Well I woke up this morning
and I made a resolution
I said, “I’m never going to sing
another sad song again.”
I decided I’d admit it
I am not an intellectual
No the words, they never come easy
unless I’m singing them
and the hills that I was born in
will never leave me
no matter how hard I try

And then my brother was murdered
while my father was in prison
and the girl that I sometimes loved
up and moved away
and my body filled up with blackness
and the darkness, it wanted to drown me
and I heard my father’s footsteps catching up to me
and he took me by the shoulders
and he said, “Son, my hands are strong
but I hope you have the strength to shake us free
Shake us free, boy
Shake us free, my son
You’d better shake us free.”

And now I’m lying in a van
in Chicago in the springtime
and the rain outside that’s falling
sounds just like popcorn
But before I open my eyes
I think I’ll make this resolution
‘No, I’m never going to sing another
sad song for as long as I live!’
And the light coming through the window
is making everything glow
And he took me by the shoulders and he said
“Son, I know my hands are strong
but I hope you have the strength
to shake us free
Shake us free
Shake us free
Shake us free, my son!”

I made a resolution
I made a resolution
I made a resolution
I made a resolution