Richie Havens - Freedom at Woodstock 1969

Woodstock 1969, Richie Havens was the festivals first performer, he held the crowd for nearly three hours (in part because he was told to perform a lengthy set because many artists were delayed in reaching the festival location), and he was called back for several encores. Having run out of tunes, he improvised a song based on the old spiritual "Motherless Child" that became "Freedom".

Freedom Lyrics

Freedom, freedom

Sometimes I feel like a motherless child

A long way from my home

Freedom, freedom

Sometimes I feel like Im almost gone

A long, long, long, way, way from my home

Clap your hands, clap your hands

Hey, yeah

I got a telephone in my bosom

And I can call him up from my heart

I got a telephone in my bosom