This Friday, it’s all about coming up with a new anthem to express your strengths and shirk off those things holding you back. So of course, I had to use Nina Simone’s famous anthem from 1968 called, “Ain’t Got No, I Got Life.” Nina combined lyrics from two songs in the original musical, Hair, to create this powerful medley. Yale musicologist, Daphne Brooks, labels this song, “The New Black Anthem.” It’s a song that reclaims what was lost. It puts forth the idea that humanity is stronger than the worst of struggles, that we can overcome atrocities, abuse, and even global pandemics because of the indomitable will within each of us.
Give the song a nostalgic listen, and then if you feel like creating a revolution in words, join me this weekend in making a new anthem of your own. Happy Flashback Friday, friends!
Rules to Participate:
- Create a poem, flash fiction, or work of art titled, “I Ain’t Got No _________, I Got ________”
- Share your work on your blog, and be sure to ping back this post by inserting a link.
- Be sure to tag your work #FBTF or FBTF
- Feel free to leave a link to your work in the comments below for all to enjoy.
As a bonus, here is a version from 2010 with an artistic interpretation I thought you might also enjoy.
Yard Sale of Thoughts 
I did one of her tracks for a Song Lyric Sunday post once, researched her for that. She ended up in the south of France – where better? There were a couple of her tracks got re-released here in the late 80s which, presumable, set her up for the rest of her life.
I’ll have to see if I have some time later to come up with something.
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How wonderful, yes, thank you. I would love to hear them. I’ve always loved this song and how it makes me feel like I can overcome anything.
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I was thinking of digging the link out and including it when I post. She was very political, you know, mainly in the field of civil rights, because she was of that era.. I always find that I appreciate the music more when there is a message behind it. Showing my age, too, but one of my biggest influences is Bob Marley.
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No way, Mr.B. Marley is timeless as is a lot of great music and people. 🙂
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[…] thought I’d have another bash at KK’s Yard Sale of Thoughts Flashback Track Friday post. The idea is that she picks an old music track that she likes, and then uses that as the theme […]
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