Freddy Cole Sings "The Right To Love"

Start Free Trial
What Is MOG
Trial Info
Sign In

Email Password

Remember me on this computer

Forgot Password?

OR login using Facebook Connect
Connect

Don't have an account?
Join MOG. It's Free!

Freddy Cole Sings "The Right To Love"

Posted almost 4 years ago

Artist:
- PLAY
Freddy Cole

â€œThe Right To Love,â€ written by Gene Lees (lyrics) and Lalo Schifrin (music), comes from the middle 1960's and was first recorded by Tony Bennett. In itâ€™s time, it was considered a very risky song, speaking frankly but in couched terms about a love between two people at opposite ends of the spectrum. A friend of mine put it more succinctly: â€œLove just happens.â€ Thus is the message of this song. Grover Washington, Jr. is heard in a plaintive performance on soprano sax.

Comments (8)

Follow

runobodyii says Beautiful. Another fine set.

Permalink posted 04/16/2008
Follow

musikfriend says runobodyii: For some reason, this song hits a pretty strong chord for me. I first heard it sung by Tony Bennett who had to fight the suits at Columbia (now Sony) Records to record this song. I can't imagine why that would be in all honesty as the middle sixties had far more controversial songs coming out. But glad you liked it! Yours truly, musikfriend

Permalink posted 04/17/2008
Follow

runobodyii says What was the controversy about? Tipped off by your note, I listened for one, but I guess my modern ear just never picked it up.

Permalink posted 04/17/2008
Follow

musikfriend says runodyii, Well, the controversy is there. The lyrics are really vague which, in the middle 1960's, one had to be. What passes for a rather obscuring of the meaning today was considered pretty dicey in the middle 1960's. One has to really sink into the lyrics to be able to finally get the meaning. In many way, it is a universal song, isn't it? Okay, hope this hasn't teased your brain too much! Yours very truly, musikfriend

Permalink posted 04/17/2008
Follow

runobodyii says Same-sex? Inter-racial? Inter-generational? The lyrics make nothing clear. I think you're trading on insider knowledge. Do please share.

Permalink posted 04/17/2008
Follow

musikfriend says runodyii, I will share! If I remember correctly, Tony Bennett discusses this slightly in his autobiography. He gives no clues to its meaning. What you sited are the many different meanings this song can have: inter-racial, inter-generational, same-sex. The lyrics were written to be very nebulous so that even the censors at CBS Records and Capitol Records wouldn't know what was going on. I remember also hearing Lalo Schifrin discuss this somewhere and he said it was written as an inter-racial love song. The one thing is certain is that it is a love song about two people in love. Here are the lyrics I found on a k.d.land recording. My love and I ask little of the world The right to sigh together in the rain And walk with heads up in the sun And share our joy and our pain And yet they said that we were wrong We hadn't the right to our love That this love was shameful to see And yet we treasured our love And so we go our solitary way Indifferent to the cold unfriendly stares Indifferent to the whispered talk We don't care at all We have all we need As long as we can be together We find our consolation in each other's eyes That sweet look of wonder We know we have earned the right to love We know that we have earned that precious right to love I would love to ask Tony and k.d. what their thoughts are on this song! This is definitely one of those songs that deserve a very long evening of discussion and debate. Yours truly, musikfriend

Permalink posted 04/17/2008
Follow

runobodyii says I think you should write to k. d. lang. Thanks for the elucidation.

Permalink posted 04/17/2008
Follow

FadingAd says
Nancy Wilson by far does the best rendition of this song on the LUSH LIFE album. Check out my on June 21 for Lalo Schifrin's (composer) birthday @ Fading Ad Blog

Permalink posted 06/24/2008