A tre anni dal successo di “Take me to Church” (singolo pluripremiato in tutto il mondo), Hozier pubblica il 6 settembre “Nina Cried power”, Il singolo inedito contenuto nell’EP dal titolo omonimo
Il brano “Nina Cried Power”, scritto e composto da Hozier con la partecipazione straordinaria di Mavis Staples, la celebre voce del gruppo gospel The Staple Singers, è “una canzone sulle canzoni di protesta”.“Nina Cried Power” è il modo di Hozier per onorare i cantanti che lottarono per la libertà negli anni passati, tra cui Mavis Staples, Curtis Mayfield,Woody Guthrie, James Brown, Joni Mitchell e, soprattutto, Nina Simone, che ha ispirato il titolo della canzone. Secondo Hozier, la battaglia per l’uguaglianza che questi artisti hanno sostenuto resta una battaglia costante e necessaria, e le lotte che si sono svolte nel passato per i diritti civili e dei lavoratori – tra le altre – non si fermano mai perché non c’è mai una vittoria finale.
Lyrics – Nina Cried Power
It’s not the waking it’s the rising
It is the grounding of a foot uncompromising
It’s not foregoing of the lie,
It’s not the opening of eyes,
It’s not the waking it’s the rising
It’s not the shade, we should be past it
It’s the light, and its the obstacle that casts it
It’s the heat that drives the light
It’s the fire it ignites
It’s not the waking it’s the rising.
It’s not the talking, it’s the doing,
It’s the hand that yearns for work and it’s renewing
Of the self each time you try,
Of purpose and of pride
It’s not the waking it’s the rising
It’s not the song, It is the singing
It’s the hearing of the human spirit ringing
It is the bringing of the line,
It is the baring of the rhyme
It’s not the waking it’s the rising
And I could cry power;
Power,
Nina cried Power,
Billie cried Power
Mavis cried Power
And I could cry Power,
Seeger cried Power
Woody cried Power
Nina Cried Power
It’s not what’s in front but who’s beside you.
It’s all that came before, and what it provides you
Those who held the line, who wouldn’t bow down and resign
It’s not the waking it’s the rising
It’s not the wall but what’s behind it
The fear of fellow man, his mere assignment
And everything denied
by keeping the divide
It’s not the waking, it’s the rising
Power,
Jonie cried Power,
Patti cried Power,
Curtis cried Power
Lennon cried Power
James Brown cried Power
Nina cried Power
Mid 8:
And I could cry power,
Power has been cried by those stronger than me
Straight into the face that tells you to
Rattle your chains if you love being free
I could cry power,
And power is my love when my love reaches to me
In a perfect showing of
some act of hope and love
in it’s actuality
a Cognita Design production