By
K’naan
These are the original lyrics the song has been recently remixed featuring Will.i.am
When I get older, I will be stronger
They’ll call me freedom, just like a Waving Flag
When I get older, I will be stronger
They’ll call me freedom, just like a Waving Flag
And then it goes back, and then it goes back
And then it goes back
Born to a throne, stronger than Rome
But Violent prone, poor people zone
But it’s my home, all I have known
Where I got grown, streets we would roam
But out of the darkness, I came the farthest
Among the hardest survival
Learn from these streets, it can be bleak
Except no defeat, surrender retreat
So we struggling, fighting to eat and
We wondering when we’ll be free
So we patiently wait, for that fateful day
It’s not far away, so for now we say
(Chorus)
So many wars, settling scores
Bringing us promises, leaving us poor
I heard them say, love is the way
Love is the answer, that’s what they say,
But look how they treat us, make us believers
We fight their battles, then they deceive us
Try to control us, they couldn’t hold us
Cause we just move forward like Buffalo Soldiers
But we struggling, fighting to eat
And we wondering, when we’ll be free
So we patiently wait, for that faithful day
It’s not far away, but for now we say
(Chorus)
And everybody will be singing it
And you and I will be singing it
And we all will be singing it
(Chorus x3)
In 2006 he released his first album called The
Dusty Foot Philosopher and in 2009 he released
the album Troubadour and on it is his most
known song Waving Flag
"What makes K‘naan's music so compelling is not only his
lyrical agility and social conscience but his ability to draw on so
many musical resources--from his African roots and reggae
styling to hip-hop, pop, and rock." Capobianco, Ken. "K'naan review."
Rev. of K'naan. Boston Globe: n. pag. Gale Biography Resource Center. Web. 17 May 2010.
<http://galenet.galegroup.com/servlet/BioRC?vrsn=149&OP=contains&locID=rich56740&srchtp=name&ca=1&c=1&
AI=U21378715&NA=k%27naan&ste=12&tbst=prp&tab=1&docNum=K1608005433&bConts=41>.
Back
When he gets older he
hopes to be in a better
place and a musician so
his voice will be stronger
and he’ll be a symbol of
freedom like a country’s
flag. "If you're going to
make music I think it
should contribute in some
way," he said. "It doesn't
have to change the world,
it could just be a good
melody.”
"K'naan Warsame." African Success: n. pag.
African Success. Web. 26 May 2010.
<http://www.africansuccess.org/visuFiche.php?id=611&lang=en>.
“There is an image that I see of a window almost
like an abandon building, and there is a window,
a grainy, dark window and outside of it there is
just this solitary flag that is waving” CBC interview, K’naan
with George Stroumboulopoulos
Back
His home in Somalia was filled with rebel forces trying to
oust the president Mohamed Siad Barre.There was no
stable government and rival warlords were at war
constantly. "I'm poor, a refugee, been in prison, and
survived a war….I come from the most dangerous city in
this universe, you're likely to get shot at birth.""
K'naan Warsame." African
Success: n. pag. African Success. Web. 26 May 2010. <http://www.africansuccess.org/visuFiche.php?id=611&lang=en>.
Somalia is also famous for
the pirating of the nearby
seas. K’naan was involved
in some of the trouble
and at 8 he fired his first
gun and when he was 12
he witnessed his three
best friends get killed by
pointless gunfire.
Back
As said by the name of his first album, The Dusty Foot
Philosopher, K’naan and his family had to walk
everywhere. They had to walk miles through desert
terrain and through gunfire and grenade blasts. The
only form of fun he had was a homemade drum and a
vinyl record of Paid in Full by Eric B and Rakim sent to
him by his dad from New York. "Exactly how he would
rhyme, I would rhyme. And I had this drum that I used
to play the rhythms on and rhyme everything back at
the kids. They thought I was a hip-hop star. ... It was
fun.”K'Naan said in an interview with the Ontario,
Canada Record. K'naan. "Record." Interview by Nick Krewen. Gale
Biography Resource Center N.p., n.d. Web. 25 May 2010.
Paid In Full - Eric B and Rakim (above)
K’naan and his 2 brothers
used to laugh at American
rappers and described them
as kids who had everything
but acted like they had
nothing
Back
His mom knew she had to get her family out of Somalia so everyday she walked miles
to the U.S. embassy to petition to let them out of the country and every time they said
“no.” Eventually they agreed to let them go on the very last flight out of the country
before all airports were shut down.
They arrived in Harlem to reunite with
K’naan’s father. K’naan and his family
soon moved to Ontario, Canada where
there was a large Somali community.
K’naan visited Somalia before releasing
Troubadour and in an interview said,
““For a long time I have been emotionally
hostage to my child hood and I couldn’t
have written another album without
going back.” “The Road to South Africa." www.thedustyfoot.com: n.
pag. www.Thedustyfoot.com. Web. 29 May 2010.
<http://www.thedustyfoot.com>.
When he improved his English he began to pursue his career as a musician and
in 10th grade he dropped out of high school and traveled all over North
America for 2 years and preformed in many places. "My experiences aren't
just mine," he said. "It's just that I can articulate them in English.” K'naan Warsame." African
Succes: n. pag. African Success. Web. 26 May 2010. <http://www.africansuccess.org/visuFiche.php?id=611&lang=en>.
Back
There is civil war and starvation in
Somalia and little is being done to help
them. They don’t know if it will ever
end but somehow they keep hope.
K’naan is trying to get people to realize
that something should be done to help
them. “I don’t know what the solutions
are but I hope there will be great
leaders to emerge soon because we
need it.” said K’naan.
“The Road to South Africa."
www.thedustyfoot.com: n. pag. www.Thedustyfoot.com. Web. 29 May 2010. <http://www.thedustyfoot.com>.
K‘naan performed at the United
Nations' 50th anniversary
concert in 1999. He used this
opportunity to publicly criticize
the U.N.’s handling of the
Somali crisis in the 1990s
Back
War and Crisis
in Somalia
Rebel forces ousted the president in 1991
when he was forced to leave the country and the
Somali National Government gained control of the
north while the United Somali Congress gained
control of the south and Africa hasn’t had a stable
government since 1991. Civil wars between the two
sides has resulted in the killing of thousands of
innocent Somalis. The UN got involved in 1992. By
1993 the mass starvation in Somalia had been
stopped but the security issues had not been
stopped. The U.S. and other countries withdrew
their troops in 1995 after suffering major casualties
in Somalia and order had still not been restored.
The Un continued to assist Somalia only with the
food crisis but remained distant from the war
issues.
Back
Buffalo soldier was the name
given to the cavalry and
infantry regiments made
entirely of African American
soldiers. These regiments
originated in 1866 African
Americans were forced to be
on the front lines and in 1867
the first buffalo soldier unit
was sent to the west to fight
Native Americans. The Native
Americans gave the buffalo
soldiers their name. Buffalo
Soldier regiments were
disbanded in the 1950’s.
Back
Although he did not plan for it the Young Artists
for Haiti foundation remixed his song for the
benefit of charity the song features several
Canadian artists (like K’naan) including: Drake,
Jully Black, Pierre Bouvier from Simple Plan,
Broken Social Scene, Justin Bieber, Nelly Furtado,
Avril Lavigne, Lights, Serena Ryder, Deryck
Whibley from Sum 41,Nikki Yanofsky and many
more
This song also helped win K’naan songwriter of
the year during the 2010 Juno Awards in Canada
"I am honored," K‘naan said."Anybody
would be.""Canadian artists wave flag for Haitian relief." LF Press: n.
pag. lfpress.com. Web. 29 May 2010.
<http://www.lfpress.com/entertainment/music/2010/03/11/13197411.html>.
K’naan’s song is
also the theme
song for the 2010
Fifa World Cup
and he has
remixed it again to
better relate to
the World Cup
END
Sources
• http://www.lfpress.com/entertainment/music
/2010/03/11/13197411.html
• www.thedustyfoot.com
• http://galenet.galegroup.com
• www.42explore2.com
• www.africansuccess.org
• www.starpulse.com
• www.google.com/images
• www.youtube.com