Shepp was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on May 24th, 1937, but raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he studied piano, clarinet and alto saxophone before focusing on tenor saxophone (he occasionally plays soprano saxophone). He is best known for his passionately Afrocentric music of the late sixties which focused on highlighting the injustices faced by people of African descent. He is also known for his 60's work with the New York Contemporary Five with co-founder Don Cherry and Shepp's collaborations with his "New Thing" contemporaries, most notably Cecil Taylor and John Coltrane, but also Roswell Rudd and Bobby Hutcherson.
Considered a jazz great, saxophonist Archie Shepp recorded albums like Poem For Malcolm and Live in Antibes for labels like Verve and Impulse. He was active in academia at SUNY Buffalo as a professor of African American Studies and the University of Massachusetts Amherst as a professor of music. He played with other notable musical radicals including Frank Zappa and provided the musical score to the movie Gotta Dance and is featured on the 1984 Wilebski's Blues Saloon Festival DVD.
The Cry Of My People
Archie Shepp Lyrics
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The cry of my people
Whoa whoa whoa
Whoa whoa whoa
The cry of my people
The cry of my people
The cry of my people
The cry of my people
Archie Shepp's song "The Cry of My People" is a powerful and emotional piece, featuring a recurrent refrain of "The cry of my people." The lyrics are simple, but they convey a deep sense of pain, frustration, and longing for change. The repetition of the phrase "whoa whoa whoa" adds an extra layer of intensity to the song, suggesting a feeling of urgent desperation.
The song seems to be a lament for the plight of black people in America, specifically their ongoing struggle for equality and justice. The phrase "the cry of my people" suggests a collective voice, a shared experience of suffering and oppression. Through his music, Shepp is expressing the pain and frustration of his community, and calling for change.
Line by Line Meaning
The cry of my people
The vocal expression of pain and suffering by my community.
Whoa whoa whoa
Interjection to emphasize the urgency and intensity of the cry.
The cry of my people
The repeated lamentation of the troubles of my tribe.
The cry of my people
The repeated vocalization of the sorrows of my ethnic group.
The cry of my people
The reiteration of the vocal outcry of my kindred.
Writer(s): Calvin Massey
Contributed by Grace M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.