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Steve Winwood — Freedom Overspill
Album: Back in the High Life
Avg rating:
6.3

Your rating:
Total ratings: 355









Released: 1986
Length: 5:28
Plays (last 30 days): 0
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Keep on talking all you want
Well you don't waste a minute of time
Who cares, who knows what's true
Coffee and tears the whole night through
Burning up on midnight oil
And it's come right back on you

Freedom Overspill
Freedom Overspill

Force of habit, you could say
The way they talk you're talking away
Who cares, who knows what's true
Your wounded pride is burning you up
Burning up on midnight oil
And it's come right back on you

Freedom Overspill
Freedom Overspill

You're sounding good to me now
Keep talking on
I want to hear the worst
You got no right going around
Talking 'bout the things that you do
Talking 'bout the things that you do
Keep on talking all you want
Well you don't waste a minute of time
Who cares, who knows what's true
Coffee and tears the whole night through
Burning up on midnight oil
And it's come right back on you

Freedom Overspill
Freedom Overspill
Freedom Overspill
Freedom Overspill

You're sounding good to me now
Keep talking on
I want to hear the worst
You got no right going around
Talking 'bout the things that you do
Talking 'bout the things you do

Force of habit, you could say
The way they talk you're talking away
Who cares, who knows what's true
Your wounded pride is burning you up
Burning up on midnight oil
And it's come right back on you

Freedom Overspill
Freedom Overspill
Comments (47)add comment
Steve always sets a tone and always has a groove… no matter what era.
Posted 2 years ago by tm    [ Reply ]
Not his best song, yet, pleasant. Saw Steve Winwood on his tour with Eric Clapton (in 2016 or so?) in Rotterdam. He saved the evening for Clapton, who must have been extra ordinarily depressed or something like it. Eric sat, played and went.
No shout out to the audience, nothing. Read in a review of a concert earlier that week in London a similar review. Stopped me from listening to Clapton for a year or so.

Winwood was great though.
Posted 2 years ago by RoelantSiekman    [ Reply ]
 nicknt wrote:

The 80s ruined the 70s, this song is a perfect example.




I hear what you're saying, but here's another take.  Can you imagine being an artist on top of the world in the 60's, morphing into the 70's groove, and then re-inventing yourself once again for new electronic synthpop sound of the 80's?  Kudos to those who went for it and stayed on the charts.  Compare to the last 20 years of music, which is more Taylor Swift >> Taylor Swift re-releasing her own albums
Posted 3 years ago by obankenobi    [ Reply ]
I am amazed by all the people willing to throw so much energy into feeling bad about music… check yourself before you wreck yourself
Posted 3 years ago by tm    [ Reply ]
Steve Winwood is such a genious to have crafted delightful pop infused tunes. I love this and his amazing voice/piano/guitar playing
Posted 3 years ago by tm    [ Reply ]
The 80s ruined the 70s, this song is a perfect example.
Posted 3 years ago by nicknt    [ Reply ]
I hear Peter Gabriel in one ear when I listen to this Winwood 80's sound; thank the gods that i had a chance to work in a music/bookstore for three fifty an hour. I spent some of those hours listening to cassettes and selling eight tracks to my boyfriends in their crazy trucks with surface mounted speakers; kick speakers would've been filled with snow. 

New sounds coming from Europe; that was saying a lot  in Fairbanks in the earliest 80's.
Nothing like Rush and Yes  and BTO  at ear level, flailing in 4WD through snow banks.

Thanks, Radio Paradise. Glad most of us survived those times to listen in '21.
Posted 3 years ago by rezadent    [ Reply ]
 hcaudill wrote:
Funny, my wife and I were just having a difference of opinion regarding whether or not Steve Winwood was a sellout - she arguing that his work in the 80s was not so bad. It's been a while since I actually heard the stuff he was doing in that period, and I have to say this really is classic mid-80s FM-radio slop. Right up there with the same period's output from Van Halen, Jefferson Starship, Heart, and Rod Stewart.
 

Im willing to bet a small amount of money that if you play 80's pop-slop to someone who wasn't actually alive then, they would find it really, really bopping, no guilt and no nothin'
Posted 3 years ago by ExploitingChaos    [ Reply ]
Huey Lewis, how's it going?  

NB, Winwood is marvelous as trend-setter...
Posted 3 years ago by geonuine    [ Reply ]
Wow! It must be 20 years since I’ve heard this song. It was in my heavy rotation when it came out in the 80s. I had the cassette tape of this album and played it endlessly back when it came out. 
Posted 3 years ago by Mugro    [ Reply ]
Winwood is a genius. Hands down.
Posted 3 years ago by lharrison    [ Reply ]
 hcaudill wrote:
Funny, my wife and I were just having a difference of opinion regarding whether or not Steve Winwood was a sellout - she arguing that his work in the 80s was not so bad. It's been a while since I actually heard the stuff he was doing in that period, and I have to say this really is classic mid-80s FM-radio slop. Right up there with the same period's output from Van Halen, Jefferson Starship, Heart, and Rod Stewart.
 
And Eric Clapton did some very 'um - tush' ploddy drum machiney stuff in the same era I think. OK but lacking in the soul that they are both capable of!
Posted 4 years ago by kbs    [ Reply ]
I think Winwood caught the wave in the 80's and judging from the airplay many tracks on this album got, he could coast on its success. This is a flashback to my college days. I've always enjoyed his music, no matter which band he was in. Personal favorite from his catalog is Arc of A Diver. Back in the High Life is still in my vinyl collection. 
Posted 4 years ago by dmiklitz    [ Reply ]
I think this is a darn good song.  One of my favorites of the later Winwood songs.  I noticed the guitar work on this song is really good, so I just checked wikipedia...and lead guitar is the one and only Joe Walsh!
Posted 4 years ago by Relayer    [ Reply ]
while (sucks == true) { shouldPlay = false; } BillG wrote:
or: while (0 == 0) { echo "This is at least marginally worthy.n"; }
Posted 17 years ago by verzonni    [ Reply ]
Isn't Steve a proponent of internet radio? I'd have to give him credit just for that.
Posted 17 years ago by heyjoe3577    [ Reply ]
i like this song. i like it a lot. i have a tender spot in my heart for this whole album, actually. yeah, i said it.
Posted 17 years ago by rah    [ Reply ]
ChicoCyclist wrote:
While that's close, I've got to add my own version: while(true) { Console.WriteLine("This sucks!"); }
or:

if (BillLikes)
{
 addToPlaylist();
}
Posted 17 years ago by William    [ Reply ]
beelzebubba wrote:
Oh, how does this suck? Let me count the ways: for i=1 to 9999999999999 print i next i
That's the funniest thing I've read all week. But I couldn't disagree more. if winwood then run boogie boogie=hipwiggle+headnod+callowayfingerwag I think Traffic was amazing, but no one who was a real fan can say that some of the cuts off "Mr. Fantasy" and "Low Spark" weren't vastly inferior to this very, very good song. Others were precursors to this style, and there's a real evolution. The same can't be said for "Back in the High Life Again" -- that song just blows fourteen different directions at once. But THIS SONG... the pacing, the key, the lyrics, the edgy synth and that magnificent organ/drum rhythm combo. I really, really like this song.
Posted 19 years ago by Trustocity    [ Reply ]
*looks in pop-up and finds "Ho Hum" as an option* perfect.
Posted 19 years ago by gdignard    [ Reply ]
I caught Steve Winwood a couple weeks ago at the Indian Casino here. He was REALLY Good...looked great and did a whole slew of Blind Faith and Traffic songs. I was empressed, the tickets were free, and I really wasnt expecting much, but dang! GREAT SHOW!
Posted 19 years ago by CCinSB    [ Reply ]
Probably depends on what 'i' is defined as being. Not sure what language this is in, but I suspect Official Psuedo Code, which uses variables which are immune to overflow problems. :) sirrus wrote:
I think your Winwood suck-o procedure will barf at 65,535 ways. :)
Posted 19 years ago by GreenJello    [ Reply ]
Traffic Yes Anything off this album No! Sucks... please do not play again. Makes me want to change the station...
Posted 19 years ago by mr_jleigh    [ Reply ]
beelzebubba wrote:
Oh, how does this suck? Let me count the ways: for i=1 to 9999999999999 print i next i
While that's close, I've got to add my own version: while(true) { Console.WriteLine("This sucks!"); }
Posted 19 years ago by ChicoCyclist    [ Reply ]
beelzebubba wrote:
Oh, how does this suck? Let me count the ways: for i=1 to 9999999999999 print i next i
I think your Winwood suck-o procedure will barf at 65,535 ways. :)
Posted 19 years ago by sirrus    [ Reply ]
Oh, how does this suck? Let me count the ways: for i=1 to 9999999999999 print i next i
Posted 19 years ago by beelzebubba    [ Reply ]
Perhaps, but I don't think I ever heard *this* song on radio anywhere in the span of close to 20 years since the disk was released. Great tune from a pretty solid album, despite some of the songs getting a bit much airtime over the years. Old_Pool_Skunk wrote:
This whole album was terribly overplayed... but I've always liked Steve. No reason. Next.
Posted 19 years ago by Cyclehawk    [ Reply ]
Don't understand the vitriol. I loved Traffic and Blind Faith. But I loved dancing to 80s Winwood too. Just relax and ease up on your anger and snob attitudes, people.
Posted 19 years ago by Larswede    [ Reply ]
This whole album was terribly overplayed... but I've always liked Steve. No reason. Next.
Posted 19 years ago by Old_Pool_Skunk    [ Reply ]
But it wasn't the bullet that laid him to rest was The low spark of high-heeled boys Too bad the boys didn't get to him before this album was made :D
Posted 19 years ago by jbtidwell    [ Reply ]
This sucks beyond all else that sucks. It never ceases to amaze me how once-great musicians turned into total crap. I think the water in the '80s became polluted or something.
Posted 19 years ago by beelzebubba    [ Reply ]
little stevie winwood is just marginal background music IMO
Posted 19 years ago by stickittotheman    [ Reply ]
Agreed. Immediate good mood through a great song (and great timeframe)!
Posted 19 years ago by Beastie    [ Reply ]
Illustr8r wrote:
It's called Growing Up. And be glad this isn't "Spy in the House of Love". As distasteful as this may be, SITHOL makes this sound like Mozart...
When did growing up equate to sucking? The Traffic Gods are not smiling right now.
Posted 19 years ago by bobringer    [ Reply ]
INSTANT good mood! I see a common theme among the haters, namely context -- they hate Winwood, they hate 80's music, they hate synths. On its own merits, this song kicks ass.
Posted 19 years ago by Trustocity    [ Reply ]
deneb wrote:
Sure, not his best. But I've always had a soft spot for Winwood. .
And I've always had a particular dislike for him. It's for no particular reason; it's based mostly on this 80's solo work; and I won't even rate the song because it's such a baseless . . . loathing.
Posted 19 years ago by Xeric    [ Reply ]
hcaudill wrote:
...I have to say this really is classic mid-80s FM-radio slop. Right up there with the same period's output from Van Halen, Jefferson Starship, Heart, and Rod Stewart.
HEY! Don't you dare badmouth mid-80s Van Halen! I'm hot for teacher, dude. Oh, wait. Wasn't I, like, 16 when I thought that was a good song? Ah, the rose-colored lenses...
Posted 19 years ago by Trustocity    [ Reply ]
Brad_Eleven wrote:
Oh, like you never did anything brilliant in your own life, then produced less-than-thrilling results later?
I think it's fair to hold Steve Winwood to a higher standard, considering his own earlier self-righteous posturing about the record industry's focus on money over art. And even if we forgive SW for this tripe, we shouldn't be celebrating it on RP years later.
Posted 19 years ago by hcaudill    [ Reply ]
ugh, this is...profoundly, irritatingly dull.
Posted 19 years ago by keemun    [ Reply ]
Funny, my wife and I were just having a difference of opinion regarding whether or not Steve Winwood was a sellout - she arguing that his work in the 80s was not so bad. It's been a while since I actually heard the stuff he was doing in that period, and I have to say this really is classic mid-80s FM-radio slop. Right up there with the same period's output from Van Halen, Jefferson Starship, Heart, and Rod Stewart.
Posted 19 years ago by hcaudill    [ Reply ]
I somewhat enjoy this whiteboy funk.
Posted 19 years ago by maxgruv    [ Reply ]
ludwig7 wrote:
How could the same guy front Blind Faith and Traffic, and then produce this slop? He went to all the effort of thumbing his nose at the record companies with Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, then turned around and catered to the corporate bottom line when on his own. Go figure.
Oh, like you never did anything brilliant in your own life, then produced less-than-thrilling results later? D'you suppose that people in your life have asked themselves the same thing about you?
Posted 20 years ago by Brad_Eleven    [ Reply ]
ludwig7 wrote:
How could the same guy front Blind Faith and Traffic, and then produce this slop? He went to all the effort of thumbing his nose at the record companies with Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, then turned around and catered to the corporate bottom line when on his own. Go figure.
I recently saw part of an interview with him on PBS, wherein he said something dismissing his 80's output as an unfortunate blip in his career that he doesn't like to revisit. I think that was after Austin City Limits. Turns out he's a pretty good guitarist too... (always knew him as a keyboard player & singer).
Posted 21 years ago by faramir    [ Reply ]
ludwig7 wrote:
How could the same guy front Blind Faith and Traffic, and then produce this slop? He went to all the effort of thumbing his nose at the record companies with Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, then turned around and catered to the corporate bottom line when on his own. Go figure.
It's called Growing Up. And be glad this isn't "Spy in the House of Love". As distasteful as this may be, SITHOL makes this sound like Mozart...
Posted 21 years ago by Illustr8r    [ Reply ]
Yeah, the mid-late 80s was a pretty MOR, commercial jingle sounding period for Winwood. But, some of his post-Traffic offerings are good. I liked his "Arc of a Diver" album from '81. Anyone have it to upload?
Posted 21 years ago by redeyespy    [ Reply ]
Sure, not his best. But I\'ve always had a soft spot for Winwood. And hearing this for what\'s almost certainly the first time since \'89 or so definitely provided my moment of realistic flashback for the day.
Posted 21 years ago by deneb    [ Reply ]
How could the same guy front Blind Faith and Traffic, and then produce this slop? He went to all the effort of thumbing his nose at the record companies with Low Spark of High Heeled Boys, then turned around and catered to the corporate bottom line when on his own. Go figure.
Posted 21 years ago by ludwig7    [ Reply ]