- Curtis Mayfield is a genius for this soundtrack.
It’s October, y’all! We’re celebrating what we call Black Cinema Month at Soul Music Society! That means we are highlighting some of the most legendary films from the 70s including their stars and their music. Get all the way into this iconic song, “Freddie’s Dead,” from Super Fly.
Curtis Mayfield didn’t just compose “Freddie’s Dead,” he sang it, too. The song is the theme to the greatest Blaxploitation soundtrack – one of the finest soul albums of all-time – for the blaxploitation film Super Fly. The lyrics are clever and never preachy. That’s part of the magic of Curtis Mayfield.
The lyrics of “Freddie’s Dead” are about a man who wasted his life by making bad choices, but then Curtis Mayfield expands the personal story to society at large when he wrote:
We’re all built up with progress
But sometimes I must confess
We can deal with rockets and dreams
But reality, what does it mean
Ain’t nothing said
‘Cause Freddie’s dead
Purchase the Super Fly soundtrack here.
In this article
Curtis Mayfield was one of the most influential musicians behind soul and politically conscious music, especially from an African-American lens. And it’s no wonder this song made it up to #4 on the U.S. Pop chart and #2 on the R&B chart.
Check out the other classic films that we’re celebrating for Black Cinema Month. You might rediscover an old favorite or discover something new!
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