"None of Us Are Free" is a

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

song written by

Barry Mann Barry Mann (born Barry Imberman; February 9, 1939) is an American songwriter and musician, and part of a successful songwriting partnership with his wife, Cynthia Weil. He has written or co-written 53 hits in the UK and 98 in the US. Early li ...

Cynthia Weil Cynthia Weil (born October 18, 1940) is an American songwriter who wrote many songs together with her husband Barry Mann. Life and career Weil was born in New York City, and was raised in a Conservative Jewish family. Her father was Morris Wei ...

, and

Brenda Russell Brenda Russell (née Gordon; born April 8, 1949) is an American singer-songwriter, producer, and keyboardist. Russell has a diverse musical range which encompasses R&B, pop, soul, dance, and jazz. She has received five Grammy nominations. Li ...

in 1993. It was first recorded by

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

on his 1993 album '' My World'', but received relatively little attention at that time. Noting that it is only one of five, "socially-conscious songs on the album," '' Jet'' describes the song as, "a piece that talks about the need for all people to get to know each other," and quotes Charles: "Music is powerful. As people listen to it, they can be affected. They respond. But when I was doing this album I wasn't trying to create an overall message. It just turned out that we got some songs that had something to say."

Lynn Norment Lynn Norment, born in Bolivar, Tennessee, is an American journalist known for her 30 years of writing and editing ''Ebony Magazine'' in Chicago, Illinois, United States. She was inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall ...

described the song as, "catchy," and that, like another album track, "One Drop of Love", it "deliver pertinent social messages." Timothy White described the song as, "a hard-rolling exhortation...that deserves to be a multiformat radio

anthem An anthem is a musical composition of celebration, usually used as a symbol for a distinct group, particularly the national anthems of countries. Originally, and in music theory and religious contexts, it also refers more particularly to short ...

for these morally faltering times." Biographer Mike Evans described the song in 2009 as, "the main 'message' song on the album" In 2002, a version was recorded by

soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...

singer

Solomon Burke Solomon Vincent McDonald Burke (born James Solomon McDonald, March 21, 1936 or 1940 – October 10, 2010) was an American singer who shaped the sound of rhythm and blues as one of the founding fathers of soul music in the 1960s. He has been ...

on his album ''

Don't Give Up On Me ''Don't Give Up on Me'' is a studio album by American R&B/Soul singer Solomon Burke, recorded and released in 2002 on Fat Possum Records. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album. It is noteworthy for the contributions ...

''. The track featured

The Blind Boys of Alabama The Blind Boys of Alabama, also billed as The Five Blind Boys of Alabama, and Clarence Fountain and the Blind Boys of Alabama, is an American gospel group. The group was founded in 1939 in Talladega, Alabama, and has featured a changing roster ...

backing vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are use ...

, and the album won the

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

for Best Contemporary Blues Album, bringing Burke back into the public eye. The song was released as a single in the UK, and "None of Us Are Free" became a feature of Burke's later performances. His version of the track was notably featured at the end of the sixth episode of the second season of ''

House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

''. It is also used at the end of episode three season seven of ''

Cold Case A cold case is a crime, or a suspected crime, that has not yet been fully resolved and is not the subject of a current criminal investigation, but for which new information could emerge from new witness testimony, re-examined archives, new or re ...

'' and at the end of the ninth episode in the first season of ''

Snowfall Snow comprises individual ice crystals that grow while suspended in the atmosphere—usually within clouds—and then fall, accumulating on the ground where they undergo further changes. It consists of frozen crystalline water throughout ...

''. The magazine '' No Depression'' describes the song as, "funk-fortified," and, "a paean to justice through solidarity cowritten by

Brill Building The Brill Building is an office building at 1619 Broadway on 49th Street in the New York City borough of Manhattan, just north of Times Square and further uptown from the historic musical Tin Pan Alley neighborhood. It was built in 1931 as t ...

vets Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil," in which Burke, "admonishes on the chorus," while, "the Blind Boys of Alabama," intone, "implacably behind him." Lasczik Cutcher writes that the song, "reiterates this notion of our collective humanity, especially when suffering: that we ought to stand together." In 2016, The Commissionaires released a version of the song as their debut single from their album ''Shelter Me''. It was chosen as

CBC Radio CBC Radio is the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which (regardless of language) are outlined below ...

's Song Of The Week in Toronto, December 5, 2016. The song has also been recorded by: *

Chuck Negron Charles Negron II (born June 8, 1942) is an American singer-songwriter. He is best known as one of the three lead vocalists in the rock band Three Dog Night, which he helped form in 1968. Early life Chuck Negron was born on June 8, 1942, in M ...

: ''Am I Still in Your Heart?'' (1995) *

Hiroshima is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui h ...

: ''Urban World Music'' (1996) *

Lynyrd Skynyrd Lynyrd Skynyrd ( ) is an American rock music, rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida. The group originally formed as My Backyard in 1964 and comprised Ronnie Van Zant (lead vocalist), Gary Rossington (guitar), Allen Collins (guitar), Larry Ju ...

: ''

Twenty Twenty or 20 may refer to: * 20 (number), the natural number following 19 and preceding 21 * one of the years 20 BC, AD 20, 1920, 2020 Music Albums * ''20'' (2nd Chapter of Acts album), 1992 * ''20'' (Cunter album), 2011 * ''20'' (Dr ...

'' (1997) * Sam Moore: '' Overnight Sensational'' (2006) *

Widespread Panic Widespread Panic is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. The current lineup includes guitarist/singer John Bell, bassist Dave Schools, drummer Duane Trucks, percussionist Domingo "Sunny" Ortiz, keyboardist John "JoJo" Hermann, and guit ...

: '' Earth to Atlanta'' (2006) *

Hanne Boel Hanne Boel (born 31 August 1957 in Bagsværd, Copenhagen) is a Danish singer. Boel covers in her songs a range of styles including pop, soul, gospel, rock, and jazz. Over the course of her career, she has sold over 2.5 million records, and has ...

: ''Outtakes'' (2013/2014) * Michael English: ''Love is the Golden Rule'' (2017) * Sting and Sam Moore: ''

Duets A duet is a musical composition or piece for two performers. Duets or The Duets may also refer to: Films and television * ''Duets'' (film), a 2000 film, starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Paul Giamatti and Huey Lewis * "Duets" (''Glee''), a 2010 episo ...

'' (2021) *

Rain Perry Rain Perry (born November 9, 1966) is an American folk-rock singer/songwriter. Her song "Beautiful Tree" was the theme song for the CW Network series ''Life Unexpected''. "Yosemite," her celebration of the pains of growing up, won the Grand Pri ...

and Betty Soo: '' A White Album'' (2022)

References

{{Reflist Solomon Burke songs Ray Charles songs Lynyrd Skynyrd songs Songs written by Barry Mann Songs with lyrics by Cynthia Weil Songs written by Brenda Russell