Discernment and Music: Freedom 90

I apologize for my break from blogging once again. Thank you for your prayers and messages of concern. I am doing well, in good health, and in a good place.

As of late, I find my life in the same position I was several years ago: making lots of money, excited about life, and with very little time for anything outside of work. Not only am I doing well selling cars, I am working as a pit-boss now for the charity poker room. I average about $700-$800 a week, have no car payment, and only pay $250 for rent.

Needless to say, that leaves me with a lot of extra cash, and a strong urge to spend money.

Money, popularity, and the pursuit of wealth are many things that drove my life years ago. While I am excited and happy to be doing so well again, I know that road is not the way I want to travel. I've been there, and unless you keep chasing and keep chasing, you stop being happy.

Sometimes we think we want everything, when all we really want is to be free of it all.

George Michael is probably too old for some of you to remember. In the beginning of his career he was a pop icon, perhaps the Justin Timberlake of the 1980's. He was a teen idol, was at the top of the record charts, was making a lot of money, and was always in the spotlight.

In 1990, after deciding that the none of those things were actually bringing him happiness, his attitude towards the music industry changed. He stopped doing record promotions, he stayed out of the spotlight as best he could, and he tried to move beyond his image as he tried to become a better person.

On the album Listen Without Prejudice, George made his stand in the song Freedom 90. The song was so popular that when MTV asked for a video, George Michael refused to even be in the video. Whether it was a large publicity stunt or his attempt to save himself from draw of money and fame...that's still up for debate. Either way, Freedom 90 is a strong testament against letting the chase for wealth and money control who you are.

It's good to be writing again, and I'm doing my best to keep my priorities in line.


I won't let you down
I will not give you up
Gotta have some faith in the sound
It's the one good thing that I got
I won't let you down
So please don't give me up
Because I would really, really
Love to stick around

Heaven knows I was just a young boy
Didn't know what I wanted to be
I was every little hungry schoolgirls pride and joy
And I guess it was enough for me
To win the race, a prettier face
Brand new clothes and a big fat place
On your rock and roll TV
But today the way I play the game is not the same no way
Think I'm gonna get myself happy

I think there's something you should know
I think it's time I told you so
There's something deep inside of me
There's someone else I've got to be
Take back your picture in a frame
Take back your singing in the rain
I just hope you understand
Sometimes the clothes do not make the man

All we have to do now
Is take these lies and make them true somehow
All we have to see
Is that I don't belong to you and you don't belong to me
Freedom Freedom
You've gotta give for what you take
Freedom Freedom
You've gotta give for what you take

Heaven knows we sure had some fun boy
What a kick just a buddy and me
We had every big-shot goodtime band on the run boy
We were living in a fantasy
We won the race
Got out of the place
I went back home got a brand new face
For the boys on MTV
But today the way I play the game has got to change oh yeah
Now I'm gonna get myself happy

I think there's somethig you should know
I think it's time I stopped the show
There's something deep inside of me
There's someone I forgot to be
Take back your picture in a frame
Take back your singing in the rain
I just hope you understand
Sometimes the clothes do not make the man

Well it looks like the road to heaven
But it feels like the road to hell
When I knew which side my bread was buttered
I took the knife as well
Posing for another picture
Everybody's got to sell
But when you shake your ass
They notice fast
And some mistakes were build to last

That's what you get
I say that's what you get
That's what you get for changing your mind
And after all this time
I just hope you understand
sometimes the clothes do not make the man

I'll hold on to my freedom
May not be what you want from me
just the way it's got to be
Lose the face now
I've got to live