B-side "Angel" Length 3:24 | Genre Rock | |
Released March 8, 1971 (1971-03-08) Format Seven-inch 45 rpm record Recorded Electric Lady Studios, New York City, June 25, July 14 & 19, August 14 & 24, 1970 | ||
"Freedom" is a Jimi Hendrix song released in 1971 from the album The Cry of Love. The album was released posthumously in 1971 and became a major hit. This was the only single released from the album and was somewhat successful on the charts, reaching number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. It is now one of the more popular songs in the Hendrix collection, and is a staple in many compilation works. It was later featured on the 1997 album First Rays of the New Rising Sun.
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Interpretation
The lyrics "Keep on pushing straight ahead..." towards the end of the song are most likely a reference to the Curtis Mayfield song "Keep On Pushing" from the album of the same name. Mayfield was a major influence on Hendrix, from whom he borrowed much of his R&B rhythm guitar style, as heard on recordings such as "Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)" and "Little Wing". "Straight ahead" is a phrase which features on several tracks from the period—and it was one of the titles considered for his final studio album.
Covers
In popular culture
On March 19, 2009 the song was released as downloadable content playable on basic controllers for Guitar Hero: World Tour.
It was made available to download on December 20, 2011 for play in Rock Band 3 Basic, and PRO mode which utilizes real guitar / bass guitar, and MIDI compatible electronic drum kits / keyboards in addition to vocals.