Patti Smith
People Have the Power
Patti Smith is a singer-songwriter, poet, and visual artist. She is also the author of Just Kids, a memoir that won the 2010 National Book Award.
The lead single off of Smith's 1988 album Dream of Life, this song was recorded at the Hit Factory in New York City. In an interview with NME, Smith discussed the writing of the song, and its connection to her late husband, Fred "Sonic" Smith:
“We had both protested the Vietnam War when we were young. We had been part of the ’60s, where our cultural voice was really strong, and we were trying to write a song that would reintroduce that kind of energy. It’s sad for me but quite beautiful. It was really Fred’s song – even though I wrote the words, he wrote the music; the concept was his, and he wanted it to be a song that people sang all over the world to inspire them for different causes. And he didn’t live to see that happen, but I have. I’ve seen people. I’ve walked in marches all over the world where people spontaneously started singing it, you know, whether it’s been in Paris or with the Palestinians or, you know, in Spain or New York City, Washington D.C. – and it’s so moving for me to see his dream realized.”
I was dreamin' in my dreamin' Of an aspect bright and fair And my sleepin' it was broken But my dream it lingered near In the form of shinin' valleys Where the pure air recognized Oh, and my senses newly opened And I awakened to the cry And the people have the power To redeem the work of fools From the meek the graces shower It's decreed the people rule People have the power People have the power People have the power People have the power Vengeful aspects became suspect And bending low as if to hear Well, and the armies ceased advancin' Because the people had their ear And the shepherds [Incomprehensible] the soldiers And they laid among the stars Exchanging visions, layin' arms To waste in the dust In the form of shinin' valleys Where the pure air recognized And my senses newly opened And I awakened to the cry People have the power People have the power People have the power People have the power Where there were deserts, I saw fountains Like cream the waters rise And we strolled there together With none to laugh or criticize There is no leopard and the lamb And lay together truly bound Well I was hopin' in my hopin' To recall what I had found Well I was dreamin' in my dreamin' God knows a pure view As I lay down into my sleepin' And I commit my dream with you People have the power People have the power People have the power People have the power The power to dream, to rule To wrestle the earth from fools But it's decreed the people rule But it's decreed the people rule Listen, I believe everythin' we dream Can come to pass through our union We can turn the world around We can turn the earth's revolution We have the power People have the power People have the power People have the power The power to dream, to rule To wrestle the earth from fools But it's decreed the people rule But it's decreed the people rule We have the power We have the power People have the power We have the power