I Shall Be Released
Delroy Wilson Lyrics


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Oh-oh-oh-oh, oh yeah

They say everything can be replaced
They say every distance is not near, yeah
But I remember every face
Of every man who put me here

I see the light come shining
From the west down to the east, yeah
Any day now, every way now
I shall be released

They say every man needs protection
They say every man must fall
Yet I swear I see my reflection
Somewhere so high above the wall

Yeah, I see the ight come shining
From the west down to the east, yeah
Any day now, every way now
I shall be released, yeah

Oh-oh-oh-oh, oh yeah

They say every man needs protection
They say every man must fall, yeah
Yet I swear I see my reflection
Somewhere so high above the wall

Yeah, I see the light come shinin'
From the west down to the east




Any day now, any day now
I shall be released

Overall Meaning

In Delroy Wilson's song I Shall Be Released, the singer seems to be reflecting on past experiences, particularly those that have led to their current state of captivity. The song begins with the assertion that everything can be replaced and every distance is not near. The singer then goes on to state that they remember every face of every man who put them where they are. This suggests that they have been wrongfully imprisoned or perhaps have been falsely accused and subsequently executed.


The second verse makes further reference to the concept of protection and the inevitability of every man falling. This could be interpreted in a variety of ways, although it seems like the singer is suggesting that they were not protected from those who put them in their current position. The line "yet I swear I see my reflection somewhere so high above the wall" is ambiguous but could suggest that the singer has struggled to come to terms with the fact that their life has been taken away from them.


In the chorus, the singer sings about a light that is coming shining from the west down to the east. This could symbolize hope or some sort of divine intervention. The repeated phrase "any day now, every way now, I shall be released" seems to suggest that the singer is holding out hope for a change in their circumstances. Overall, the song seems to be about longing for freedom, whether that be from physical imprisonment or from life's hardships.


Line by Line Meaning

They say everything can be replaced
People say everything has a replacement


They say every distance is not near, yeah
It is said that every distance is not easily reachable


But I remember every face
Nevertheless, I recall every face


Of every man who put me here
Of those who are responsible for my current situation


I see the light come shining
I perceive light emanating


From the west down to the east, yeah
From the west side moving towards the east


Any day now, every way now
At any moment and in all directions


I shall be released
I will ultimately be free


They say every man needs protection
It is commonly believed that every man needs to be safeguarded


They say every man must fall
People say that everyone will inevitably fail


Yet I swear I see my reflection
Nonetheless, I firmly believe I can see my image


Somewhere so high above the wall
Somewhere positioned above the wall barrier


Yeah, I see the ight come shining
Yes, I observe the radiance spreading around


From the west down to the east, yeah
Moving from the west direction towards the east side


Any day now, every way now
Very soon and intensely


I shall be released, yeah
I will finally be set free




Contributed by Muhammad B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

RootsDaughter41926

Yes... sweet version... and yes I agree... the backing vocals do sound similiar to the Heptones...

63dianelisa

NIce version, especially the drum rythm. The early pictures are kind of scarey, though

BREDDAZA ROOTS

Excelenteeee

RootsDaughter41926

I think I know what you mean. I just think it's the mixing - too much prominence to the top harmony and not enough to middle and bottom - making it sound top heavy...

MegaDELROY

I remember a Bunny Lee interview where he said he didn't really like the transition from Reggae to Drum & Bass Reggae...

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