MLK Song

Album: Livin' on a High Note (2016)
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Songfacts®:

  • This tribute to Martin Luther King was written by Livin' on a High Note producer M. Ward. The recording of it was an emotional experience for Mavis Staples. She recalled to Uncut: "I got so wrapped up in that I almost didn't finish it. The first time I choked up and started to cry, as I could see Dr. Martin Luther King as I was singing. It just hit me and I almost broke down. But I held it together and I finished, and then I broke down: you have to take your heart into the studio."
  • The Staple Singers were very much involved in the Civil Rights movement. Mavis Staples recalled their time with Martin Luther King to Mojo: "He was a great man and I cherish the time we had with him. Pops said, 'If he can preach it, we can sing it.' Pops then wrote Freedom Highway and we joined the movement.

    When we sang, we thought we could change the world. When we marched with Dr. King and sung 'Ain't Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me 'Round,' we felt so very positive. Dr. King was a very serious man, but when he laughed, which he didn't do often, it felt so very good to hear."

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