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Sweet Liberty (Analogapalooza - Statue of Liberty dedication) by TobinMueller [Email]
Genre: Showtunes

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SONG STATS:
Hits: 1067
Comments: 13
Votes: 11
Plays: 148
Last Played: Oct 12, 2008 - 02:51:23 PM
Downloads: 51
Fans: 10
Uploaded: Aug 06, 2007 - 09:45:56 AM
Last Updated: Aug 29, 2007 - 08:52:22 AM



Keywords:
Robin Hood (9)Marion (1)Statue of Liberty (1)freedom (40)TobinMueller (35)Tobin (67)
Description:
I wrote this song in 1983 and used to perform it alone at the piano. Orchestration was added when it was performed at the 1986 re-dedication of the Statue of Liberty. I reworked the lyrics slightly and made it a duet for my 1991 musical, Robin Hood.

Sung with Jessica Flood. Recorded in 1991. It is a duet between Robin and Marion. Other songs with Jessica Flood:
Pose For You

Walls (me singing the role of Will Scarlet)
Here, For A Moment with Emily Rohm

Lyrics:
SWEET LIBERTY

See her great light
Parting the night:
My only queen -
Sweet Liberty.

Through dark's red glare,
Sure of her deeds,
A face so fair -
Sweet Liberty.

Why do men go to die,
Risk health, risk home, risk life,
Willingly sacrifice -
Just to be free…

Remember them
When peace we find;
Resing their songs of
Sweet Liberty.

Children alone are we,
Searching for dignity,
Wanting so to be free -
Dreaming our dreams.

Will it be found,
A life of our own?
Dreaming our dreams of
Sweet Liberty.

©1986, 1991 Tobin James Mueller

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Terrific &mdash 08/06/07 - 10:15:15 AM
What is so precious about what you do is your consistency of excellence in what every style you choose. Which is an indicator of immense talent.

It's like the musical Midas touch.

Thanks Tobin for being such a musically STRONG part of macjams!

Always a pleasure to listen your art!

[ Reply to This ]
Anthem &mdash 08/07/07 - 07:00:49 AM
As you can tell, this is a play on "God Save The Queen" (what American's morphed into "My Country Tis Of Thee," a song I had to be able to play in every key for music theory class in college). I thought Robin Hood using a national anthem, simplified and changed, for his quiet soliloquy made sense. I performed it a couple of times with a cellist friend of mine and gave her this cool solo that I played New Age chords under; it was my favorite version, but never recorded. I wrote the song in my head while driving home from a concert, lyrics and all, the only time I've done that.

Thanks again for your kind words.

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Sweet Liberty &mdash 08/06/07 - 01:07:07 PM
sweet so sweet ....just awesome !!

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Very moving song Tobin &mdash 08/07/07 - 08:37:35 AM
your harmonies are very engaging. Well written, sung and played. Thanks for posting.

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WONDERFUL &mdash 08/07/07 - 11:56:39 AM
oh Tobin, I have no words. It gives me shivers how beautiful is the melody and those two voices singing together. Beautiful harmonies and stunning voices. Especially the male one, is it you? If yes then WOW! No words, truly. There is one place which has a special beauty for me and it is when you sing "... OF sweet liberty". you do this (is it triplet?) or how do you call that ornamentation. So gentle, warm, beautiful colour and timbre... simply STUNNING.

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Triplets/duplets &mdash 08/09/07 - 07:33:21 AM
Thank you for your kind words. Yes, the lead vocal is me. And, yes, the ornamentation is a triplet; the melodic part of me felt the triplet pulse throughout, while the my hands played in straight 3/4. Actually, the whole song has a "2 over 3" feel, almost as if it is written in 9/8 with a strong duplet sense. You can look at it either way.

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:) &mdash 08/09/07 - 10:18:05 AM
well after this explanation i look crossed (eyed) more then anything else :) it doesn't tell me much, i don't understand the theory, but one thing i know, you are truly A SINGER. hats off.

---
from czech republic, currently living in brazil, but in my heart belonging to ireland

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I am standing.... &mdash 08/29/07 - 10:53:24 AM
smiling, enjoying this wonderful performance along with the rest of the audience. I do like your idea of an adaptation from the God Save the Queen. When songwriters deliberately reach back to an earlier classic as you have done it doesn't always work well. Here it does. You bring together the familiarity and cherished feeling of the older song while at the same time introducing a new song that is indeed new. I think creativity and originality are too often strictly defined as something that has never been heard or composed before. First of all, that is an impossibility. But to take a piece of music, well known, and use it as a springboard for a new composition... well that is not an easy task. It reminds me of how in a musical there are often several songs that are all reflections of the main theme song of the show, yet each one distinct and unique. That is how I hear your song.

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Reprise &mdash 08/29/07 - 02:09:48 PM
Thanks for the kind words. Yes, I've written my share of musical reprises. Good analogy. I thought with the character like Robin Hood, using such a melody would be second nature. It says things without having to say them. Thanks for listening so thoughtfully.

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Amazing production Tobin &mdash 08/29/07 - 06:53:48 PM
Showcases your voice as well as anything else of yours I've heard. Jessica's harmony adds so much to the melody, and the song and arrangement are first class.
Neil

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For all that it's anthem-like... &mdash 09/03/07 - 02:25:42 PM
...I like that this one is 'song-like' as well... I wish I could hear that version with cello... Though it has some "big singing", this also has an intimacy that I like...The lyrics come forward, say something simple, and let it sit in the heart of the listener...

Ed

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Masterful &mdash 09/06/07 - 07:10:00 PM
substance and layers of depth... you can't write this sort of thing if you don't bring quite a lot to the table...

I appreciate what this reveals about you

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What it reveals &mdash 09/07/07 - 08:30:15 AM
Thanks. After so many years (I wrote this 24 years ago), there are still so many things between the lines that speak to me too. So many ghosts that accompany.

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