After moving from Denmark to New York in 1982, vocalist Mike Tramp (ex-Mabel and ex-Studs) met Brooklyn guitarist Vito Bratta (ex-Dreamer) and they decided to form a band. The two recruited drummer Nicki Capozzi and bassist Felix Robinson (formerly of Angel) and named the group 'Lion' before settling on 'White Lion'. Local success caused talk of releasing an album.
White Lion was signed by Elektra records in 1983, and they recorded their debut album, Fight To Survive, shortly afterwards. However, Elektra was unhappy with the final recording, and, after refusing to release the album, the label terminated the group's contract. This contributed to major turmoil in the group.
Both Capozzi and Robinson soon left the band. Nicki Capozzi was replaced by former Anthrax drummer Greg D'Angelo, and Felix Robinson was replaced by bassist Dave Spitz (brother of Anthrax guitarist Dan Spitz). Within a month of joining, however, Dave Spitz left to play bass with Black Sabbath and was replaced by James Lomenzo.
The album Fight To Survive was eventually picked up by RCA and released in Japan, a hotbed of international hard rock music at the time, in 1984. The small US independent label Grand Slamm records finally released Fight To Survive in the US on November 9, 1985. A few months later, Grand Slam records went bankrupt.
In early 1986 White Lion, with a fictitious "female" member, had a brief part in the Tom Hanks/Shelley Long movie The Money Pit.
The following year, Atlantic Records released White Lion's second album, Pride, which brought significant success for the band, especially the single "Wait", which climbed to 8th place on the U.S. charts and was popular among fans of heavier metal as well. "When the Children Cry" was an even bigger hit, reaching 3rd place on the charts. That year Atlantic Records also released Fight to Survive worldwide and White Lion toured with Frehley`s Comet, Kiss, AC/DC & Stryper.
In 1989 the album Big Game came out and was a still more successful, helping to solidify White Lion's place among the top tier of hard rock bands of that time. The band's cover of "Radar Love", a classic originally recorded by Golden Earring, was the hit single off of Big Game.
1991 brought Mane Attraction, which was their best album yet, according to Greg D'Angelo, containing the top tracks "Lights And Thunder" and a new version of "Broken Heart", which had been one of their first songs off of their debut album.
In 1992, Greg D'Angelo and James Lomenzo had enough of Tramp and Bratta's continuous fighting, so they left the band. Bassist Tommy T. Bone Caradonna and drummer Jimmy De Grasso replaced them briefly, but in autumn of the same year, White Lion disbanded.
Greg and James have played in different groups after White Lion. Vito Bratta concentrated on classic guitar playing and has not been involved with any bands since. Mike Tramp went on to form and front Freak Of Nature, a short-lived project spanning 1993-1994, with Danish friend Oliver Steffenson. In 1998 Mike released Capricorn, his first of four solo albums.
In 2005, Tramp's White Lion - an all-new, much younger line-up fronted by Mike Tramp - toured and recorded the live album Rockin' The USA. In 2008 they released Return Of The Pride under the original name, White Lion.
Due to legal issues between Tramp and Bratta, White Lion is currently on hiatus.
Cry For Freedom
White Lion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We lay our weapons down to rest
This war ain't over
'Til all the people will be free
Straight from our hearts we cry
This war has stolen too many lives
Cause for the sake of freedom we
Our songs will carry on
Oh lord we try, we try
To keep our dream alive
And voices will be heard
All around the world
So stand up and cry for freedom
And keep the dream alive
Yeah, stand up and cry for freedom
And keep the dream alive
Our brothers in prison
But no crime was ever done
I call it racism
Ashamed I face my fellow man
The children are taken away
And families destroyed
And millions have died from starvation
We can't go on this way
Oh lord we pray, we pray
That maybe soon someday
The world will smile again
And they shall be released
So stand up and cry for freedom
And keep the dream alive
Yeah, stand up and cry for freedom
And keep the dream alive
So stand up and cry for freedom
And keep the dream alive
Yeah, stand up and cry for freedom
And keep the dream alive
So stand up and cry for freedom
And keep the dream alive
Yeah, stand up and cry for freedom
And keep our dream alive
So stand up and cry for freedom
And keep the dream alive
Yeah, stand up and cry for freedom
And let 'em know that we are here
Oh no, we can't go on this way
And we will never give up
Fighting for freedom
Yeah, and we will keep this dream alive
The song "Cry For Freedom" by White Lion begins with the fire of war burning, and the people laying down their weapons to rest. But the war is not over, and those singing the song express their desire for freedom for all. The lyrics describe how the war has taken too many lives, and how those fighting for freedom are willing to die for it. The song acknowledges the struggles faced by people around the world, such as being imprisoned for unjust reasons and suffering from starvation. Throughout the song, a call to action is made, encouraging people to stand up and cry for freedom, to keep the dream of freedom alive.
Line by Line Meaning
The fire is burning
The passion for freedom is burning within our hearts
We lay our weapons down to rest
We put aside violence and aggression to focus on the cause of freedom
This war ain't over
The fight for freedom isn't finished yet
'Til all the people will be free
This fight for freedom will continue until every person is liberated
Straight from our hearts we cry
Our call for freedom is an expression of our deepest emotions
This war has stolen too many lives
The human cost of this fight for freedom has been too high
Cause for the sake of freedom we
We fight for freedom simply because it's the right thing to do
Will die
We are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for freedom
Our songs will carry on
Even if we're gone, our message of freedom will live on through our music
Oh lord we try, we try
We do everything in our power to fight for freedom
To keep our dream alive
We work tirelessly to ensure that the vision of a free world remains a reality
And voices will be heard
Our call for freedom will resonate throughout the world
All around the world
No matter where we are, our message is one of freedom
Our brothers in prison
People fighting for freedom are being unjustly imprisoned
But no crime was ever done
These people are being punished for simply fighting for freedom
I call it racism
This imprisonment is a result of systemic racism
Ashamed I face my fellow man
I'm embarrassed that humans can treat each other this way
The children are taken away
Families are being separated in the fight for freedom
And families destroyed
The cost of this fight for freedom is destroying families
And millions have died from starvation
The human cost of the fight for freedom extends beyond just direct conflict
We can't go on this way
The current system is unsustainable
Oh lord we pray, we pray
We turn to a higher power in our struggle for freedom
That maybe soon someday
We hold onto the hope that one day things will be better
The world will smile again
The world will be a happier, freer place
And they shall be released
Those fighting for freedom will be liberated
Let 'em know that we are here
We want those fighting for freedom to know that they're not alone
Oh no, we can't go on this way
The current system is unacceptable
And we will never give up
We will never stop fighting for freedom
Fighting for freedom
Our ultimate goal is to achieve freedom
Yeah, and we will keep this dream alive
We will never lose hope for a freer world
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: VITO BRATTA, MIKE TRAMP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ericsonbadilla3410
The fire is burning
We lay our weapons down to rest
This war ain't over
'till all the people will be free
Straight from our hearts we cry
This war has stolen too many lives
Cause for the sake of freedom we
Will die
Our songs will carry on
Oh lord we try, we try
To keep our dream alive
And voices will be heard
All around the world
So stand up and cry for freedom
And keep the dream alive
Yeah, stand up and cry for freedom
And keep the dream alive
Our brothers in prison
But no crime was ever done
I call it racism
Ashamed I face my fellow man
The children are taken away
And families destroyed
And millions have died from starvation
We can't go on this way
Oh lord we pray , we pray
That maybe soon someday
The world will smile again
And they shall be released
So stand up and cry for freedom
And keep the dream alive
Yeah, stand up and cry for freedom
And keep the dream alive
[Bridge]
Yeah,stand up and cry for freedom
And keep the dream alive
stand up and cry for freedom
And let 'em know that we are here
Oh no, we can't go on this way
And we will never give up
Fighting for freedom
Yeah, and we will keep this dream alive
@rhino
"Stand up and cry for freedom and keep the dream alive" 🙌🎶
@aqwxo7573
First To Reply
@larisalara9923
❤❤❤
@user-kb5wx5vk1p
Привет !
@1HUFFMAN
I think you were the 1st channel. I subscribed to more than a few years ago. BTW.. Yo u ever jam to any Rhino Bucket. Be safe bud
@joanx9722
I had to restart this song in mid sentence and began over bc it was deep to me ...the fact of prison behind bars there are people in a silent prison in so many ways , relationships, jobs and other things. This one represents to each prisoner in life the courage they must have to make it out of this.... every day some one is getting hurt , on purpose or not some one realizing it, so to me it's simple , stand up for what you believe in bc it's one thing no one can take away from you ,your word , or your own hope.....it the two things that , the government or anyone can take away from you, so keep it and use it for the better things we need in the world today. Also great bass break bc it's normally a lead guitar riffs...great tune....
@ErfanElahi
80's was the time... Every thing happened in 80's and all goodies ended after 80's...
@talinnolsen2996
A tribute to 1989, the answer to 1984! All time favorite, nothing will ever top!
@Rogerxxxism
Great song. The solo by Vito stands on its own. A true masterpiece
@RedPumarius
that is correct!