Breakin’ Dawn Lyrics

[Hook 2 - Brother Ali]
Preach on Mr. Preacher Man, they say
Everybody wanna hear what you have to say
Stand tall, speak loud, boy that's the way
Them songs of yours, bring us a brand new day

Preach on Mr. Preacher Man, they say
Everybody wanna hear what you have to say
Stand tall, speak loud, boy that's the way
Them songs of yours, give us a brand new day

[Break]

[Verse 3 - Brother Ali]
Closed his eyes as he sang every note
The songs he was taught and the ones that he wrote
Stood up, cleared his throat, grabbed his coat
In those last moments, a few words were spoke
"I used to peek at this old house in awe
Imaginin what it must be like and all
And this the finest spread these eyes ever saw
But I don't mind sayin I feel sorry for y'all
All that gettin, so little givin
Led a lot of y'all to forget what's missin
Built you a big pretty prison to sit in
Strut around here, convinced that that's livin
But we gonna keep on singin
Keep on solderin, keep on buildin
Keep on teachin and keep on listenin
And keep, keepin on, 'til the whole thing's different"
In the shed, the sun start to set
Said all his prayers and laid down his head
Everything said that he needed to say
And one of these mornings we'll wake up to a brand new
[Hook 2]

[Break]

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About

Genius Annotation

Ali tells the story of a white leper child living in the American south in the time of slavery. He is kicked out of his home for his condition and befriends the black slaves despite their different skin. After singing in the field, his white family recognize his voice and bring him back into the house where he lives the good life before realizing that his “family” in the house reaps their benefits from the suffering of his family outside.

The whole story is a metaphor for Brother Ali’s life and how he felt most at home among black people despite the fact that he was white.

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Credits
Produced By
Written By
Mixing Engineer
Engineer
Release Date
September 22, 2009
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