Curtis Mayfield
Some artists wrote hits.
Curtis Mayfield wrote instructions.
His voice never shouted. It didn’t have to. It floated, light and almost gentle, while the lyrics did the heavy lifting. Songs about dignity. Survival. Pride. Moving forward when the road didn’t exactly welcome you.
By the time the civil rights movement hit its stride, Mayfield’s music was already there, playing in the background like a steady pulse. Not speeches. Not slogans. Just clarity.
Hope, but with eyes open.
The kind of songs you could dance to and still walk away thinking.
Move On Up:
People Get Ready:
We People Who Are Darker Than Blue:
Freddie’s Dead:
The Makings of You:
This is an open thread
