Bob Dylan: Chimes of Freedom
[purchase]
Termed by some to be a "near-perfect protest song", Chimes of Freedom is Dylan at his most inspirational, lyrically-brilliant, epic, surreal, imagery-laden and evocative - it reads equally impactful as a poem...
From Wikipedia:
"Chimes of Freedom" is a song by Bob Dylan. It has been covered many times by various artists including Joan Baez, The Byrds, Roger McGuinn, Martyn Joseph, The Axis of Justice, The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, X, Bruce Springsteen, James Luchak and Stephen Stills.
Dylan reportedly based the song on "Chimes Of Trinity", a song passed along by Dave Van Ronk from his grandmother. An unusual cover version was created by Senegalese musician Youssou N'Dour...
The song was played by Dylan for Bill Clinton at his first inauguration.
The Bon Jovi song Bells of Freedom on Have a Nice Day is a variation of Chimes of Freedom, as is Billy Bragg's song Ideology on Talking with the Taxman about Poetry.
Neil Young's song Flags of Freedom on his Living With War album mentions Dylan by name and recalls the tune and the verse structure of Chimes of Freedom (Young is listed as the song's only writer, however).
Jefferson Starship covers Bob Dylan's "Chimes of Freedom" in their 2008 release Jefferson's Tree of Liberty with vocals by Paul Kantner, David Freiberg and Cathy Richardson.
As an added post-Inauguration Day (woo hoo!) bonus, here's a lovely and earnest cover by jangle-poets husband-and-wife folk duo, Pete and Maura...
The Kennedys: Chimes of Freedom
[purchase] - Half a Million Miles CD