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They'll Never Keep Us Down

by Kelsey Waldon

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  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    “They’ll Never Keep Us Down” is a small album of cover songs, each
    carefully chosen and made to come out in my own voice. Each of these
    songs had a huge impact on me coming up as a young person, they were
    able to allow me to see another’s point of view, or attempt to
    understand a larger issue at hand. They were able to allow me to
    emphatically understand the struggle from many different viewpoints
    and walks of life. These songs examine the issues and struggles of the
    American people. They examine the issues and push for progress."
    -Kelsey Waldon

    The vinyl record will come in two different colors, each color will coincide with a portion of sales going to a charity of Kelsey's choice.

    Green Vinyl will benefit women veterans at the Lexington VA Health Care System

    Blue Vinyl will benefit the Appalachian Citizens Law Center - "a nonprofit law firm that fights for justice in the coalfields by using a high-impact three-pronged strategy for change: litigation, advocacy, and organizing."

    Includes unlimited streaming of They'll Never Keep Us Down via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ... more
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  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Includes unlimited streaming of They'll Never Keep Us Down via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 7 days
    1 remaining
    Purchasable with gift card

      $20 USD or more 

     

1.
Billy Dalton staggered on the sidewalk Someone said, he stumbled and he fell Six squad cars came screamin' to the rescue Hauled old Billy Dalton off to jail 'Cause the law is for protection of the people Rules are rules and any fool can see We don't need no drunks like Billy Dalton Scarin' decent folks like you and me, no siree Homer Lee Hunnicut was nothin' but a hippy Walkin' through this world without a care Then one day, six strappin' brave policeman Held down Homer Lee and cut his hair 'Cause the law is for protection of the people Rules are rules and any fool can see We don't need no hairy headed hippies Scarin' decent folks like you and me, no siree Oh, so thank your lucky stars, you've got protection Walk the line and never mind the cost And don't wonder who them lawmen was protectin' When they nailed the Savior to the cross 'Cause the law is for protection of the people Rules are rules and any fool can see We don't need no riddle speakin' prophets Scarin' decent folks like you and me, no siree
2.
Ohio 04:01
Tin soldiers and Nixon's coming We're finally on our own This summer I hear the drumming Four dead in Ohio Gotta get down to it Soldiers are cutting us down Should have been done long ago What if you knew her And found her dead on the ground? How can you run when you know? Gotta get down to it Soldiers are cutting us down Should have been done long ago What if you knew her And found her dead on the ground How can you run when you know? Tin soldiers and Nixon's coming We're finally on our own This summer I hear the drumming Four dead in Ohio Four dead in Ohio Four dead in Ohio Four dead in Ohio Four dead in Ohio Four dead in Ohio Four dead in Ohio Four dead in Ohio Four dead in Ohio Four dead in Ohio Four dead in Ohio Four dead in Ohio
3.
Alabama's got me so upset Tennessee made me lose my rest And everybody knows about Mississippi goddam Alabama's got me so upset Tennessee made me lose my rest And everybody knows about Mississippi goddam Can't you see it Can't you feel it It's all in the air I can't stand the pressure much longer Somebody say a prayer Alabama's got me so upset Tennessee made me lose my rest And everybody knows about Mississippi goddam Hound dogs on my trail School children sitting in jail Black cat cross my path I think every day's gonna be my last Lord have mercy on this land of mine We’re all gonna get it in due time I don't belong here I don't belong there I've even stopped believing in prayer Don't tell me I tell you Me and my people just about due I've been there so I know They keep on saying 'Go slow!' But that's just the trouble 'Do it slow' Washing the windows 'Do it slow' Picking the cotton 'Do it slow' You're just plain rotten 'Do it slow' You're too damn lazy 'Do it slow' The thinking's crazy 'Do it slow' Where am I going What am I doing I don't know I don't know Just try to do your very best Stand up be counted with all the rest For everybody knows about Mississippi goddam Picket lines School boycotts They try to say it's a communist plot All I want is equality For my sisters, my brothers, my people and me Yes you lied to me all these years You told me to wash and clean my ears And talk real fine just like a lady And you'd stop calling me Sister Sadie Oh but this whole country is full of lies You're all gonna die and die like flies I don't trust you any more You keep on saying 'Go slow!' 'Go slow!' But that's just the trouble 'Do it slow' Desegregation 'Do it slow' Mass participation 'Do it slow' Reunification 'Do it slow' Do things gradually 'Do it slow' But bring more tragedy 'Do it slow' Why don't you see it Why don't you feel it I don't know I don't know You don't have to live next to me Just give me my equality Everybody knows about Mississippi Everybody knows about Alabama Everybody knows about Mississippi goddam
4.
Sam Stone 04:29
Sam Stone came home To his wife and family After serving in the conflict overseas And the time that he served Had shattered all his nerves And left a little shrapnel in his knee But the morphine eased the pain And the grass grew round his brain And gave him all the confidence he lacked With a purple heart and a monkey on his back There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes Jesus Christ died for nothin' I suppose Little pitchers have big ears Don't stop to count the years Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios Sam Stone's welcome home Didn't last too long He went to work when he'd spent his last dime And Sam, he took to stealing When he got that empty feeling For a hundred dollar habit without overtime And the gold roared through his veins Like a thousand railroad trains And eased his mind in the hours that he chose While the kids ran around wearin' other peoples' clothes There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes Jesus Christ died for nothin' I suppose Little pitchers have big ears Don't stop to count the years Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios Sam Stone was alone When he popped his last balloon Climbing walls while sitting in a chair Well, he played his last request While the room smelled just like death With an overdose hovering in the air But life had lost its fun There was nothing to be done But trade his house that he bought on the GI bill For a flag-draped casket on a local hero's hill There's a hole in daddy's arm where all the money goes Jesus Christ died for nothin' I suppose Little pitchers have big ears Don't stop to count the years Sweet songs never last too long on broken radios
5.
United we stand, divided we fall For every dime they give us a battle must be fought So working people use your power the key to liberty Don't support the rich man's style of luxury There ain't no way they can ever keep us down There ain't no way they can ever keep us down We won't be bought, we won't be sold To be treated right, well that's our goal There ain't no way they can ever keep us down We've been shot, we've been jailed, lord its a sin Women and children stood right by the men We've got a union contract that keeps the worker free They'll never shoot that union out of me They'll never shoot that union out of me, oh no They'll never shoot that union out of me Got a contract in our hand signed by the blood of honest Men They'll never shoot that union out of me The power wheel is rolling, rolling right along The government is keep it going going strong so working people get your help from your own kind Your welfare ain’t on the rich man's mind Your welfare ain’t on the rich man's mind Your welfare ain’t on the rich man's mind They want the power in their hands just to keep out of the workers hands Your welfare ain’t on the rich man's mind They'll never, never, never keep us down They'll never, never, never keep us down They cheat, rob, lie and kill but we'll stop that big ol wheel They'll never, never, never keep us down
6.
Oh my name it ain't nothin' My age it means less The country I come from Is called the Midwest I was taught and brought up there The laws to abide And that land that I live in Has God on its side Oh, the history books tell it They tell it so well The cavalries charged The Indians fell The cavalries charged The Indians died Oh, the country was young With God on its side The Spanish-American War had its day And the Civil War, too Was soon laid away And the names of the heroes I was made to memorize With guns in their hands And God on their side The First World War, boys It came and it went The reason for fighting I never did get But I learned to accept it Accept it with pride For you don't count the dead When God's on your side The Second World War Came to an end We forgave the Germans And then we were friends Though they murdered six million In the ovens they fried The Germans now, too Have God on their side I've learned to hate the Russians All through my whole life If another war comes It's them we must fight To hate them and fear them To run and to hide And accept it all bravely With God on my side But now we got weapons Of chemical dust If fire them, we're forced to Then fire them, we must One push of the button And a shot the world wide And you never ask questions When God's on your side Through many a dark hour I've been thinkin' about this That Jesus Christ was Betrayed by a kiss But I can't think for you You'll have to decide Whether Judas Iscariot Had God on his side. So now as I'm leavin' I'm weary as Hell The confusion I'm feelin' Ain't no tongue can tell The words fill my head And fall to the floor That if God's on our side He'll stop the next war
7.
I wish I knew how It would feel to be free I wish I could break All the chains holding me I wish I could say All the things that I should say Say 'em loud, say 'em clear For the whole round world to hear I wish I could share All the love that's in my heart Remove all the bars That keep us apart I wish you could know What it means to be me Then you'd see and agree That every man should be free I wish I could give All I'm longin' to give I wish I could live Like I'm longin' to live I wish I could do All the things that I can do And though I'm way over due I'd be starting anew Well I wish I could be Like a bird in the sky How sweet it would be If I found I could fly Oh I'd soar to the sun And look down at the sea Then I’d sing cause I’d know Yeah I’d sing cause I’d know Yes I’d sing cause I’d know How it would feel to be free

about

“They’ll Never Keep Us Down” is a small album of cover songs, each
carefully chosen and made to come out in my own voice. Each of these
songs had a huge impact on me coming up as a young person, they were
able to allow me to see another’s point of view, or attempt to
understand a larger issue at hand. They were able to allow me to
emphatically understand the struggle from many different viewpoints
and walks of life. These songs examine the issues and struggles of the
American people. They examine the issues and push for progress."

-Kelsey Waldon

credits

released November 27, 2020

Produced by Kelsey Waldon & Justin Francis
Recorded and Mixed by Justin Francis
Mastered by Randy LeRoy

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Kelsey Waldon Nashville, Tennessee

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