Dave Matthews Band: Cry Freedom

How can I turn away 
Brother/Sister go dancing 
Through my head 
Human as to human 
The future is no place 
To place your better days 

Cry freedom cry 
From a crowd 10,000 wide 
Hope laid upon hope 
That this crowd will not subside 
Let this flag burn to dust 
And a new a fair design be raised 
While we wait head in hands 
Hands in prayer 
And fall into a dreamless sleep again 
And we wave our hands 

Hands and feet are all alike 
But gold between divide us 
Hands and feet are all alike 
But fear between divide us 
All slip away 

There was a window and by it stood 
A mirror in which 
He could see himself 
He thought of something 
Something he had never had but hoped would come along 
Cry freedom, cry 
From deep inside 
Where we are all confined 
While we wave hands in fire 
Wave our hands 

Hands and feet are all alike 
But gold between divide us 
Hands and feet are all alike 
But fear between divide us, 
Slip away 
In this room stood a little child 
And in this room this little child 
She would remain 
Until someone might decide 
To dance this little child 
Across this hall 
Into a cold, dark, space 
Where she might never trace her way across this crooked mile 
Across this crooked page 
Cry freedom, cry 
From deep inside where 
We are all confined 
Till we wave our hands 

How can I turn away 
Brother/Sister go dancing 
Through my head 
Human as to human 
The future is no place 
To place your better days 

Hands and feet are all alike 
But gold between divide us 
Hands and feet are all alike 
But fear between divide us 
Hands and feet are all alike 
Hear what I say 
Hear what I say 
Oh, so be it 

How can I turn away 
Brother/Sister go dancing 
Through my head 
Human as to human 
The future is no place 
To place your better days


This song doesn't have an official music video, so here's this: Cry Freedom


To my knowledge, this song is about the apartheid (which I'm actually doing a project on right now, so this could come in handy) because Dave Matthews used to live in South Africa so many of his songs replicate his experiences there and his attachment to his past. This song conveys the lack of togetherness and unity in South Africa during the apartheid and the want and desire for such. This is one of my favorite Dave Matthews Band songs because it is so soothing and I really enjoy the line, "the future is no place to place your better days." I think Dave is saying to live in the present and enjoy it because one cannot assume there is a tomorrow.