1.
Freedom 04:36
lyrics
buy track
Freedom doesn’t come from competition and winning Freedom comes in partnering and collaborative discovery Freedom comes from sharing Freedom helps set others free and keep them free Freedom wants the best for others and knows how to sacrifice Freedom doesn’t have a my-way-or-the-highway attitude Freedom is even found in the depths of a prison Chorus: Freedom, Give me Freedom, Show me Freedom, Set me Free 2x Freedom comes from courting peace not violence Freedom doesn’t come from building up miles of great wealth Freedom doesn’t keep children in cages Freedom doesn’t hold the world hostage with a nuclear arsenal Freedom does not come from being a vigilante Freedom is not vengeance in the name of law and order Freedom knows good from evil --doesn’t participate with evil Chorus: Freedom is not narcissistic Freedom is not addicted Freedom is found in embodied love and compassion Freedom comes through open hands and humility Freedom doesn’t demand your own taste and preference Freedom cares what happens to your neighbor Freedom comes from a servants heart Chorus:
2.
Cat's In the Cradle 03:55
info
buy track
3.
Don’t Talk (A Lament) 04:28
lyrics
buy track
Don’t talk about freedom to me while you keep us all in jail Don’t talk about liberty when you keep so many in slavery Don’t talk about who’s essential as you risk their lives, not your own Don’t talk about truth when your mouth is so full of lies Don’t tell me nothing’s your fault and only others are to blame Don’t tell me about our economy that you steal from the poor to give to the rich Chorus: Your time will come one day Your charade will all be through You’ll rot in the dark mud There’ll be nothing left of you Don’t talk about family to me, as you cruelly incest your own Don’t talk to me of opportunities while you’re crushing people’s dreams Don’t talk of this great country as you support a cruel empire Don’t talk about national defense when you only defend your own ass Don’t talk about American history by touting slave-holder logic Don’t talk about good people on both sides to justify white supremacy Chorus: You know you’ll face the music one day The song won’t be for you You’ll meet the real leader of the band The choir will sing you’re through Don’t talk about God to me, when you stand for what He hates Don’t talk about saving the people while you’re kneeling on our throats Don’t talk about strength, when you are a bully and a coward Don’t tell me who you admire, dictators and mobsters all Don’t talk to me about democracy, when the only voice you count is your own Don’t talk about law and order, while you incite the violence yourself Chorus: You’ll play your last card one day Your little game will all be done You’ll have to face the judgment There’ll be nowhere left to run (2x)
4.
Disease of Conceit 03:57
info
buy track
5.
Love of Power and Money 03:50
lyrics
buy track
I’m not sure what to say, my friends Words fail me and my explanations are weak I’ve seen evil walk among us like business as usual While we’re falling sick and met with disdain And we’re dying to a familiar refrain Sung by a wealthy tyrant fanning the flames Chorus: This isn’t the first time, but it’s happening now It may not be the last time, but I pray for the day when it will be We’re lost and we’ve left compassion and mercy We’ve left them for the love of power and money Men with guns are invading our capitals If they weren’t white, they’d be dead as we speak While the wealthy pay for brainwashing to spur them on Telling them to fight for freedom with armed insanity When their only complaint is their bind of common humanity Being asked to protect the lives of their community Chorus: Bridge: But I see you as you stay at home You’re waiting, you’re watching and you’re hoping Keeping your neighbor safe And I see you on the front lines Feeding, healing and delivering Chorus:
6.
Socialist Welfare Babies 02:33
lyrics
buy track
Been a lot of talk of socialists and communists coming for America Trump and company been running their mouths about a grave threat from the left While they stoke white supremacy They make a bogey-man out of anyone Who wants the rich to pay some taxes And the poor to get a helping hand Out of the pit they’ve been kept in by the boot on their neck Chorus: Here’s the truth friend, socialism’s here It’s your money paid to the rich The rich are the welfare babies, Baby The rich are the welfare babies Taxes that you pay build the roads for their limos Their atomic bombs, their armies you die in And fund their police forces They’re the big, fat welfare babies, Baby The big, fat welfare babies, And that’s the facts, Jack. That’s a fact. Dr. King taught us more than fifty years ago that the poor live with capitalism And the rich get socialist every day in more ways than you can count You pay the system to work for them They get their rebates and kick-backs and pats on the back Their friends stay in power, yeah they own the swamp And all the creatures in it We’ve got a welfare problem, the rich are on the dole
7.
Bells 05:30
info
buy track
8.
Uncovered 02:51
info
buy track
9.
Canticle of the Turning 03:47
info
buy track
10.
The Color Green 05:51
info
buy track
11.
Weep With Those Who Weep 04:04
info
buy track
12.
It Is Well With My Soul 04:17
info
buy track

about

This has been a challenging, but rewarding record to make. I have been grateful to have had the time and resources during the pandemic to spend time writing and recording, while also being-- like many others, in the midst of endless hand-washing, mask-wearing, cleaning and remaining under a kind of self-imposed house arrest. The staggering pandemic failures, global hostility and intense white-supremacy of the previous administration and their many fundamentalist supporters also increased my stress and difficulty over these past couple of years --and I know I’m not alone here.

After a lot of work and reflection this year, it’s also time for me to state more clearly that I have lived with, been around and have been actively taught white christian nationalism, evangelical fundamentalism and white supremacy for much of my life. I’m understanding more and more of the liability and cost of this for me, and even more for the many others who have been targeted by this bigotry, cruelty and violence.

This past year has also given me greater clarity around the dangers of understanding my faith from the viewpoint of whiteness, wealth, talent, opportunity, nationalism, fundamentalism and privilege. In my view, the gospel of Jesus is next to unreadable from the top-- from the position of power over others. It has to be read from the bottom, a place of humility, where my will and what I want and desire is turned over to the will of God-- otherwise I cannot help but be a great liability to myself and others. History is littered with examples of people claiming to be ‘christian,’ who believed that picking up the sword and violently trying to bring theistic rule to earth was somehow inherent in the message of Jesus. It’s easy to see this in the people trying to violently install Jesus on an earthly throne when we walked around first century Palestine. He could not have been more explicit than when he told Pilate at his ‘trial’ that he was not that kind of king.

So, I’ve written songs this past year and continued to interpret other favorite cover songs through this newfound uncomfortability and painful understanding. These songs are an eclectic mix musically, as many of my projects have turned out to be. I enjoy trying new musical and technical ideas, so my work leads me down some paths that don’t always make for easily categorized recordings. At the same time, I hope the songs still share a folk music heart-- a value of connection to the ‘words of the people’-- the cries of breaking hearts and those desperately yearning to be free and whole, as well as to those celebrating and rejoicing as they experience growth, hope, newfound freedom and joy.

A bit more about the title, ‘Free.’

I have heard many people describe their actions, related to personal freedom, lately that have been particularly upsetting to me-- ‘freedom’ from needing to wear a mask, ‘freedom’ to openly threaten others with guns, ‘freedom’ to flaunt rules designed to keep neighbors safe, ‘freedom’ to keep people from legally voting.

In my experience, most people yearn to be free and try to find freedom as best they can. Sadly though, many seem to continually find themselves captive in one way or another, and some also hold others captive. In this record, I explore the belief at the center of my faith-- that the central theme of the whole arc of the biblical narrative is how we can identify the captivity and bondage we find ourselves in, and be released to then live and grow into an embodied freedom, where we help set others free at the same time.

credits

released April 18, 2021

Created, mixed and mastered by Wade Baynham at The Second Story
Durham, NC
2020-21

Cover Design by Denise Baynham

Many thanks to Denise for her love, steadfast support, endless encouragement and inspiration over the course of this exceptionally trying year. Particular thanks also to Robin and Jack. And thank you to all of you who have kept encouraging me to use my voice and skills to keep creating music over the years.

You may be unaware that you can click on the song titles above and go to individual pages for each song. You can read more about each one, and my original song pages also show the lyrics.

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

wade baynham image

wade baynham Durham, North Carolina

contact / help

Contact wade baynham

Streaming and
Download help

Report this album or account

If you like wade baynham, you may also like:

Bandcamp Daily  your guide to the world of Bandcamp

On Bandcamp Radio

Featuring Riley Pinkerton (aka The Rat Queen) from the theatrical NYC rockers, Castle Rat.
listen now