This song came about because of my kids. The first rock music they heard, liked, remembered and played on repeat over and over again, started with the film clips of “We’re Not Gonna Take It” and “I Wanna Rock” from Twisted Sister, the Quiet Riot version of “Cum On Feel The Noize” and “Long Way To The Top” by AC/DC. Hell, my youngest learned how to pronounce words properly, by using the microphone search function in YouTube and asking it to play “Twishted Shishter”.
These songs got played so much in the house that it was no surprise their sound and energy influenced “Revolution In Black”.
The song title I’ve had for ages.
Back in the early 90s, I said it once to a group of friends “that we look like a revolution in black” when all of us presented at the train station wearing black colored rock and metal T-shirts for a trip to the city to buy some second hand vinyl.
When I started writing the song that would become “Revolution In Black”, I had just the verse and the chorus lyrics written.
The first ever version of the song with just the chorus vocal lines was recorded on April 6, 2014. The lyrics were different. It went like this;
Stand back, stand back, we are the revolution in black, attack, we are the toast of the town, down town, the new masters of sleaze in a blackened world.
The Chorus that ended up being the one I went with, was written or finalized for the lack of a better word on April 24, 2014.
The original verse ideas ended up becoming the pre-chorus and the verse lyrics came from another song o had written called “Is There Such A Thing As A Real World”. I know the length of the song title borders on Meatloaf territory. These verses were added on 6 October 2014, so by then you could say the song was structure and lyrical content was finalized.
Stuck in this house, Treated like a dog, Bow down to masters, Unseen and faceless
Beaten and caged, Told that we deserve it, Whipped and starved, Shaped to serve
The house here is the banks and our tendency to borrow money to either support our lifestyle or enhance our lifestyle. And the money borrowed will need to be paid back with a little bit extra. Pay on time and everything is good. Miss a payment, expect a robo call and a letter. Miss a few months worth of re-payments and expect some more dire consequences.
From now on, It’s time to face the truth, This nine to five routine, Is not freedom at all
From now on, It’s time to face the truth, That freedom comes, When you have nothing left to lose
The majority of us have something to lose, so we stick with the crappy job, pay the crappy loan and credit card bill and realize how chained we are to the system.
However, at the same time, we also realize, that in order to have freedom, we need to be in a situation were we have nothing left to lose. Maybe we are too far gone, but if we can’t get out of the debt cycle, or not get in to debt, hopefully we’ll pass on some smarts to our children.
Stand back, stand back – We are the revolution, In black, attack – We are the solution to, Expose, bulldoze – The lies and greed that seek, To control our souls
Stand back, stand back – We are the revolution, In black, attack – We are the solution to, Expose, bulldoze – The walls built to control, Free speech and ideals
When I was young, i heard about gatekeepers and so forth. These organizations got created by government legislation and after 50 years of lobbying or bribery, they had a monopoly. The corporations who hold the Copyright’s to the works of artists for perpetuity are using copyright to control and suppress free speech and ideals. If you don’t like what someone says, issue a copyright takedown.
On the other side, democratic Governments around the world are using security laws to control, spy and invade the privacy of their citizens, the same people who voted them in, to work for the people, instead of the corporation.
Is there such a thing?, As a real world, Or is it an ideal, That lives in our minds
We aim so high, To fall so low, And when we fall so many times, We fall in line
We always have ideals of what our world and our place in it should be like. It’s what keep us going, the forecasting of a future. But I’ve seen people lose the battle and get the hope smashed out of them. Too many falls and they quit trying choosing conformity instead.
From now on, We will speak up, There is no way, We will be silenced
From now on, We will reach higher, There is no way, We will settle for less
Governments and the corporations who fund the politicians don’t want us to have a voice and for a long time that was the case. Then the people revolutions started in the 60s and each generation added a little bit more to it. Even now, the kids are protesting against climate change and gun ownership. The internet has given us a voice, and of course with all great communication tools, their are people who use it immorally.
For the guitar solo, I was listening a lot to George Lynch and to me, his influence came through.
From now on, We will shake the ground, There is no way, Our pride will get taken
From now on, We stand together, A combination, Burning nations
United voices can make change happen. The ideal is utopian. At the moment the world is divided, even though we all bleed the same color.
The kids demonstrate for climate change and our leaders fail to listen, as they are tied to the apron stings of the corporations who sponsor them. But these demonstrations started with one child in Sweden and it grew to a combination burning nations.
And when in doubt remember the spirit of youth, that togetherness and love in music that created the revolution in black armies.
Below you will see some drafts as the song lyrics as they progressed.
Free Spirits Rising 
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