Well I woke up this morning
And I made a resolution,
I said

Never going to sing another sad song again.

I decided I'd admit it,

I'm not an intellectual,
Though the words never come easy unless I'm singing them,
And the hills that I was born in will never leave me

No matter how hard I try.

And then my brother was murdered

While my father was in prison,
And the girl that I sometimes loved up and moved away,
And my body filled up with blackness,

And the darkness it wanted to drown me,
And I heard my father's footsteps catching up to me,
And he took me by the shoulders

And he said
Son, my hands are strong,
But I hope you have the strength to shake us free,

Shake us free boy, shake us free my son, you better shake us free.

And now I'm lying in the van,

Chicago in the springtime,
And the rain outside was falling sounds just like popcorn,
But before I open my eyes I think I make this resolution,

I'm never gonna sing another sad song for as long as I live

And the light coming through the windows is making everything glow

And he took me by the shoulders
And he said
Son my hands are strong,

But I hope you have the strength to shake us free,
Shake us free, shake us free, shake us free my son.
I made a resolution