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Taj Mahal — Freedom Ride (w/ The Chieftains)
Album: Largo
Avg rating:
6.2

Your rating:
Total ratings: 1544









Released: 1998
Length: 4:54
Plays (last 30 days): 4
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Goin’ away it might be long
Know they’ll miss me when I’m gone
May be gone for a long long time
Won’t know till I cross that line

Goin’ way down the underground
Train’ll take me freedom bound
Go down Moses shine a light
I see you I’ll be alright

I wanna be your rider, rider, rider
Ride on a train goin’ woo woo woo
I wanna be your rider
Take me on a freedom ride with you

Well I don’t know but I been told
Streets in Harlem paved with gold
Well I know where I’m goin to
Sweet chariot gonna pull me through

I wanna be your rider, rider, rider….

Steel away the preacher cried
We’re goin’ on a freedom ride
Don’t know when it’s gonna be
But down the line we will be free
Comments (119)add comment
Love that measure of 4/4 then right back to 3/4 in the chorus.
Posted 5 months ago by cosmiclint    [ Reply ]
ah... a swing song

its got swing
Posted 7 months ago by idiot_wind    [ Reply ]
There was a YouTube video of Taj Mahal singing this live on Letterman in the '90s with Joan Osborne that I listened to about once a week until they took it down a year or two bacik.  It just blew me away.   No Joan on this original version, but it's still great.
Posted 10 months ago by jimnshay    [ Reply ]
Funny. I really don't hear the Chieftains and the strong instrumentals, they're known for.   
Posted 1 year ago by idiot_wind    [ Reply ]
 bkrontz wrote:

The first round is on me if I could get a nickel for every time I hear "I don't know what I've been told" in a song.




it's I don't know but I've been told
Posted 1 year ago by debraburnham    [ Reply ]
 lily34 wrote:

do i hear a dog barking in parts of this song?




No.
Posted 1 year ago by joko63808    [ Reply ]
What a ride!
Posted 1 year ago by joko63808    [ Reply ]
do i hear a dog barking in parts of this song?
Posted 1 year ago by lily34    [ Reply ]
 wtango wrote:

Love it.




+1
Posted 1 year ago by garyalex    [ Reply ]


Eh
Posted 1 year ago by Hippostar    [ Reply ]
why o why isn't there a  –10 rating available?
Posted 1 year ago by davidsackville    [ Reply ]
Taj Mahal is the official blues artist of Massachusetts, enough said.
Posted 1 year ago by dgeagon    [ Reply ]
Taj Mahal ist einer der ganz Grossen.
Posted 1 year ago by Majoran    [ Reply ]
Ive been to a couple of live shows with Taj, the most memorable in Taos, N.M. in the late 80's!  He got the entire crowd dancing!  Great fun.
Posted 1 year ago by jjbix37    [ Reply ]
Very good song ! J'adore. 9
Posted 2 years ago by guilhem34    [ Reply ]
 bttcld66 wrote:

I do not want to offend anyone and the work of each person must be respected but the taste is not commanded and for this song I would need negative votes.



This is as safe a place on the internet as exists. You do not have to like every song. You don't have to like every artist. But the experience as a whole is worth the occasional donation.
Posted 2 years ago by itsme_bygolly    [ Reply ]
I substitute my motorbike for train and I like this anew.
Posted 2 years ago by mach-hog    [ Reply ]

I do not want to offend anyone and the work of each person must be respected but the taste is not commanded and for this song I would need negative votes.

Posted 2 years ago by bttcld66    [ Reply ]
At this point in this song's existence, I'd have to say that 6.1 seems rather generous.  Any time the 1's and 3's outnumber the 10's, its a pretty good indication that something has gone horribly wrong.
Posted 2 years ago by sfoster66    [ Reply ]
Posted 2 years ago by givendale    [ Reply ]
Didn't like it much at the start, but it kinda keeps on going and eventually the foot starts tapping :)
Posted 2 years ago by garrettb    [ Reply ]
 kazoo wrote:

Did he borrow some vocalists from the group that did  Who Let The Dogs Out? woof woof woof


Posted 2 years ago by Hippostar    [ Reply ]
Did he borrow some vocalists from the group that did  Who Let The Dogs Out? woof woof woof
Posted 3 years ago by kazoo    [ Reply ]
 AliGator wrote:
I had to check my rating (3), because this song brought me out of what I was doing. That's how terrible it is. I changed my rating to 2. I hate this song.
 
{#Lol} This song is still terrible, but I left my rating as is.
Posted 3 years ago by AliGator    [ Reply ]
Please back off the crash cymbal...
Posted 3 years ago by tompoll    [ Reply ]
make me think of the Pogues and Johnny Clegg

Good !
Posted 3 years ago by jyti    [ Reply ]
 bkrontz wrote:
The first round is on me if I could get a nickel for every time I hear "I don't know what I've been told" in a song.
 

Technically it's "Well I don’t know but I been told" so don't order that Mercedes just yet. :)
Posted 3 years ago by 2and4    [ Reply ]
Any time I‘be heard this I have been where I couldn’t find out who it was and what album it was from. Glad it came around in the rotation so I could learn.
Posted 3 years ago by derrylm1    [ Reply ]
how aboutsome Sonny and Brownie? Arlo Guthrie, John Mayall, and Sugarcane Harris all played on this CD
Posted 3 years ago by bullshipped    [ Reply ]
I worked on a workshop of a staged musical of Largo in 2001 it was a great experience.  that was at NY stage and Film in Poughkeepsie NY.  Got to meet Cyndi Lauper and Martha Wainright as part of the experience and many other musicians of note, but Cyndi and Martha were special, as I spent the most time around them.
Posted 4 years ago by bdwhitepm    [ Reply ]
Weirdly likeable! 
Posted 4 years ago by Mannick    [ Reply ]
Love this song! First heard it here on RP, and took me forever to find out where I could legally download it. FYI - There are many, many crap songs out there with Freedom Rider in the title.
Posted 4 years ago by JFL    [ Reply ]
This song plays when you put "K-9" into the jukebox.
Posted 4 years ago by Mackmoney3000    [ Reply ]
 katherinenz wrote:
I can see how this song would be awesome to listen to live at a beach bar with a few coronas and mates around, but just not feeling it right now
 
This comment didn't age so well... but please, if you're not feeling it, at least have your temperature checked - especially if you've been hanging out with your mates at a beach bar.
Posted 4 years ago by sjccroquet    [ Reply ]
 haretic wrote:
It's too bad they edited out that pooch chorus finale in the studio; when those Irish Wolfhounds finally caught up with Taj...
I understand that he hit some amazing high notes!

                                       File:Irish Wolfhound Sam.jpg - Wikipedia

{#Umbrella}
 
I LOVED my Irish Wolfhound when I was a child.  Such sweet dogs!
Posted 4 years ago by jason4    [ Reply ]
A 7 just cause of all the hate. Make that an 8.
Posted 4 years ago by derhey9416    [ Reply ]
SHITE

{#Beat} 
Posted 4 years ago by givendale    [ Reply ]
I had to check my rating (3), because this song brought me out of what I was doing. That's how terrible it is. I changed my rating to 2. I hate this song.
Posted 4 years ago by AliGator    [ Reply ]
Traaaaash
Posted 4 years ago by Shmelo    [ Reply ]
 MrStatenIsle wrote:
Sounds like Cookie Monster there at the end.
 

Tom Waits?
Posted 4 years ago by jpfueler    [ Reply ]
Sounds like Cookie Monster there at the end.
Posted 4 years ago by MrStatenIsle    [ Reply ]
Goin’ away it might be long
Know they’ll miss me when I’m gone
May be gone for a long long time
Won’t know till I cross that line

Goin’ way down the underground
Train’ll take me freedom bound
Go down Moses shine a light
I see you I’ll be alright

I wanna be your rider, rider, rider
Ride on a train goin’ woo woo woo
I wanna be your rider
Take me on a freedom ride with you

Well I don’t know but I been told
Streets in Harlem paved with gold
Well I know where I’m goin to
Sweet chariot gonna pull me through

I wanna be your rider, rider, rider….

Steel away the preacher cried
We’re goin’ on a freedom ride
Don’t know when it’s gonna be
But down the line we will be free
Posted 5 years ago by ecomaniac    [ Reply ]
 Ihatethissong wrote:
I like this very much.

I would love to hear Taj Mahal & Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
 
Saw  Taj with Bonnie Raitt - that was darn good!  This song is great!
Posted 5 years ago by khardog145    [ Reply ]
This is a great album, Very diverse with a lot of great performances.  Based on the New World Symphony, Largo is a 1998 various-artists concept album inspired by classical composer Dvorak's 9th symphony. The project was initiated, assembled, and produced by Rick Chertoff, Rob Hyman and Eric Bazilian, respectively producer and singer/multi-instrumentalists with The Hooters.
Largo  started as the recording sessions for a new Hooters album, but evolved into a collaboration between The Hooters and great guest artists like Taj Mahal, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, Joan Osborne, The Chieftains, Carole King, Cyndi Lauper, David Forman, and Willie Nile.  The Band's Levon Helm and Garth Hudson both appear on the album, on separate tracks. Levon does a duet with David Forman on "Gimme a Stone", while Garth plays an atmospherically dreamy piece titled "Garth's Largo," together with his wife Maud.
Posted 5 years ago by mgoldman    [ Reply ]
really good album, too
 
Posted 5 years ago by apd    [ Reply ]
Great song 
Posted 5 years ago by jbl1975    [ Reply ]
 Jamunca wrote:
That refrain is ruff, ruff, ruff, ruff.

 
At first I thought "really, 'Who Let the Dogs out?' on RP...and then I got over it and enjoyed the track enough to rate it a 7 {#Bounce}
Posted 6 years ago by lizardking    [ Reply ]
boring
repetitive
sophomoric lyrics
{#Stop}
Posted 6 years ago by DocStrangelove    [ Reply ]
Love it.


Posted 7 years ago by wtango    [ Reply ]
It's too bad they edited out that pooch chorus finale in the studio; when those Irish Wolfhounds finally caught up with Taj...
I understand that he hit some amazing high notes!

                                           File:Irish Wolfhound Sam.jpg - Wikipedia

{#Umbrella}
Posted 7 years ago by haretic    [ Reply ]
Love Taj.-This not so much. he is touring w/ Keb Mo this summer. Catch him while you can!
Posted 7 years ago by skyguy    [ Reply ]
Outrageously bad.
Posted 14 years ago by mirland    [ Reply ]
Love those lyrics!
Posted 14 years ago by nerakdon    [ Reply ]
Awesome song that gets me going in the morning at commute time.  You can download from ITunes.  I like the ruff, ruff.  It makes the song and the Celtic style of rock is good too.  I think Taj Mahal did the right thing to show that they're good at other styles as well as Blues.

Posted 14 years ago by BigAlsGashouse    [ Reply ]
Love Taj.... Hate Chietans...

bark bark... really?
Posted 14 years ago by whtahtefcuk    [ Reply ]
That refrain is ruff, ruff, ruff, ruff.


Posted 14 years ago by Jamunca    [ Reply ]
Definitely an early Springsteen vibe going on. You almost expect them to segue into "Rosalita".

Posted 14 years ago by On_The_Beach    [ Reply ]
 Randomax wrote:
I see Peter posed almost the exact same question in Feb! lol
 
Great minds think alike! {#Roflol}
Posted 14 years ago by peter_james_bond    [ Reply ]
The first round is on me if I could get a nickel for every time I hear "I don't know what I've been told" in a song.
Posted 14 years ago by bkrontz    [ Reply ]
Voff voff,,,,#7
Posted 15 years ago by HazzeSwede    [ Reply ]
 vicariance wrote:

The barks absolutely kill the song.
 
Absolutely. Not a bad song, but the barking .... mute the mutts.

Posted 15 years ago by rtrudeau    [ Reply ]
 peter_james_bond wrote:
Is there anybody The Chieftans didn't record with?{#Ask}
 
I see Peter posed almost the exact same question in Feb! lol

Posted 15 years ago by Randomax    [ Reply ]
Is there anyone the Chieftans haven't collaborated with?  it's all good though!!
Posted 15 years ago by Randomax    [ Reply ]
 fredriley wrote:
 what's with the barking the background?
 
See also The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Love that effect.

Posted 15 years ago by lmic    [ Reply ]
Bruce Springsteen meets Bob Dylan. Not a marriage made in heaven from the Nottingham jury's viewpoint, but might be the dog's bollox for Springsteen and Dylan fans. Talking of dogs, what's with the barking the background? Who let the dogs out? Ruff, ruff, ruff-ruff!


Posted 15 years ago by fredriley    [ Reply ]
Where can I buy this?
Posted 15 years ago by coentje    [ Reply ]
Taj sounds like he's trying to channel Van the Man with a Celt bit. It's not happenin' for me.
Stick to the blues. 

Posted 15 years ago by ThePoose    [ Reply ]
 ott wrote:
... speaking of dogs, those barks are ridiculusly out of control. ...
 
The barks absolutely kill the song.
Posted 15 years ago by vicariance    [ Reply ]
Is there anybody The Chieftans didn't record with?{#Ask}
Posted 15 years ago by peter_james_bond    [ Reply ]
This is lovely and invigorating!  Thanks Bill!
Posted 15 years ago by maryte    [ Reply ]
I can see how this song would be awesome to listen to live at a beach bar with a few coronas and mates around, but just not feeling it right now
Posted 15 years ago by katherinenz    [ Reply ]
brighthue wrote:
File is over-modulated.
Nope. But it is pretty dense, which will accentuate problems with your audio settings. The usual culprit is the EQ section on your player (especially Winamp). If you feel the need to turn any bands (especially bass) up by any significant amount, you need to compensate by turning the 'preamp' slider down.
Posted 19 years ago by William    [ Reply ]
ott wrote:
you know how when you mix beer with milk it tastes like dog poop?
I didn't, but thanks, I learned something new today.
Posted 19 years ago by sonic_boom    [ Reply ]
An unusually low point for RP - put the dog out of its (and our) misery - turn this rubbish off!
Posted 19 years ago by Akaiila    [ Reply ]
I'm with the prevailing sentiment of this thread. I love the Cheiftains and I like Taj, but just don't know about the two collaborating. It pains me to rate this low, so to assuage my guilt let me say very plainly that more Chieftains on RP would be a welcome thing.
Posted 19 years ago by ashbyman    [ Reply ]
File is over-modulated.
Posted 19 years ago by brighthue    [ Reply ]
You guessed right. It does suck. However, I managed not to turn the volume down this time... those tolerance lessons are really paying off!
Posted 19 years ago by skindy    [ Reply ]
Ugh! This sounds like the CD is skipping or something. Although I don't think that's the only problem... Maybe the song sucks too.
Posted 19 years ago by nand    [ Reply ]
rah wrote:
who let the dogs out?
Stop it, you're making me laugh too hard!
Posted 19 years ago by Gish05    [ Reply ]
This is great. Can anybody upload it for me please?
Posted 19 years ago by holmsey    [ Reply ]
spartan wrote:
And yet, it does. Strange.
Although this song seems much better the second time. Maybe I was wrong. :?
Posted 19 years ago by spartan    [ Reply ]
two of my all time favs...how could it go wrong?!!
And yet, it does. Strange.
Posted 19 years ago by spartan    [ Reply ]
manbirdexperiment wrote:
When I die I want them to play the Chieftains at my funeral
When I die I want the Chieftains to play AT my funeral. Let's die on different days, they can play at yours, too.
Posted 20 years ago by Patrick    [ Reply ]
i'm usually a fan of taj and also the chieftons. but you know how when you mix beer with milk it tastes like dog poop? well some great things just shouldn't be mixed. speaking of dogs, those barks are ridiculusly out of control. good to know the music business is still producing crap and taj has absolutely lost his musical experimentating-mind.
Posted 20 years ago by ott    [ Reply ]
Put me down as hating it.
Posted 20 years ago by Hannio    [ Reply ]
who let the dogs out?
Posted 20 years ago by rah    [ Reply ]
two of my all time favs...how could it go wrong?!!
Posted 20 years ago by Tritter    [ Reply ]
Taj Mahal & the Chieftains?!? I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't hear it myself... This song should stay in the mix if only because of the sheer improbability of this collaboration. :highfive.gif:
Posted 20 years ago by Bodhisattva    [ Reply ]
Pogues then Chieftans? Makes me happy to have found this station. Cheers! :D
Posted 20 years ago by wafflecrotch    [ Reply ]
When I die I want them to play the Chieftains at my funeral
Posted 20 years ago by Manbird    [ Reply ]
I love this song. The first time I heard it was on the David Letterman Show. I was lucky enough to record it on good old VHS. I bought the cd; however, it was stolen when my car was stolen too. Evetually I gained my "Freedom Ride" after the police recovered my Ford, but my cd was long gone.
Posted 20 years ago by radiosonicfan    [ Reply ]
redeyespy wrote:
utterly ridiculous
beyond utterly ridiculous. utterly ridiculous is so far back in the rear view mirror that it is another zip code.
Posted 20 years ago by Alt-Ctrl-Tom    [ Reply ]
utterly ridiculous
Posted 20 years ago by redeyespy    [ Reply ]
Put me in the "Love it" group....
Posted 20 years ago by Mairy    [ Reply ]
I love this song. It gets me moving, please keep it on the playlist. :D
Posted 20 years ago by jralvar    [ Reply ]
aharamanx wrote:
Each subsequent hearing I care for this less......and less. Would be great heard no more than twice annually.
I'll second that. Argh. It's gawd-awfuller each time.
Posted 20 years ago by skindy    [ Reply ]
I do without the woof, woof. But for bagpipes and blues check out Bourne & MacLeod.
Posted 20 years ago by AI-in-Japan    [ Reply ]
I never get tired of this one. Just cranked it, about to get off my butt, throw open the curtains, and get busy(away from my keyboard.
Posted 20 years ago by philarktos    [ Reply ]
WOOF! - to quote the movie rating system of Videohound's Golden Movie Retriever (the system rates best movies at 4 bones, and gives worst ones a "WOOF!" ie. no bones). This song is cacophonous. Make no bones about it. I had to turn the volume down, and I don't do that very often with RP. And I like Taj Mahal, and the Chieftains, and bagpipes. Just not together, not in this song.
Posted 21 years ago by skindy    [ Reply ]
I want you to shuuuuuuut up... shuuuuuut up... shuuuuuuut up..... shuuuuuuut up.......
Posted 21 years ago by BigCalm    [ Reply ]
damn I'm tired of this one... "I wanna be your ride'a... ride'a... ride'a... ride'a... ride'a... ride'a... ride'a... ride'a... ride'a... WOOF WOOF WOOF" ugg :headache.gif:
Posted 21 years ago by DaWiz    [ Reply ]
wow, so many differing opinions on this one -- either love it or hate it. It's from a collaboration/compilation called Largo inspired by that movement of Dvorak's New World Symphony. I happen to be among the "Love It" group; this album has pulled me out of a very bad mood many a time! .... I don't know who all are in the Chieftains exactly, but I do own this album, and can tell you that Taj Mahal is singing and *barking* and playing the harmonica, Rob Hyman is on the Farsifa Organ (not the bagpipes!), David Forman is singing, Eric Bazilian plays the Hurdy-Gurdy (also not the bagpipes!) and David Uosikkinen plays Drums. But, if you all are indeed tiring of this song, maybe we should campaign to get some others of of this great compilation played. I'll try my best to upload some more, but RP already has some of its greatest hits, like Hand in Mine with Joan Osborne, Cyrus in the Moonlight and White Man's Melody with Cyndi Lauper. My favorite is Gimme a Stone. :-({|=
Posted 21 years ago by grahamophone    [ Reply ]
Taj Mahal or Bob Seger? Ehhh..5 or 6.
Posted 21 years ago by Roverfish    [ Reply ]
Should that be The Chieftains?
Posted 21 years ago by R_P    [ Reply ]
Hannio wrote:
Yeah, I got up and went to the bathroom.
(Not that I think it's that bad a song, but I like a good burn when I see one!)
Posted 21 years ago by racerx    [ Reply ]
Are those bagpipes??!!!?? Aghhhh!!!! :?:
Posted 21 years ago by beechwood    [ Reply ]
Originally Posted by Frosty: Wow! How can anyone remain seated when hearing this? Gotta buy this CD.
Yeah, I got up and went to the bathroom.
Posted 21 years ago by Hannio    [ Reply ]
who let the dogs out?
Posted 21 years ago by downbylaw    [ Reply ]
Wow! How can anyone remain seated when hearing this? Gotta buy this CD.
Posted 21 years ago by Frosty    [ Reply ]
Posted 21 years ago by nexxia    [ Reply ]
i USED to like it...but now I have reached terminal capacity for this one. Please put it on the shelf for a while.
Posted 22 years ago by pilgrim    [ Reply ]
THANK YOU so much for having this song on the playlist!
Posted 22 years ago by MissJenn    [ Reply ]
Very interesting combination of artists, but the song is kind of mediocre. I bet they had fun recording it though.
Posted 22 years ago by Leslie    [ Reply ]
Enough with the dogs barking in the back ground. Dumb.
Posted 22 years ago by gypsy222    [ Reply ]