George Michael – Freedom! ’90 (Official Video)
Inspiration Behind Freedom:
Freedom was conceived from George Michael’s deep personal reckoning with fame, identity, and creative control. After the success of Faith in 1987, Michael’s felt trapped by the expectations of having to produce another hit song. Subsequently, Freedom served as a confession and a declaration, reaching a point in his life where he could create content, perform and just be himself.
Biblical Application:
Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. 35 Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed, John 8:34-35.
Exegesis of Freedom:
I won’t let you down
I will not give you up
Gotta have some faith in the sound
It’s the one good thing that I’ve got
I won’t let you down
So please don’t give me up
Because I would really, really love to stick around
Oh, yeah
George is feeling pressure to perform. Previous success has instilled faith within George that he won’t let his agent, producer and record company down. George isn’t ready to retire, wanting to keep his singing career going.
Heaven knows I was just a young boy
Didn’t know what I wanted to be (Didn’t know what I wanted to be)
I was every little hungry schoolgirl’s pride and joy
And I guess it was enough for me (And I guess it was enough for me)
Looking back to his past to see where he came from. Being a heartthrob was good enough for George.
To win the race, a prettier face
Brand new clothes and a big fat place
On your rock and roll TV (Rock and roll TV)
But today the way I play the game is not the same, no way
Think I’m gonna get me some happy
As you get older, it’s harder to maintain your image. George has become wiser with age, content with who he is now.
I think there’s something you should know
(I think it’s time I told you so)
There’s something deep inside of me
(There’s someone else I’ve got to be)
Take back your picture in a frame
(Take back your singing in the rain)
I just hope you understand
Sometimes the clothes do not make the man
This is the confessional part of the lyrics. George reached a point in his life where he stopped carrying about his image. He is trying to explain that there is more to a person than the clothes you wear.
All we have to do now
Is take these lies and make them true somehow
All we have to see
Is that I don’t belong to you and you don’t belong to me, yeah yeah
Image isn’t what you think it is. While George was and may still be viewed as a sex symbol, he is trying to explain that I don’t belong to you and you don’t belong to me.
Freedom (I won’t let you down)
Freedom (I will not give you up)
Freedom (Gotta have some faith in the sound)
You’ve got to give what you take (It’s the one good thing that I’ve got)
Freedom (I won’t let you down)
Freedom (So please don’t give me up)
Freedom (‘Cause I would really)
You’ve got to give what you take (really love to stick around)
The opening chorus is another confession. Meanwhile, this also reads like a self-help pep talk. Freedom is the spark which will enable George to maintain his stardom.
Heaven knows we sure had some fun, boy
What a kick just a buddy and me (What a kick just a buddy and me)
We had every big-shot goodtime band on the run, boy
We were living in a fantasy (We were living in a fantasy)
George looks back at his start as the lead singer of Wham. Looking back, this was like living a dream.
We won the race, got out of the place
Went back home, got a brand new face for the boys on MTV (Boys on MTV)
But today the way I play the game has got to change, oh yeah
Now I’m gonna get myself happy
George was successful with Wham, but the time came for George to leave, starting his solo career. While the days on MTV were great, Goerge does things different now, content with his new life outside of a band,
I think there’s something you should know
(I think it’s time I stopped the show)
There’s something deep inside of me
(There’s someone I forgot to be)
Take back your picture in a frame
(Don’t think that I’ll I be back again)
I just hope you understand
Sometimes the clothes do not make the man
When everyone told George about his great looks and image, it appears that he didn’t have a friend who was real with him, demonstrating tough love. This led to an identity crisis trying to figure out the man behind his clothes.
All we have to do now
Is take these lies and make them true somehow
All we have to see
Is that I don’t belong to you and you don’t belong to me, yeah yeah
George is sorting things out, trying to figure out the truth behind the lies he was told as an artist.
Freedom (I won’t let you down)
Freedom (I will not give you up)
Freedom (Gotta have some faith in the sound)
You got to give what you take
(It’s the one good thing that I’ve got)
Freedom (I won’t let you down)
Freedom (So please don’t give me up)
Freedom (‘Cause I would really)
You got to give what you take (really love to stick around)
Freedom came as George began to figure out who he is and what’s really important in life.
Well, it looks like the road to heaven
But it feels like the road to hell
When I knew which side my bread was buttered
I took the knife as well
Posing for another picture
Everybody’s got to sell
But when you shake your ass
They notice fast
And some mistakes were build to last
George is looking for direction in life, what to do in the future. However, he still hasn’t figured things out. Poor decisions in the past, using his body as a sex symbol, has led to regret. Yet, sex sold his music for years.
(That’s what you get)
That’s what you get
(That’s what you get)
I say that’s what you get
(I say that’s what you get for changing your mind)
That’s what you get for changing your mind
(That’s what you get)
(That’s what you get) And after all this time
I just hope you understand
Sometimes the clothes do not make the man
A stanza about regret, possibly referring to his song I Want Your Sex. George is having image problems, trying to explain to his fans that he is not the man behind his former image.
All we have to do now
Is take these lies and make them true somehow
All we have to see
Is that I don’t belong to you
And you don’t belong to me, yeah yeah
George is trying to sort things out to improve his self-esteem.
Freedom (Oh)
Freedom
(My) Freedom
You’ve gotta give for what you take
Freedom (I’ll hold on to my)
Freedom
(My) Freedom
You got to give what, to give what, give what you take
Yeah!
You got to give what, give to what, to give
Freedom comes from being true to yourself and who you are.
May not be what you want from me
Just the way it’s got to be
Lose the face now
I’ve got to live
George is searching for the type of person that he has to be moving forward in life.
Final Thoughts:
I loved Wham when I was in high school. However, when George Michael began his solo career, he started to push the envelope through his dance moves and lyrics. George was like the Madonna of male artists, not going over the top in his music videos like Madonna. The lyrics of Freedom give me hope that George may be maturing and transforming his life as he grows old.
by Jay Mankus
ExpressYourself4Him 