After Harper's well-received debut, Welcome to the Cruel World, he expanded on his fanbase by touring relentlessly with jam bands like Dave Matthews Band. On this, his second album, Harper added a more refined sense of his own intense spirituality, such as on the gospel-influenced album closers, "Power of the Gospel", "God Fearing Man" and "One Road to Freedom".
Track listing
All songs written by Ben Harper except as noted.
1. "Oppression" 2:58
2. "Ground on Down" – 4:53
3. "Another Lonely Day" – 3:43
4. "Please Me Like You Want To" – 4:55
5. "Gold to Me" – 5:00
6. "Burn One Down" – 3:31
7. "Excuse Me Mr." (Harper, Plunier) – 5:24
8. "People Lead" – 4:13
9. "Fight for Your Mind" – 4:06
10. "Give a Man a Home" – 3:35
11. "By My Side" – 3:34
12. "Power of the Gospel" – 6:02
13. "God Fearing Man" – 11:49
14. "One Road to Freedom" – 4:14
Artwork
The Fight For Your Mind artwork features the use of military roundels from African nations (plus Jamaica) to represent each track on the album. The track corresponding to each roundel is:
* Angola - Oppression
African Military roundels (plus Jamaica's) in the Fight For Your Mind artwork
* Cameroon - Ground on Down
* Central African Republic - Another Lonely Day
* Chad - Please Me Like You Want To
* Uganda - Gold to Me
* Jamaica - Burn One Down
* Egypt - Excuse Me Mr
* Niger - People Lead
* Ghana/Guinea - Fight For Your Mind
* Kenya - Give a Man a Home
* Nigeria - By My Side
* Somalia - Power of the Gospel
* Ivory Coast - God Fearing Man
* Ethiopia - One Road to Freedom
Harper has continued to use roundel inspired artwork on his other albums.
Personnel
* Ben Harper - acoustic guitar, Vocals, weissenborn
* Brett Banduci - viola
* Danielle Charles - violin
* Oliver Charles - drums
* Bob "Stiv" Coke - tabla, tambourine, tamboura, sarod
* Timothy Loo - cello
* Leon Mobley - percussion
* Juan Nelson - bass
* Ervin Pope - organ, Hammond organ
Production
* Producers: Ben Harper, Bob "Stiv" Coke, J.P. Plunier
* Associate Producer: Jeff Gottlieb
* Assistant Producer: Jeff Gottlieb
* Engineer: Bradley Cook
* Assistant engineers: Ryan Boesh, Todd Burke, Paul Naguna
* Mixing: The Dub Brothers, Femi Jiya, Eric Sarafin
* Mastering: Eddy Schreyer
* String arrangements: Ben Harper, J.P. Plunier
* Design: Tom Dolan
* Art direction: Tom Dolan, J.P. Plunier
* Photography: Bob "Stiv" Coke, Jeff Gottlieb
* Research: Ben Elder
Oppression
Ben Harper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You pray on us when we sleep
Oppression
You chase after the tired the poor the weak
Oppression
You know you mean only harm
Oppression
You reach out with your long arm
But oppression
I won't let you near me
Oppression
You shall learn to fear me
Oppression
You seek population control
Oppression
To divide and to conquer is your goal
Oppression
I swear that hatred is your home
Oppression
You just won't leave bad enough alone
But oppression
I won't let you near me
Oppression
You shall learn to fear me
Oppression
I don't see how you sleep
Oppression
For your bleeding conscience I weep
Oppression
You may have the dollar on your side
But oppression
From the gospel truth you cannot hide
And
Oppression
I won't let you near me
Oppression
You shall learn to fear me
Oppression
I won't let you near me
Oppression
You shall fear me
Ben Harper's song Oppression is a powerful anthem against the many forms of oppression that exist in the world. The first verse describes the insidious way in which oppression seems to sneak up on its victims, preying on them while they sleep and targeting the most vulnerable members of society. The second verse reveals the true intentions of oppression - to divide and conquer, to control the population, and to instill hatred and inequality. The chorus is a defiant cry against these forces, asserting that the singer will not allow oppression to come near him and that those who try to oppress him will ultimately learn to fear him.
The third verse of the song takes a more personal tone, as the singer addresses the conscience of the oppressor and mourns the damage done to it. Despite all of the wealth and power that oppression may have on its side, it cannot hide from the truth of the gospel, or the power of those who stand up against it. The final chorus is a repeated refrain, underscoring the singer's determination to resist oppression at all costs.
In summary, Oppression is a powerful and emotional song that speaks to the experiences of those who have been oppressed, while also encouraging listeners to stand up against oppression in all its forms. With its catchy chorus and rock-inspired sound, the song is a memorable call to action for anyone who believes in the importance of justice and equality.
Line by Line Meaning
Oppression
Addressing the injustice and cruelty of oppression.
You pray on us when we sleep
Oppression preys on the vulnerable and powerless while they are defenseless.
You chase after the tired the poor the weak
Oppression deliberately seeks out those who are already struggling and in need of help.
You know you mean only harm
Oppression is fully aware that it is causing harm to individuals and communities.
You reach out with your long arm
Oppression seems to reach out to control and dominate every aspect of life.
But oppression
I won't let you near me
The singer is taking a stand against oppression and refusing to allow it to have power over them.
You shall learn to fear me
The singer will fight back against oppression and make it realize the consequences of its actions.
You seek population control
Oppression seeks to limit and control the number of people in certain groups or populations.
To divide and to conquer is your goal
Oppression intends to keep people separate and in conflict so that they do not unite and rise up against it.
I swear that hatred is your home
Oppression thrives on negativity and hatred towards certain groups of people.
You just won't leave bad enough alone
Oppression cannot be satisfied with causing some harm; it seeks to do as much damage as possible.
I don't see how you sleep
The artist wonders how the oppressors can rest while they cause so much pain and suffering.
For your bleeding conscience I weep
The singer feels sorry for the oppressor's conscience, even if it is not strong enough to stop them from doing harm.
You may have the dollar on your side
Oppression often has financial and economic power that it uses to maintain its control over people and communities.
But oppression
From the gospel truth you cannot hide
Oppression cannot escape the facts and reality of what it is doing to people and the devastation it causes.
And
Oppression
I won't let you near me
The artist is resolute in their commitment to fight oppression and not let it harm them or the people they care about.
Oppression
You shall learn to fear me
The oppressor will come to understand that there is a price to pay for causing suffering and that the artist will not back down from fighting against it.
Oppression
I won't let you near me
The singer reiterates their resolve to resist oppression and not let it have any power over them.
Oppression
You shall fear me
The singer will do whatever it takes to ensure that oppression knows it cannot continue to cause suffering and get away with it.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BEN C HARPER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind