{"id":296,"date":"2021-10-05T14:34:00","date_gmt":"2021-10-05T13:34:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/libeur2023.com\/?p=296"},"modified":"2023-11-25T14:43:08","modified_gmt":"2023-11-25T14:43:08","slug":"van-morrisons-songs-for-freedom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/libeur2023.com\/index.php\/2021\/10\/05\/van-morrisons-songs-for-freedom\/","title":{"rendered":"Van Morrison&#8217;s Songs for Freedom"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; width=&#8221;100%&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_post_title title=&#8221;off&#8221; meta=&#8221;off&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; title_font=&#8221;Amiri Quran||||||||&#8221; title_font_size=&#8221;43px&#8221; meta_text_color=&#8221;#E02B20&#8243; meta_font_size=&#8221;16px&#8221; width=&#8221;100%&#8221; box_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][\/et_pb_post_title][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_post_title comments=&#8221;off&#8221; featured_image=&#8221;off&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; title_font_size=&#8221;35px&#8221; title_line_height=&#8221;1.3em&#8221; meta_text_color=&#8221;#f2a900&#8243; meta_font_size=&#8221;17px&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][\/et_pb_post_title][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; text_font_size=&#8221;17px&#8221; text_letter_spacing=&#8221;1px&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p><span>Van Morrison is a well-known Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has been performing for seven decades, in a variety of music genres such as rock, R&amp;B; and blues. In 2020, he started using his music to defend freedom against the pandemic restrictions that the UK government has been imposing. Those restrictions have also been harming the music industry as live concerts were whether being cancelled or socially-distanced.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|auto|-11px|auto||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||0px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;17px&#8221; text_letter_spacing=&#8221;1px&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p><span>In September 2020, Morrison released three new songs \u2013 \u2018Born to Be Free\u2019, \u2018As I Walked Out\u2019 and \u2018No More Lockdown\u2019, in which he calls for critical thinking towards the incoherence of the one government narrative supported by the mainstream media, and criticises the government\u2019s greed for power that took people\u2019s freedom away to live their lives, notably the freedom to work, by means of a fascist police.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; column_structure=&#8221;1_4,3_4&#8243; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_column _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; type=&#8221;1_4&#8243; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_code _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<iframe style=\"border-radius:12px\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/track\/6M6cCMey3H3of3URRWoj6D?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameBorder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe>[\/et_pb_code][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; type=&#8221;3_4&#8243; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_testimonial _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; body_font_size=&#8221;17px&#8221; body_letter_spacing=&#8221;1px&#8221; body_text_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><u>Lyrics from \u2018Born to Be Free\u2019<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u2018Don\u2019t need the government cramping my style<br \/>Give them an inch, they take a mile<br \/>Take you in with a phony smile, wouldn\u2019t you agree<br \/>The new normal is not normal<br \/>It\u2019s no kind of normal at all<br \/>Everyone seems to have amnesia<br \/>Just trying to remember the Berlin Wall<br \/>Some kind of new old ideology<br \/>With new psychology<br \/>But it\u2019s not for the benefit<br \/>Of you and me<br \/>No no no\u2019<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_testimonial][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_column _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;17px&#8221; text_letter_spacing=&#8221;1px&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p>Of course, this didn\u2019t please the government and the Northern Ireland health minister, Robin Swann, soon qualified Morrison\u2019s songs as \u2018dangerous\u2019. But Morrison wouldn\u2019t let go of his freedom of speech as he commented \u2018Whether anyone agrees with me or not is irrelevant. Just as there should be freedom of the press, there should be freedom of speech, and at the minute it feels like that is not in the framework.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Morrison, then, collaborated with the well-known English rock and blues guitarist, singer and songwriter, Eric Clapton. Together, they released a new bluesy track called \u2018Stand And Deliver\u2019 in December 2020. Again, this song is all about standing up for personal freedoms against the government acting like a totalitarian regime and lying to the population for control.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; column_structure=&#8221;3_4,1_4&#8243; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_column _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; type=&#8221;3_4&#8243; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_testimonial _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; body_font_size=&#8221;17px&#8221; body_letter_spacing=&#8221;1px&#8221; body_text_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong><u>Lyrics from \u2018Stand And Deliver\u2019<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u2018Do you wanna be a free man<br \/>Or do you wanna be a slave?<br \/>Do you wanna wear these chains<br \/>Until you\u2019re lying in the grave?<br \/>I don\u2019t wanna be a pauper<br \/>And I don\u2019t wanna be a prince<br \/>I just wanna do my job<br \/>Playing the blues for friends<br \/>Magna Carta, Bill of Rights<br \/>The constitution, what\u2019s it worth?<br \/>You know they\u2019re gonna grind us down, ah<br \/>Until it really hurts<br \/>Is this a sovereign nation<br \/>Or just a police state?<br \/>You better look out, people<br \/>Before it gets too late\u2019<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_testimonial][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; type=&#8221;1_4&#8243; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_code _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<iframe style=\"border-radius:12px\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/track\/3GmU00wcaBBCgKsFcDQtaZ?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"352\" frameBorder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/iframe>[\/et_pb_code][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_column _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.23.1&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; theme_builder_area=&#8221;post_content&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;17px&#8221; text_letter_spacing=&#8221;1px&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; hover_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243; sticky_enabled=&#8221;0&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Stand And Deliver\u2019 and the other songs of Morrison for freedom are all part of his Save Live Music campaign in which the profits of those songs are all given to struggling musicians in the UK who would get most of their income from live music and couldn\u2019t perform anymore because of the government restrictions.<\/p>\n<p>Clapton supported the initiative and commented \u2018There are many of us who support Van and his endeavours to save live music; he is an inspiration. We must stand up and be counted because we need to find a way out of this mess. The alternative is not worth thinking about. Live music might never recover.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Morrison was asked by a UK newspaper when he thinks live music would return and he said \u2018Your guess is as good as mine because freedom is not a given anymore. You have to fight for it.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>And indeed, he keeps fighting for freedom as he released more songs challenging the government on his new album \u2018Latest Record Project: Volume 1\u2019 in May 2021.<\/p>\n<p>The way Van Morrison has been using his music to fight for freedom should inspire us all to do the same in our own way. That\u2019s the way we will create a culture of freedom and attain a better society.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Van Morrison is a well-known Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who has been performing for seven decades, in a variety of music genres such as rock, R&#038;B; and blues. In 2020, he started using his music to defend freedom against the pandemic restrictions that the UK government has been imposing. Those restrictions have also been harming the music industry as live concerts were whether being cancelled or socially-distanced.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":297,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"1080","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/libeur2023.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/296"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/libeur2023.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/libeur2023.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libeur2023.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libeur2023.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=296"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/libeur2023.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/296\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":305,"href":"https:\/\/libeur2023.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/296\/revisions\/305"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libeur2023.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/297"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/libeur2023.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=296"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libeur2023.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=296"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/libeur2023.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}