We need songs. I'm not all that crazy about the style, but this thing carries the spirit of defiance that has to be there.
Rising early in the morning, feel the whistle's mournful cry Steel-toed boots and a heavy heart, but I keep my head held high Down the line, the bosses whisper ‘bout fortunes that ain’t mine But these calloused hands and a soul of pride, ain’t gonna toe their line
So stand tall, brother, we’re stronger than they know Can’t crush the working spirit, they'll reap what they sow The truth is in our voices, in the mud beneath our feet We’re the backbone of this country, and we won’t accept defeat
See those suits in the towers, counting cash on their golden thrones Making laws to keep us down, while they worship what they own But I see hope in the union hall, feel the fire in the street ‘Cause every time they push us down, we get back on our feet
Stand tall, sister, don’t you let them steal your song Raise your fists up high and tell them they were wrong They can choke us with their power, try to cage a wild heart But the thunder’s rolling closer, and we’ll tear it all apart
They build their fuckin' walls, but we got truth and grit We all stand together, we ain't taking no more shit So light the torch of freedom, let the river wash us clean We’re the sons and daughters rising, tearing through the machine
Stand tall, brother, side by side we march along With love for one another, we’re unbreakable, we’re strong We’re the blood that runs this engine, we’re the hands that sow the seeds Let the leaders hear our thunder, hear the working people’s creed
Sister Rosetta Tharpe (born Rosetta Nubin, March 20, 1915 – October 9, 1973, was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. She gained popularity in the 1930s and 1940s with her gospel recordings, characterized by a unique mixture of spiritual lyrics and electric guitar. She was the first great recording star of gospel music, and was among the first gospel musicians to appeal to rhythm and blues and rock and roll audiences, later being referred to as "the original soul sister" and "the Godmother of rock and roll". She influenced early rock-and-roll musicians, including Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and also later guitarists, such as Eric Clapton.
Tharpe was a pioneer in her guitar technique; she was among the first popular recording artists to use heavy distortion on her electric guitar, opening the way to the rise of electric blues. Her guitar-playing technique had a profound influence on the development of British blues in the 1960s. Her European tour with Muddy Waters in 1964, with a stop in Manchester on May 7, is cited by British guitarists such as Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Keith Richards.
Willing to cross the line between sacred and secular by performing her music of "light" in the "darkness" of nightclubs and concert halls with big bands behind her, Tharpe pushed spiritual music into the mainstream and helped pioneer the rise of pop-gospel, beginning in 1938 with the recording "Rock Me" and with her 1939 hit "This Train". Her unique music left a lasting mark on more conventional gospel artists such as Ira Tucker Sr., of the Dixie Hummingbirds. While controversial among conservative religious groups due to her forays into the pop world, she never left gospel music.
Tharpe's 1944 release "Down by the Riverside" was selected for the National Recording Registry of the U.S. Library of Congress in 2004, which noted that it "captures her spirited guitar playing and unique vocal style, demonstrating clearly her influence on early rhythm-and-blues performers" and cited her influence on "many gospel, jazz, and rock artists". ("Down by the Riverside" was recorded by Tharpe on December 2, 1948, in New York City, and issued as Decca single 48106). Her 1945 hit "Strange Things Happening Every Day", recorded in late 1944, featured Tharpe's vocals and resonator guitar, with Sammy Price (piano), bass and drums. It was the first gospel record to cross over, hitting no. 2 on the Billboard "race records" chart, the term then used for what later became the R&B chart, in April 1945. The recording has been cited as a precursor of rock and roll, and alternatively has been called the first rock and roll record. In May 2018, Tharpe was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as an Early Influence.
