Zager & Evans are only known for their immensely popular song In the Year 2525 (Exordium And Terminus), written by Rick Evans. It hit number one on the UK chart in 1969. Coincidentally, it was number one on 20 July 1969 in USA, the date of the first manned moon landing by astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, and spent six weeks on the Billboard Top 40. It was nominated for a special Hugo Award that same year.
The band signed with RCA records, who claimed they were "The Next Big Thing", but follow-up singles, such as "Mr. Turnkey", went unnoticed by the public.
Listen to the People
Zager & Evans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drag him to every hill
Nail him before weeping women
Break his legs if you will
Listen to the people Jesus cried
Free my people let them go
And Jesus died
Mister Kennedy
Someone is waiting to see you
Feel the metal sting
Listen to the people Bobby cried
Free my people let them go
And Bobby died
Into the nights of your rifle
Was Martin Luther King
Fired away in your anger
Flung him to his knees
Listen to the people Martin cried
Free my people let them go
And Martin died
Drag me away from my Woodstock
Shove me along
Drag me away to your dungeon
Something is wrong
Listen to the people they′re crying
Free my people let them go.
The lyrics of Zager & Evans's song "Listen to the People" reflect on the political and social climate of the 1960s, a time of great unrest in the United States. The song begins by depicting Pontius Pilate, the biblical figure responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus, with lines such as "Drag him to every hill" and "Nail him before weeping women." The lyrics then shift to mention the assassinations of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr., both leaders who were influential in the civil rights movements of that era. The lines "Take a short cut through the kitchen, Mister Kennedy," and "Into the nights of your rifle was Martin Luther King" paint vivid images of the tragic events that took place.
Through these instances of injustice and violence, the chorus of the song rings out with a plea for freedom: "Listen to the people Jesus cried, Free my people let them go, And Jesus died," "Listen to the people Bobby cried, Free my people let them go, And Bobby died," and "Listen to the people Martin cried, Free my people let them go, And Martin died." Finally, the song concludes by calling for liberation from societal constraints that stifle creativity and individuality with the lyric, "Drag me away from my Woodstock, Shove me along, Drag me away to your dungeon, Something is wrong, Listen to the people they′re crying, Free my people let them go."
Overall, the lyrics of "Listen to the People" are a poignant commentary on the turbulent sixties and the need for social progress in the face of oppression.
Line by Line Meaning
Drag him away Pontius Pilate
Commanding someone to take away a person, similar to the biblical account of Pontius Pilate ordering the arrest of Jesus.
Drag him to every hill
To bring someone from place to place as a form of punishment and public humiliation.
Nail him before weeping women
To publicly execute someone, knowing that it will cause emotional pain and distress to those witnessing the execution.
Break his legs if you will
To cause someone physical harm, even beyond the point of death.
Listen to the people Jesus cried
Jesus is calling out for people to pay attention to the issues and injustices that are affecting his community.
Free my people let them go
Jesus is asking for the release and freedom of those who have been wrongfully detained or oppressed.
And Jesus died
Jesus, like many others who sought to bring about change, ultimately suffered and died for his cause.
Take a short cut through the kitchen
Alluding to the route that Lee Harvey Oswald took before assassinating President John F. Kennedy at the Texas School Book Depository in 1963.
Someone is waiting to see you
A reference to the conspiracy theories surrounding JFK's death, as some believe that Oswald was not acting alone.
Feel the metal sting
The sensation of a gunshot, which would have been experienced by Kennedy upon being shot.
Listen to the people Bobby cried
Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated five years after his brother John, is calling for attention to the issues affecting his community in the same way that Jesus did.
And Bobby died
Similar to John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy was killed in the midst of striving for change in the United States during the 1960s.
Into the nights of your rifle
A reference to the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968, who was shot with a rifle while standing on the balcony of his motel room.
Was Martin Luther King
Identifying the individual who was killed, rather than suggesting responsibility for the assassination.
Fired away in your anger
The use of violence and force in response to the message and actions of someone else.
Flung him to his knees
The act of shooting someone with a rifle would cause them to collapse and fall to their knees.
Listen to the people Martin cried
Martin Luther King Jr. is calling for attention to the issues affecting his community in the same way that Jesus and Robert F. Kennedy did.
Drag me away from my Woodstock
Woodstock was a legendary music festival that took place in 1969, often seen as a symbol of youth culture and countercultural values.
Shove me along
To forcibly move someone or remove them from a situation.
Drag me away to your dungeon
To be taken somewhere where someone is being held against their will, possibly for political or ideological reasons.
Something is wrong
An acknowledgement that something is not working or is unjust in society, and a desire to bring about change.
Listen to the people they′re crying
An urging for people to pay attention to the voices and needs of those who are suffering or oppressed.
Free my people let them go
An echoing of the calls for freedom and liberation made by Jesus, Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King Jr.
Writer(s): Rick Evans
Contributed by Brooklyn V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Harry
on Cary Lynn Javes
Love this gem. Memories of 1969.