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.
You gotta free all the people in South Africa
You gotta make life worth living in Soweto
You gotta free all the people in South Africa
You gotta make life worthwhile, give a reason to smile
Freedom is a birthright given by Jah to man
You cannot claim it, this you must understand
Who are you to decide who has to give it up
Know it in your heart, that it?s wrong
They've had enough
You gotta free all the people in South Africa
Make life worth living in Soweto
You gotta free all the people in South Africa
Make life worthwhile, give a reason to smile
Slavery is brutal, it steals your identity
Wherever it?s living, suffer humanity
What leads you to believe you can treat people so?
You know it isn't right, give up the fight, let them go
You gotta free all the people in South Africa
Make life worth living in Soweto
You gotta free all the people in South Africa
Make life worthwhile, give a reason to smile
It?s not right, this hate for life you're teaching
No more fight, we're all in this together
You've lost sight, you'll never find what your soul is seeking
You, you abolish Apartheid
Can free, free, South Africa
Make life worth living in Soweto
You gotta free all the people in South Africa
Make life worthwhile, give a reason to smile
Slavery is brutal, it steals your identity
Wherever it?s living, suffer humanity
What led you to believe you can treat people so?
You know it isn't right, give up the fight, let them go
You gotta free all the people in South Africa
Make life worth living in Soweto
Gotta free all the people in South Africa
Make life worthwhile, give a reason to smile
It?s not right, this hate for life you're teaching
No more fight, we're all in this together
You've lost sight, you'll never find what your soul is seeking
Until you abolish Apartheid
Can free, free, South Africa
Make life worth living, Soweto
Gotta free all the people, South Africa
Make life worthwhile, give a reason to smile
You gotta make life worth living in Soweto
You gotta free all the people in South Africa
You gotta make life worthwhile, give a reason to smile
Freedom is a birthright given by Jah to man
You cannot claim it, this you must understand
Who are you to decide who has to give it up
Know it in your heart, that it?s wrong
They've had enough
You gotta free all the people in South Africa
Make life worth living in Soweto
You gotta free all the people in South Africa
Make life worthwhile, give a reason to smile
Slavery is brutal, it steals your identity
Wherever it?s living, suffer humanity
What leads you to believe you can treat people so?
You know it isn't right, give up the fight, let them go
You gotta free all the people in South Africa
Make life worth living in Soweto
You gotta free all the people in South Africa
Make life worthwhile, give a reason to smile
It?s not right, this hate for life you're teaching
No more fight, we're all in this together
You've lost sight, you'll never find what your soul is seeking
You, you abolish Apartheid
Can free, free, South Africa
Make life worth living in Soweto
You gotta free all the people in South Africa
Make life worthwhile, give a reason to smile
Slavery is brutal, it steals your identity
Wherever it?s living, suffer humanity
What led you to believe you can treat people so?
You know it isn't right, give up the fight, let them go
You gotta free all the people in South Africa
Make life worth living in Soweto
Gotta free all the people in South Africa
Make life worthwhile, give a reason to smile
It?s not right, this hate for life you're teaching
No more fight, we're all in this together
You've lost sight, you'll never find what your soul is seeking
Until you abolish Apartheid
Can free, free, South Africa
Make life worth living, Soweto
Gotta free all the people, South Africa
Make life worthwhile, give a reason to smile
Lyrics submitted by immortalbeloved
Free All the People Lyrics as written by Jacquelyn B Holmes
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Although I've never heard this song, I rate Santana highly as a guitarist (how can't you?). I am a white Afrikaans South African, born in 1989, so I didn't live during the Apartheid era. I agree that our past isn't right, but eversince the end of Apartheid the blacks have totally fucked up our country. Our crime and murder rates are amongst the highest in the world, and say what you like, it's 99% due to the blacks. Racism will forever linger in South Africa, we'll never get rid of it. Many white South Africans choose to immigrate to Australia, the UK or elsewhere because of these problems (crime and racism). Santana is a great artist and in my books, one of the great guitarists.