In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
There are colors on the street...red, white, and blue
People shufflin' their feet, people sleepin' in their shoes
There's a warnin' sign in the road ahead
There's a lot of people sayin' we'd be better off dead
Don't feel like Satan, but I am to them
So I try to forgive 'em, any way I can, yeah...
I see a girl in the night with a baby in her hands
Under an old street light, oh, near a garbage can
Now she put her kid away, she's gone to get a hit
She hates her life, and what she's done with it
That's one more kid, that'll never go to school
Never get to fall in love, never get to be cool
Keep on rockin' in the free world (3x)
( The US of A, the United States )
( Ain't a free place, it's not a free place )
( Ain't got the right to choose, barely got the right to vote )
( There they got the right to make an honest buck )
( The USA ain't a free, free place )
There's a thousand points of light for the colored man
There's a kinder, gentler police man's hand
There's department stores, and toilet paper
Styrofoam garbage for the Ozone layer
There's a man of the people, said 'keep hope alive'
Got fuel to burn, got roads to drive
Keep on rockin' in the free world (4x)
People shufflin' their feet, people sleepin' in their shoes
There's a warnin' sign in the road ahead
There's a lot of people sayin' we'd be better off dead
Don't feel like Satan, but I am to them
So I try to forgive 'em, any way I can, yeah...
I see a girl in the night with a baby in her hands
Under an old street light, oh, near a garbage can
Now she put her kid away, she's gone to get a hit
She hates her life, and what she's done with it
That's one more kid, that'll never go to school
Never get to fall in love, never get to be cool
Keep on rockin' in the free world (3x)
( The US of A, the United States )
( Ain't a free place, it's not a free place )
( Ain't got the right to choose, barely got the right to vote )
( There they got the right to make an honest buck )
( The USA ain't a free, free place )
There's a thousand points of light for the colored man
There's a kinder, gentler police man's hand
There's department stores, and toilet paper
Styrofoam garbage for the Ozone layer
There's a man of the people, said 'keep hope alive'
Got fuel to burn, got roads to drive
Keep on rockin' in the free world (4x)
Lyrics submitted by rpggamerjmb
Rockin' in the Free World Lyrics as written by Neil Young Frank M. Sampedro
Lyrics © Hipgnosis Songs Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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