The BoDeans worked with T-Bone Burnett on their debut album, Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams, which appeared in 1986 to warm reviews. They recruited another big-name producer, Talking Head Jerry Harrison, to helm 1987's Outside Looking In, which found the band reduced to a trio after the departure of Hoffman. Outside Looking In broke into the Billboard Top 100, and the BoDeans grew their audience by touring alongside U2, appearing on Robbie Robertson's self-titled solo album, and receiving the honor of Best New Band by Rolling Stone magazine. By the time they released their third album, Home, in 1989, keyboardist Michael Ramos and drummer Danny Gayol had joined. This lineup stayed intact for the release of 1991's Black and White, but the BoDeans went without a drummer once again on their next recording, Go Slow Down.
Following the release of a double-disc live album, Joe Dirt Car, the band returned in 1996 with Blend. Around the time of Blend's release, "Closer to Free" -- a song that had originally appeared on 1993's Go Slow Down -- became a hit, due in large part to its exposure as the theme song for the TV show Party of Five. "Closer to Free" eventually cracked the Top 20, becoming the most successful single of the band's career. The BoDeans were arguably more popular than ever, but the band took a break during the late '90s, with both frontmen devoting time to their solo careers.
By 2004, the band had reconvened and signed with a new label, Zoe. Resolution was released that year, followed in 2005 by Homebrewed: Live from the Pabst. Griffin left the group in 2006 and was replaced by Eric Holden, who appeared on 2008's Still. By this point, the bandmates had found a new home on 429 Records, and they remained with that label for the release of Mr. Sad Clown in 2010 and Indigo Dreams in 2011. That same year saw the departure of Llanas, citing "differences of opinion." The band's 11th studio album, American Made, arrived the following year on the band's own Free & Alive label, and was the first with Neumann as sole leader. The BoDeans toured extensively in support of the release, and in 2014 began work on their next studio project. Released in 2015, I Cant Stop featured a new BoDeans lineup anchored by Neumann, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Sam Hawksley, bassist Eric Holden, and drummer Kenny Aronoff, the latter a well-respected journeyman musician who had played on several BoDeans recording sessions in the '90s. In June 2016, the BoDeans brought out a single, "My Hometown," with the release benefiting the Milwaukee County Historical Society. The single was a preview of the group's next album; titled Thirteen, the 11-song set was released in April 2017.
Freedom
BoDeans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All around me
Ball and chain and blindfold
So I don't see
Take me far away
Leave me out cold
But the people see the truth
Let justice unfold
A little bit longer, understand
The feeling gets stronger
Yes, I do
Yes, I can
You can write your words down
Full of despair
You can celebrate your lies
And see if we care
'Cause people know the truth
They feel in their hearts
All the good things that we like
We knew from the start
I can't let my world get colder
I'd be a better man
I can see for miles around
Hope you understand
I believe in love
I believe in free will
I believe that people believe in it still
Though sometimes we don't always see it so clear
I believe it's strength will always be here
The song 'Freedom' by BoDeans is a powerful anthem about the struggle between oppression and liberation. The opening lines suggest that the singer is trapped and surrounded by walls, a ball and chain and a blindfold that prevents them from seeing the truth. However, the song quickly pivots to a message of hope and resilience. The singer finds solace in the belief that people will always recognize the truth in their hearts and that justice will eventually prevail over lies and deceit.
The lyrics also describe the importance of connection and support during hardship. The line "if you just hold my hand a little bit longer, understand the feeling gets stronger" suggests that love and solidarity are critical to persevering in the face of adversity. The singer also emphasizes the importance of staying true to one's beliefs and values, even when it's difficult.
Overall, 'Freedom' is a powerful ode to the human spirit and the belief that good will ultimately prevail over evil.
Line by Line Meaning
You keep on building walls
The singer feels constricted by someone who's metaphorically building walls around them.
All around me
The walls are everywhere, suffocating the singer.
Ball and chain and blindfold
The walls serve as a prison, with heavy burdens and obscured vision.
So I don't see
The artist isn't permitted to see what's outside the walls.
Take me far away
To escape this suffocation, the artist wants to be taken far away.
Leave me out cold
But this escape should be cold, without any emotional entanglements.
But the people see the truth
Despite the walls, other people around the singer know the true situation.
Let justice unfold
The artist wants the truth to be revealed and wants justice to be served.
So if you just hold my hand
To support the artist, they need someone to hold their hand.
A little bit longer, understand
This support needs to last longer to make the artist stronger.
The feeling gets stronger
As the support increases, the singer's feelings get stronger too.
Yes, I do
In response to the support, the artist agrees to continue fighting.
Yes, I can
The singer says they're strong enough to overcome the obstacles.
You can write your words down
Someone else can write lies in words.
Full of despair
These lies can be cruel and hopeless.
You can celebrate your lies
The liar can enjoy their own deception.
And see if we care
But the artist and others know the truth and don't care about the lies.
'Cause people know the truth
The truth is known and cannot be marginalized.
They feel in their hearts
People know the truth intuitively.
All the good things that we like
Righteousness, honesty, and love are desirable.
We knew from the start
Everyone knows these things are valuable from the beginning.
I can't let my world get colder
The artist can't allow the world to be stripped of warmth and light.
I'd be a better man
The singer believes they'd personally benefit from guarding against coldness.
I can see for miles around
With clear vision, the artist can see great distances.
Hope you understand
The singer hopes others can see the truth too.
I believe in love
The singer has faith in the power of love.
I believe in free will
The singer believes humans possess agency.
I believe that people believe in it still
Humans continue to have faith in love and free will.
Though sometimes we don't always see it so clear
However, due to life's obstacles we may not always perceive love and free will.
I believe it's strength will always be here
Nonetheless, the singer believes that love and free will's strength will endure.
Contributed by Michael L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.