Has there ever been a song that brings a lump to the throat, a quiver to the bottom lip and a tear to the corner of your eye ? It may be the lyrical content, the haunting melody or the lush arrangement. Perhaps all three.

The one that ticks all the boxes for me is ‘Someday We’ll All Be Free.’

I first remember hearing it in the mid seventies on a cassette I had of my favourite band at the time the Average White Band with Ben E King, from the album Benny And Us.

I knew it was a cover version so I eagerly sought out the original. The song was written in 1973 by Donny Hathaway, lyrics by Edward Howard and appeared on the ‘Extension Of A Man’ album as well as being released as a non charting single.

I only knew of Hathaway from his duet with Roberta Flack, ‘Where Is The Love ?’

This is the version of  ‘Someday We’ll All Be Free‘ that really got to me.

Although a soulful gospel style ballad, it has elements of jazz chordings and odd beat bars as well as classical styling not unlike Debussy or Ravel.

Hathaway did all the arrangements and orchestration.

The lyrics are uplifting and full of hope often interpreted as being about the racial strife and struggle of African Americans but in truth was written for Hathaway by Howard to help lift his depressive mood. Hathaway had a long history of mental health issues.

Hang on to the world as it spins around
Just don’t let the spin get you down
Things are moving fast
Hold on tight and you will last

Keep your self-respect, your manly pride
Get yourself in gear, keep your stride
Never mind your fears
Brighter days will soon be here

It’s in F# major, while horrendous on paper it is well suited to the piano player. Rippling seventh chords on the Fender Rhodes accompany the verse. The chords move up as the bass remains the same to give a jazz colouring. Hathaway’s voice ranges from the D# below middle C, to the A# above in one phrase. The chorus uses parallel harmony, the minor chords moving in 5ths to give a lifting emotional level up to a climax. The rhythm of the chorus has a three against two feel, a hemiola. Relief is at hand with a perfect trumpet solo by session legend Marvin Stamm and some tasty bass riffs from Willie Weeks. There are 4 beat bars followed by 3 beats but it still maintains a natural rhythm. A technique used in Hathaway’s ‘This Christmas.‘ 

All the time the song never loses it’s blues/gospel feel.

I’ll leave the technical stuff there before I vanish up my own aria ! Writing about music is like dancing about architecture as the maxim goes.

Ultimately it all adds up to the feeling of optimism and hope this song brings.

Keep on walking tall
Hold your head up high
Lay your dreams right up to the sky
Sing your greatest song
And you’ll keep going, going on

I was with my McCormack’s Music colleague Ricky when we heard of Donny Hathaway’s death in January 1979. He committed suicide by jumping out of his hotel room window. He was only thirty three.

Ricky, a Donny devotee, was inconsolable. It didn’t help when fellow salesman tried to make a joke of it. What was Donny Hathaway’s last hit ? The pavement ! Glasgow gallows humour at it’s worst.

‘Someday We’ll All Be Free‘ has become an inspirational anthem interpreted by a myriad of artistes including his daughter, Lalah Hathaway and Take Six,  Aretha Franklin, George Benson.The list is endless.

Alisha Keyes did a poignant rendition at the 9/11 memorial concert.

Do yourself a favour and hunt down as many versions as you can. Just have the tissues handy. In the meantime here’s a little bit of Donny magic.

(Post by John Allan from Bridgetown, Western Australia – April 2026)