Beyoncé is no stranger to creating a track with a powerful message, and her song “Freedom” from her 2016 album Lemonade, which features rapper Kendrick Lamar, is no different.
ICYMI, the track has been experiencing a resurgence thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris featuring it in presidential campaign. Not long after Harris announced that she was running as the Democratic nominee in the election, it was reported that she got Beyoncé’s approval to use “Freedom” throughout her campaign.
On July 25, Harris released her first presidential campaign ad, which Beyoncé’s 2016 hit plays throughout as Harris says, “In this election, we each face a question: What kind of country do we want to live in? There are some people who think we should be a country of chaos, of fear, of hate. But us, we choose something different. We choose freedom.”
With “Freedom” now being heard everywhere, here’s what the powerful lyrics actually mean.
“Freedom” has been called an “anthem for African American empowerment,” as the song describes the Black Lives Matter movement, police brutality, systematic racism, injustice, and slavery in the United States. The song works to spread awareness to these issues that are still prevalent in America today, and prompt action for change.
I’m Kamala Harris, and I’m running for President of the United States. pic.twitter.com/6qAM32btjj
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) July 25, 2024
In the chorus, Beyoncé’s message is that with hard work, it’s possible to overcome the oppression that comes from racism. She also expresses how freedom from such can happen through perseverance and working together. She sings, “Freedom! Freedom! I can’t move / Freedom, cut me loose! / Freedom! Freedom! Where are you? / ‘Cause I need freedom, too! / I break chains all by myself / Won’t let my freedom rot in hell / Hey! I’ma keep running / ‘Cause a winner don’t quit on themselves.”
Beyoncé’s chorus largely calls for the liberation of Black individuals in the face of racism.
In verse two, Beyoncé sings, “I’ma wade, I’ma wave through the waters / Tell the tide, “Don’t move” / I’ma riot, I’ma riot through your borders / Call me bulletproof / Lord, forgive me, I’ve been runnin’ / Runnin’ blind in truth / I’ma wade, I’ma wave through your shallow love / Tell the deep I’m new.” In Black history, Harriet Tubman escaped enslavers by getting into the water to make her scent untraceable by tracking dogs. In this verse, it shows that Beyoncé will not simply wade into the shallow waters, but she’ll wave through them, moving effortlessly like a wave.
In Lamar’s verse of the song, he discusses the topic of police brutality and unavoidable interactions Black individuals face with police. He raps, “Seven misleadin’ statements ‘bout my persona / Six headlights wavin’ in my direction / Five-O askin’ me what’s in my possession / Yeah I keep runnin’, jump in the aqueducts / Fire hydrants and hazardous / Smoke alarms on the back of us.” These lyrics detail the stress many black individuals feel when confronted by the police due to the history of mistreatment.
The song’s message is spoken at the end with a quote from Hattie White, Jay-Z’s grandmother. Inspiring the album title, White can be heard saying, “I had my ups and downs, but I always find the inner strength to / pull myself up. I was served lemons, but I made lemonade.” This final quote in “Freedom” reiterates the theme of turning a bad situation around, and making the future a hopeful place to live — something Harris plans to do if elected President.