Wake Up! Go! Go! Forward!

Album: Wake Up! (2015)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The first ever pop single released by a Pontiff, this song blends an audio of Pope Francis addressing a South Korean audience on August 17, 2014 with a pop-rock beat. The track was composed by Italian musician Tony Pagliuca, who told Rolling Stone. "In the '70s, I founded the prog-rock band Le Orme and topped the charts, toured Italy and UK and had the chance to collaborate with international artists like Peter Hammil and David Jackson.

    During the years, I also made an important journey of faith. When Don Giulio Neroni asked me to collaborate on this CD, I immediately accepted with enthusiasm. Putting my music in the service of the words and the voice of Pope Francis has been a fantastic experience and a very interesting artistic challenge."
  • The song is a track from the Wake Up! album, which is formed of speeches by Pope Francis recorded in numerous locations worldwide between 2013–15 with accompanying musical accompaniment ranging from pop-rock to Gregorian chant. "For many years, I've been the producer and the artistic director of albums by the Pope," the record‘s artistic director and producer Don Giulio Neroni told Rolling Stone. "I had the honor to work with John Paul II, Benedict XVI and now Pope Francis."

    "As in the past, for this album too, I tried to be strongly faithful to the pastoral and personality of Pope Francis: the Pope of dialogue, open doors, hospitality. For this reason, the voice of Pope Francis in Wake Up! dialogues music. And contemporary music (rock, pop, Latin etc.) dialogues with the Christian tradition of sacred hymns."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Leslie West of Mountain

Leslie West of MountainSongwriter Interviews

From the cowbell on "Mississippi Queen" to recording with The Who when they got the wrong Felix, stories from one of rock's master craftsmen.

Jonathan Edwards - "Sunshine"

Jonathan Edwards - "Sunshine"They're Playing My Song

"How much does it cost? I'll buy it?" Another songwriter told Jonathan to change these lyrics. Good thing he ignored this advice.

Tom Waits Lyrics Quiz

Tom Waits Lyrics QuizMusic Quiz

Pool balls, magpies and thorns without roses - how well do you know your Tom Waits lyrics?

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17

Martyn Ware of Heaven 17Songwriter Interviews

Martyn talks about producing Tina Turner, some Heaven 17 hits, and his work with the British Electric Foundation.

Yoko Ono

Yoko OnoSongwriter Interviews

At 80 years old, Yoko has 10 #1 Dance hits. She discusses some of her songs and explains what inspired John Lennon's return to music in 1980.

Gary Brooker of Procol Harum

Gary Brooker of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

The lead singer and pianist for Procol Harum, Gary talks about finding the musical ideas to match the words.