Ella's Song: We Who Believe in Freedom Cannot Rest

“Ella’s Song” refers to the activist Ella Baker, whose words are set to music in this song. Listen to Ella Baker speak the lyrics of the song at the beginning of this documentary, "The Story of Ella Baker" (1981)

Arrangement: The original version of this song is sung by Sweet Honey in the Rock https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U6Uus--gFrc 

Composition Technique Discussion Question: Does the harmonic progression make space for the song’s words to communicate to the audience? Is it simple, complex? What if it were more complex; would it be too distracting?

Pentatonic Scale: The melody of "Ella's Song" utilizes a pentatonic scale! Note: the underlying harmony uses the V7 chord, which make use of the 4th and 7th scale degrees that do not belong to a pentatonic scale

Lyrics:
Refrain:
We who believe in freedom cannot rest
We who believe in freedom cannot rest... until it comes!
We who believe in freedom cannot rest
We who believe in freedom cannot rest... until it comes!

Until the killing of black men, black mother's sons
Is as important as the killing of white men, white mother's sons

[Refrain]

Not needing to clutch for power
Not needing the light just to shine on me
I need to just one in the number
As we stand against tyranny

To me young people come first!
They have the courage where we fail
If I can just shine a light on as they carry us through the gale

[Refrain]