He was my brother
Five years older than I
He was my brother
Twenty-three years old the day he died
Freedom writer
They cursed my brother to his face
Go home outsider
This town's gonna be your buryin' place
He was singin' on his knees
An angry mob trailed along
They shot my brother dead
Because he hated what was wrong
He was my brother
Tears can't bring him back to me
He was my brother
And he died so his brothers could be free
He died so his brothers could be free
Five years older than I
He was my brother
Twenty-three years old the day he died
Freedom writer
They cursed my brother to his face
Go home outsider
This town's gonna be your buryin' place
He was singin' on his knees
An angry mob trailed along
They shot my brother dead
Because he hated what was wrong
He was my brother
Tears can't bring him back to me
He was my brother
And he died so his brothers could be free
He died so his brothers could be free
Lyrics submitted by kevin
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The line is "freedom rider". The song was dedicated a year after its writing to Andrew Goodman, who was murdered along with James Chaney and Michael Schwerner while working in Mississippi during Freedom Summer in 1964.
Yeah, Simon was a classmate of Goodman's at Queen's College.
I think this song is a wonderful tribute to everyone who has died for a cause they believed in in.
does anyone think the lyrics should be "freedom rider" ?? ...since that's what they were called, i feel like it makes more sense...
@reginaldcranmer yes it’s a typo.
This song sends chills down my spine? Anyone know if this is a true story? I don't suppose so, but the emotion behind it is so immense, I almost think it happened to Paul himself.
@sgdp Andrew Goodman, a civil rights activist was shot down in MI in 1964 by the Koo klux klan because he (and to quote the song,) "Hated what was wrong!".
@sgdp yes it’s a true story! 1961 …based on the real life freedom riders that left from Washington DC who set out on a bus ride with African Americans and whites to travel through the south to New Orleans… to test segregation laws prohibiting Interstate travel .. Violence ensued throughout the trip.. It wasn’t till 1964 the murders happened The movie Mississippi Burning tells their story.
I don't know the story behind the song lyrics, but I read that the song was later dedicated to murdered civil rights activist Andrew Goodman.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Goodman
@imthe_eviltwin Andrew Goodman, a civil rights activist was shot down in MI in 1964 by the Koo klux klan because he (and to quote the song,) "Hated what was wrong!".
Yeah, I think Simon knew Goodman from school or something.
@starangel Yes, he knew Goodman.
Quite unusual for Paul Simon this song, because he's giving quite a simple message without any particular nuances. Works well as a freedom song though.
when i heard this song i thought of river phoenix. the 23 enigma!
I just heard this song for the first time, and I thought it must be about a civil rights activist who was killed. Thanks for confirming it. We are all brothers (and sisters).