Born into a white middle-class family, as a child Dane sang and played piano in Sunday school and also learned to play guitar. Right out of high school, Barbara began to raise her strong voice regularly at demonstrations for racial equality and economic justice. From the mid-40s she became involved with the labor, civil rights and feminist movements. While still in her teens, she began to sit in with bands around town and won the interest of local music promoters. She even got an offer to tour with Alvino Rey's band, but she turned it down in favor of singing at factory gates and in union halls.
In 1949 she moved to San Francisco and began raising her own family and singing her folk and topical songs around town as well as on radio and early TV. The traditional jazz revival was then shaking the town, and by the mid '50s she became a familiar figure at clubs along the city's Embarcadero with her own versions of the classic women's blues and hot jazz tunes.
She worked with Pete Seeger, Kid Ory, George Lewis, Turk Murphy and others, appearing at festivals and on television. Dane appeared at many prestigious venues and shared bills with distinguished performers, including Louis Armstrong, Memphis Slim, Lightnin' Hopkins (with whom she later recorded an album) and controversial comedian Lenny Bruce. In 1959, she recorded with Earl Hines and toured with Jack Teagarden's band.
In 1961 Barbara opened her own club, Sugar Hill: Home of the Blues, on San Francisco's Broadway, with the idea of creating a respectful venue for the music right on the tourist rialto where a wider audience could come in contact with it. There Dane performed regularly with her two most constant musical companions: Kenny "Good News" Whitson on piano and cornet, and Wellman Braud, former Duke Ellington bassist. She continued her high profile on television, radio and in concert, throughout the 60s and 70s.
In 1966, Barbara Dane became the first U.S. musician to tour post-revolutionary Cuba. The impact on the Cuban public was indelible, and she soon returned to take part in an international festival where she met other like-minded singers from all over the world. Through some of these singers, she was invited to tour in both Western and Eastern Europe, Mexico, Nicaragua, and the Far East, even to North Vietnam and the liberated areas of the South as the war still raged. Dane concentrated her musical efforts on singing at fund- and consciousness raising gatherings around the world. Her decision to ally her singing to political causes has tended to keep her from the general audience.
In 1970 Dane founded Paredon Records, with a deep commitment to making the music of the musicians and singers identified with the liberation movements then rocking the globe, many of whom she met during her travels, available to the U.S. listener. She produced 45 albums, including three of her own, over a 12 year period. The label was recently incorporated into Smithsonian-Folkways, a label of the Smithsonian Institution, and is available through their catalog.
In December of 1997 she gave a solo concert at the Casa de las Americas in Havana, Cuba as the wrap-up of a year-long celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the Encuentro de Cancion Protesta, a series which included Isabel y Ángel Parra of Chile and other international guest artists.
Her son is Pablo Menendez, leader of the Cuban roots-jazz fusion group Mezcla; and her grandson is Osamu Menendez Santana, of the Cuban rock group Havana.
I'm On My Way
Barbara Dane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm on my way and I won't turn back.
I'm on my way
great God I'm on my way.
I'll ask my brother
come
go with me.
great God
I'm on my way.
If he won't come
I'll go alone.
I'm on my way
great God
I'm on my way.
I'll ask my sister
come
go with me.
I'm on my way
great God
I'm on my way.
If she won't come
I'II go anyhow.
I'm on my way
great God
I'm on my way.
I'm on my way to the freedom land.
I'm on my way
great God
I'm on my way.
I'm on my way and I won't turn back.
I'm on my way
great God
I'm on my way.
The first line of the song, "I'm on my way and I won't turn back," sets the theme for the entire piece. It's about perseverance and determination in the face of adversity - no matter what challenges may arise, the singer is resolved to keep moving forward. The second line, repeating the first, reinforces the idea that there is no going back, and that the journey is a one-way trip.
The third line, "I'm on my way / great God I'm on my way," introduces the theme of faith - the singer is not just moving forward physically, but also spiritually. The addition of "great God" suggests that this journey is not just about personal growth, but also about a divine purpose or calling.
The following stanzas introduce the idea of companionship: the singer is open to asking their brother or sister to come with them on this journey to freedom. However, the fourth and sixth stanzas make it clear that even if they refuse, the singer is still committed to continuing on their path. The final stanza brings everything together, declaring once again that the singer is resolute in their journey toward freedom, and they will not turn back.
Overall, Barbara Dane's "I'm on My Way" is a powerful and uplifting song about personal resolve and spiritual faith, with an underlying message about the importance of pursuing freedom and equality for all people.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm on my way and I won't turn back.
I am committed to my journey towards freedom and will not let anything deter me.
I'll ask my brother come go with me.
I am reaching out to my loved ones for support and encouragement on this journey.
I'm on my way great God I'm on my way.
I am filled with hope and faith in a higher power as I continue towards my goal.
If he won't come I'll go alone.
I am prepared to continue my journey alone if necessary, as my determination cannot be swayed.
I'll ask my sister come go with me.
I am seeking companionship and solidarity with others who share my values.
If she won't come I'II go anyhow.
Even if others do not join me, I will not falter in my quest for freedom and personal fulfillment.
I'm on my way to the freedom land.
I am actively moving towards a place of greater autonomy, self-expression, and empowerment.
I'm on my way and I won't turn back.
My resolve remains unshakable as I forge ahead on this journey.
I'm on my way great God I'm on my way.
I continue to rely on my faith and spiritual beliefs as a source of strength and motivation.
Contributed by Luke W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
slint69
I'm on my way and I won't turn back.
I'm on my way and I won't turn back.
I'm on my way
great God I'm on my way.
I'll ask my brother
come
go with me.
I'm on my way
great God
I'm on my way.
If he won't come
I'll go alone.
I'm on my way
great God
I'm on my way.
I'll ask my sister
come
go with me.
I'm on my way
great God
I'm on my way.
If she won't come
I'II go anyhow.
I'm on my way
great God
I'm on my way.
I'm on my way to the freedom land.
I'm on my way
great God
I'm on my way.
I'm on my way and I won't turn back.
I'm on my way
great God
I'm on my way.
Donald King
I love this! The emotion and energy she puts into her singing makes one want to jump in the air and start praising one’s god. This is why I scroll YouTube to search for things of this nature. Thanks for posting!!
kev michael
I LOVE THIS SONG..My Mom and Dad Danced to this Song back in the day....Barbara Dane is in my head...This is REAL ROCK and ROLL......It needs to come BACK!!!....WOW A Blond With A Voice Like Etta James.....Barbara Keep Singing!!!Kev
necktieguy
What a song! What a voice. Thanks for this post. Don't ever take it away. I remember this from 50 years ago.
Cherry Blossom
necktieguy1 sterlingmagee
folly5girl
Barbara is a legend❤️👏👏👏👏
tortoise dreams
Brilliant! Thank you for sharing this as I'd never have heard it otherwise.
David Walsh
Simply amazing what a voice
21Longshot
This song is a song that when you listen to it ,makes me feel so connected with the words .
Anja Baumann
Just found this very nice tune ...and love it thanks for sharing ! 😊
Chris Pearce
Brilliant powerful R & B Track❤