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Music industry pioneer and anti-payola activist Dick Asher dies

Echo/Redferns

Dick Asher, the music industry titan who served as president of PolyGram and Columbia Records, has died at the age of 92. Asher's son, Jeffrey, announced the news on Facebook, saying his father passed away peacefully on Tuesday (July 25) at his home in Boca Raton, Florida.

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“It is with great sadness that I inform you all that my father, one of the legendary executives in the music industry, passed away yesterday afternoon at the age of 92!! My father is in London, England presenting Mott the Hoople with an award for album sales,” Jeffrey posted, alongside a photo of his father and the British rock band.

Born in New York City in 1932, Usher has had a career spanning more than 40 years in the music industry, during which he has worked with some of the biggest names in music, including Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson and Bon Jovi.

He began his professional career after graduating from Tufts University and Cornell Law School. After serving in the Marines, he joined CBS Records (now Sony Music) as vice president of business in the mid-1960s. After Bob Dylan was nearly killed in a motorcycle accident in 1966, Usher famously traveled to Woodstock, New York to negotiate a contract renewal with the superstar.

Asher left CBS for a brief stint at Capitol Records, but returned to the label in 1971 to work with Clive Davis at Columbia Records, later serving as a vice president at Columbia and playing a key role in stabilizing the company's finances.

In the 1980s, Usher stood up to a network of powerful independent promoters known as “The Network” who monopolized radio airplay through bribery and other questionable practices, and to that end, he released Pink Floyd's “Another Brick in the Wall, Part II” without their involvement, as recounted in Frederick Dannen's book Hit Men.

“Another Brick” was initially met with resistance from major radio stations, but ultimately became a major hit, spending four weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in March and April 1980. Usher's resistance to The Network ultimately led to congressional hearings that exposed the group's activities and led to their dissolution in the mid-1980s.

Usher's tenure at Columbia ended in 1983 due to conflicts with the company's president, Walter Yetnikoff. He then joined Warner Communications and became president and CEO of PolyGram Records in 1985. During his time at PolyGram, the company released several hit albums, including Bon Jovi's “Slippery When Wet” and Def Leppard's “Hysteria.” He left PolyGram in 1990 due to a contractual dispute and returned to law practice, providing consulting services to various artists and companies.

Asher went on to serve as the founding director of Electronic Arts for over 20 years, before moving to Florida in the 1990s to become an associate professor of commercial music at Florida Atlantic University.

Asher is survived by his wife, Sheila, his son, Jeffrey, four grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

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Country star shares heartbreaking news

“Road Less Traveled” singer Lauren Allene has put her concert tour on hold while she mourns the death of her father.

Country singer Lauren Alaina's father, JJ Suddes, has passed away. The American Idol alumna shared the heartbreaking news in an Instagram post, revealing that she'll be taking some time off to grieve.

“I lost my father last night. I still have no words,” Alaina wrote in her heartbreaking post. “I will not be able to perform my three scheduled shows this weekend in Savannah, Virginia Beach and Charlotte as I am flying home to be with my family,” she concluded, “Thank you all for your prayers and understanding.”

Alaina's Instagram post has received an outpouring of support and love from many of her peers, with singer Becca Bowen commenting, “My condolences. In your prayers,” and Ashley Cook saying, “Lauren, my heartfelt condolences.”

Following the tragic news, USA Today reported that Alaina and her father have a very close and special bond, with her even holding up her pinky finger whenever she gets nervous during a performance.

“My dad and I have a really beautiful relationship,” she told the audience during her induction ceremony at the Grand Ole Opry in February 2022. “When I was little, I always held his pinky finger, so when he comes to see my shows, I stand out in the audience and hold up my pinky finger, and that's how I show him my love.”

At this time, no information has been released regarding Sade's cause of death or funeral plans.

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Universal Music posts $3.2 billion in revenue as streaming revenue declines

Michael Buckner, Variety

Universal Music Group, the world's largest music company, reported continued strong performance in the second quarter of 2024, with revenue increasing 8.7% year over year and 9.6% excluding the impact of currency fluctuations to $3.2 billion.

According to the report, recorded music revenues increased 5.8% year over year, or 6.8% at constant exchange rates, music publishing increased 10.1% year over year, or 10.4% at constant exchange rates, and merchandising increased 44.6% year over year, or 43.7% at constant exchange rates. Best-selling recorded music artists include Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish, Seventeen and Morgan Wallen.

Recorded music subscription revenues increased 6.5% YoY (+6.9% actual) while streaming revenues were down 4.2% YoY (-3.9% actual), while physical revenues increased 9.5% YoY (+14.4% actual) and licensing and other revenues increased 18.0% YoY on both a reported and actual basis. This report follows a tough first quarter in which UMG was in an uphill battle over royalties with social media platform TikTok and made major job cuts.

Other highlights, according to the announcement, include:

Revenues of €5,526 million, up 7.3% year-on-year and 8.8% in constant currency, driven by growth in all segments

• Recorded music revenues increased 4.7% year over year, up 6.3% at constant exchange rates; music publishing revenues increased 13.4% year over year, up 14.3% at constant exchange rates; merchandising revenues increased 29.2% year over year, up 29.7% at constant exchange rates.

• Recorded music subscription revenue increased 8.5% year-on-year, up 9.6% at constant currencies, streaming revenue increased 1.8% year-on-year, up 2.5% at constant currencies, while physical revenue decreased 4.2% year-on-year, up 0.3% at constant currencies and licensing and other revenue increased 9.3% year-on-year, up 10.2% at constant currencies

— Adjusted EBITDA was €1.24 billion, up 11.5% year-on-year and 13.4% at constant currency, while adjusted EBITDA margin expanded by 0.8 percentage points to 22.4%.

Earnings per share of €0.50 compared to €0.34 in H1 2023; adjusted earnings per share of €0.44 compared to €0.42 in H1 2023

• Interim dividend of €439 million, or €0.24 per share

“Our continued strong revenue growth this quarter demonstrates our deliberate operation as a multi-faceted music entertainment company that puts artists at the center of everything we do,” said Lucian Grainge, chairman and CEO of UMG. “Our unique, innovative and constantly evolving organizational structure enables us to support recording artists and songwriters with ever-expanding revenue streams, bolstered by the exciting next phase of development of new products and streaming services.”

“Our diversified revenue streams across both emerging and organic businesses enabled us to deliver high single-digit revenue growth and double-digit adjusted EBITDA growth this quarter,” said Boyd Muir, EVP, CFO and head of operations at UMG. “We continue to invest in growth in line with our long-term strategic plan.”

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Dick Asher, Columbia/Polygram executive who worked on radio bribery scandal, dies

(Photo credit: Echoes/Redferns)

Dick Asher, the veteran music business executive who served as president of PolyGram and Columbia Records and worked with artists ranging from Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson and Bon Jovi to Bob Dylan, has died, his family confirmed to Variety. His son, Jeffrey, confirmed that Asher died peacefully on Tuesday at his home in Boca Raton, Florida. He was 92 years old.

Renowned for his high-minded business practices throughout his four-decade career in the music industry, Usher, a former Marine whose disciplined attitude sometimes clashed with the mores of the industry's freest era, is best known for his battles in the 1980s against a group of powerful independent promoters known as “The Network,” who came to monopolise radio airplay through bribery and other unscrupulous, sometimes illegal, activities, as depicted in Frederick Dannen's 1990 book “Hitmen.”

Born in New York City in 1932, Asher graduated from Tufts University and Cornell Law School before enlisting in the Marines (pictured above, left). After his discharge, he worked as a corporate lawyer, with one of his clients being Don Kirshner and Al Nevins' Aldon Music, home to Brill Building songwriters such as Carole King, Gerry Goffin, Cynthia Weil, Barry Mann, Ellie Greenwich, Jeff Barry and Neil Diamond. Asher then joined CBS Records (now Sony Music) as vice president of business in the mid-1960s.

During that time, Asher was one of the few people to meet with Bob Dylan, who was recovering from a motorcycle accident in 1966 that reportedly nearly killed him. Asher drove to Woodstock, New York, to negotiate a contract renewal with Dylan. Upon returning to the CBS offices, his fellow executives were astonished: Dylan had almost completely isolated himself. According to Asher, when he asked Dylan what new music was in store, Dylan replied, “It's a while away,” presumably referring to songs on his legendary album with The Band, “Basement Tapes,” and the album “John Wesley Harding.” (Years later, Asher would argue with Dylan over Dylan's decision to record Christian-themed music in the late 1970s.)

After a brief stint at Capitol Records, Asher returned to CBS in 1971 to work with Clive Davis at Columbia Records and was soon sent to London to turn around the company's struggling UK division, which he quickly did and was promoted to head of international. When the rapid decline of disco led to a recession in the music industry in the late 1970s, Asher was named vice president of the label and led the company to a profitable recovery, albeit largely through layoffs.

During this same period, as detailed in Hitmen, Usher began to address the growing influence of independent radio “pluggers,” who monopolized radio airwaves and charged labels exorbitant fees amounting to millions of dollars annually. In some cases, they had ties to organized crime. When Usher tried to cover “Another Brick in the Wall Part 1” from one of the biggest groups in the world, Pink Floyd's, smash hit new album, The Wall, without using the indies, major radio stations in Los Angeles and many other markets would not play the song. But once he resumed paying the indies, both the single and the album shot to No. 1 and stayed there for four months.

Usher's attempts to compete with the indies put him at odds with Columbia's notoriously temperamental president, Walter Yetnikoff, a rivalry that would continue for years to come. Despite CBS Records achieving record revenues thanks to smash hit albums by Jackson, Springsteen, and others, Usher was forced out of the company in 1983 by Yetnikoff and CEO Thomas Wyman. The Network was eventually axed after congressional hearings in the mid-1980s, but by that time Usher had taken a senior position at Warner Communications and, in October 1985, was named president and CEO of PolyGram Records. PolyGram Records was on the cusp of releasing two of the biggest albums of the decade, Bon Jovi's “Slippery When Wet” and Def Leppard's “Hysteria,” as well as many other hits by Cameo, John Mellencamp, Scorpions, Cinderella, and others. Although the company was successful, Asher left it in 1990 after a contractual dispute with the company's owners.

After leaving Polygram, he returned to law and served as a consultant to several artists and companies before becoming the first director of Electronic Arts Software, a position he held for 24 years. In the 1990s, he moved to Florida, where he became an associate professor of commercial music at Florida Atlantic University, where he helped start the university's recording studio.

Asher is survived by his wife, Sheila, his son Jeffrey (his daughter and younger son are predeceased), four grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

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The Weeknd gives first preview of new music as new era approaches – Music News

The Weeknd has given fans a two-minute preview of the new song.

The 34-year-old singer will debut the all-new film, which will be separate from his 2022 and 2023 After Hours Till Dawn Tour, and ahead of a one-off concert in São Paulo, Brazil, the “Die for You” singer posted a trailer for the film.

Quoting German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, he captioned the video on Instagram, which comes with an epilepsy warning because of its flashing images: “When you gaze into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you…”

The concert will take place on September 7th at the Estadio Morún BIS football stadium.

Ticket prices include a $1 donation to The Weeknd's XO Humanitarian Fund, which partners with the United Nations to provide food and assistance to the poor.

The 'Popular' hitmaker (real name Abel Tesfaye) has been cryptically teasing the third installment of his 'After Hours'/'Dawn FM' trilogy, which will be his sixth studio album.

Among the posts was a picture of his silhouette and the words, “Pain, Regret, Rebirth.”

Last June, the “Blinding Lights” hitmaker teased that the title would be revealed “soon.”

The “Double Fantasy” star told Variety , “I'm just finishing up this story, the third in a trilogy. The title will be announced very soon, but it's not the title that some of my fans think it is… The title that they think it is is actually a song on the album, but it's not the actual album title.” [It’s unclear which speculative title he’s referring to.] So I'm just going to say that.”

The “Take My Breath” hitmaker loved the intimacy of the tour's shows.

He said: “The shows are mostly in the daytime so I can see the audience. It's easier to make eye contact with the audience and it feels more intimate, so it feels more like a conversation with the audience than a performance. I change my set every night. I don't do that because it's usually formulaic, so I spice it up and include some deep, deep cuts and older songs. I rehearse on the day and if the band isn't available, I'll play a mini set.”

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OneRepublic Star Ryan Tedder Claims Musicians Are All 'Stealing From Each Other' – Music News

Ryan Tedder claims that all musicians “steal from each other.”

The OneRepublic frontman noted that because “there are only 12 notes in the scale,” there are “limits” to songwriters' complete creative freedom, which is why he wasn't bothered when “I Don't Want To Wait” collaborator David Guetta admitted to using his chord progressions in his songs.

Speaking in Metro's “60 Seconds” column, Ryan said: “I've known him for 10 to 15 years and every time I see him he reminds me that he loves to use my chord progressions in his songs.”

“That's nice, but the truth is, we all steal from each other! There are only 12 notes in the scale, so it's limited in a way.

“But he's an endless source of energy. He's over 10 years older than me, but he can push himself harder than I can, doing shows at 5am and playing afterparties.”

The 45-year-old singer, who has just released his sixth album, “Artificial Paradise,” the final release of his 2007 record deal, acknowledged that their songs are “too obvious,” but said he likes them.

He explained, “Sometimes you get a hit with a really cool record that kind of represents you.”

“There are a few records like that, but every once in a while there are records that are blatantly pop, but within the confines of my band I try to stay away from that because it’s a bit too cheesy and obvious.

“This was an exception and we thought, 'Look, this is obvious, but never mind!' We had a lot of fun hearing that record everywhere that summer.”

Ryan is extremely grateful for “I Ain't Worried,” which was featured on the Top Gun: Maverick soundtrack in 2022 and gave them a “global smash hit” 17 years into their career.

But 2013 chart-topping single “Counting Stars” will always hold a special place in his heart, and he still remembers when the band found out about the news as Bruno Mars and pals were passing by “outside a pub near the Corinthia Hotel in London”.

Ryan recalls: “He was like, 'Hey Ryan, congratulations on getting number one! This record is amazing, it's amazing,' and I remember thinking that was so awesome.”

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British music pioneer John Mayall dies at age 66 – Music News

British music pioneer John Mayall dies aged 90

The Bluesbreakers leader became known as the “Father of British Blues” after the release of his 1967 album, Blues Alone.

Mayall died at age 90 at his home in California, a post on his Instagram account confirmed on July 23.

“The health issues that forced John to end his epic touring career have finally brought peace to one of the world's greatest road warriors,” the post read.

Mayall is credited with nurturing the talents of Eric Clapton and Mick Fleetwood, who played with The Bluesbreakers before leaving to form their own bands, Cream and Fleetwood Mac, respectively.

Other members who went on to greater fame after being with the Bluesbreakers included John McVie and Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac, Mick Taylor, who went on to spend five years with the Rolling Stones, and Harvey Mandel and Larry Taylor of Canned Heat.

Mayall frequently stressed that his interest was in making music, not in creating stars.

“I'm a band leader, I know what I want to play with my band, and who are going to be my good friends,” he told the Southern Vermont Review. “It's definitely a family. It's a really small one.”

In another interview, he explained that he was happy being away from mainstream popularity.

“I don't have a hit record, I don't have a Grammy, Rolling Stone has never written about me,” he told the Santa Barbara Independent in 2013. “I'm still an underground performer.”

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British blues legend John Mayall dies aged 90

John Mayall, the blues and rock musician known as the “Godfather of British Blues” and whose bands included some of the best-known and greatest rock musicians of the past 50 years, died on Monday at the age of 90.

“It is with heavy hearts that we receive the news that John Mayall passed away peacefully yesterday, July 22, 2024, at his home in California surrounded by his loving family,” his family said in a statement Tuesday. “The health challenges that forced John to end his epic touring career have finally brought one of the world's greatest road warriors to rest.” The cause of death was not immediately released.

“For 90 years, John Mayall worked tirelessly to educate, enlighten and entertain us,” the statement continued, adding that he was “surrounded by love” from his ex-wives Pamela and Maggie, his secretary Jane and close friends. “John, keep playing the blues somewhere. We love you,” the family wrote.

Mayall is known as a pioneer of the British blues in the late '60s. His band, the Bluesbreakers, once featured Eric Clapton, Mick Fleetwood, John McVie and Mick Taylor. He is due to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in October after the hall's committee awarded him its Musical Influence Award earlier this year, along with Alexis Korner and Big Mama Thornton.

Born in Cheshire, England, Mayall loved American blues and jazz from an early age. After teaching himself to play piano, guitar and harmonica, he moved to London and formed the Bluesbreakers, which also included Clapton, who had left the Yardbirds.

Clapton, who called Mayall his “mentor,” said in a eulogy Wednesday: “He taught me to just play the music I want to play, without embellishing it or trying to please anyone. Listen to yourself. He taught me everything I really know, and gave me the courage and enthusiasm to express myself without fear and without restriction.”

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The musician's most revered work is his debut album, Blues Breakers, which was ranked 195th in Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time in 2003. Mayall released several albums in the 1970s after moving to Los Angeles in 1969. He was awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II in 2005 and was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2016.

The Bluesbreakers also included guitarist Mick Taylor, who joined the Rolling Stones on Mayall's recommendation. “Very sad to hear of the passing of John Mayall,” Mick Jagger said in a tribute on Wednesday. “He was a great pioneer of British blues and had a great eye for spotting talented young musicians, including Mick Taylor, who recommended him to me after Brian Jones' death and helped bring about a new era for the Stones.”

In 2020, Mayall released “Curly,” a 1967 song performed with Peter Green and John McVie. The recording was made for BBC Sessions after Green left the band to form Fleetwood Mac, with McVie joining shortly thereafter. The song appears on the 2021 box set The First Generation: 1966-1974.

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That year, Mayall, who turned 88, told Rolling Stone magazine he had decided to “retire,” but promised to release his next album, The Sun Is Shining Down.

The family's tribute quoted a 2014 interview with Mayall by The Guardian, in which he said he felt a connection to the blues because “it's always been about the raw honesty of life experience, and that's what this music is all about.” Mayall added, “To be honest, I don't think anybody knows exactly what the blues is. They just can't stop playing it.”

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Republican congressman urges Harris to 'immediately' invoke 25th Amendment due to Biden's 'deteriorating health'

First reported by FOX, Republican Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee sent a letter to Vice President Kamala Harris urging her to invoke the 25th Amendment amid growing concerns over President Biden's “deteriorating health,” FOX News Digital exclusively reported.

“Regardless of whether or not Biden was aware of his declining health throughout his term, the impact of keeping him in office would be severe. Unless Biden himself intends to step down, we urge you to immediately invoke the 25th Amendment to the Constitution to force a resolution to this matter,” the letter sent to Harris on Tuesday said.

“We are living through unprecedented times in American history. President Biden, at the urging of his own party leadership, likely authorized the release of a statement last Sunday withdrawing from the November presidential election. The Democrat-led pressure campaign to remove President Biden as his party's standard-bearer will leave the United States with an ineffectual, lame-duck commander in chief for the next six months while highlighting the left's own questionable commitment to democracy,” Ogles continued in the letter.

Biden withdraws from 2024 rematch with Trump, ends bid for second term in White House

Rep. Andy Ogles leaves the U.S. Capitol after his final vote of the week, April 20, 2023. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

The 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides that “Whenever the Vice President and a majority of the principal officers of the executive department, or such other body as Congress may by law provide, transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives their written declaration that the President is unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office, the Vice President shall immediately assume the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.”

The White House and family have given conflicting accounts of whether Biden's health issues influenced his decision to drop out of the race.

The letter came after Biden withdrew from the presidential race on Sunday afternoon, announcing the shock decision in a letter to X. Biden was self-isolating in Delaware after a COVID-19 diagnosis at the end of his reelection campaign and is due to return to the White House on Tuesday.

Ogles told Fox News Digital that Biden dropped out of the race because “he is unfit for the office of the president, and every American knows that.”

Republican senators call on Cabinet to invoke 25th Amendment after suspending Biden's reelection campaign

“I have said for over a year that Biden's continuing declining health renders him unfit to lead our country. Although he has recently gone into seclusion following a suspected COVID-19 diagnosis, it is now more clear than ever that he will either resign or be ousted. Because Biden has made it clear that he will not resign, VP Harris must proceed with invoking the 25th Amendment to the Constitution to forcibly remove him from office. The safety and well-being of the American people and our nation depend on it,” Ogles continued.

Rep. Andy Ogles told Fox News Digital that Biden dropped out of the race because “he is unfit to serve as president, and the American people know that.” (Getty Images)

Biden's health has long been a concern for conservatives, including former White House physician Ronny Jackson, but the concerns snowballed after his disastrous debate performance with former President Trump last month. His performance sparked a flurry of calls from traditional media and Democrats for him to withdraw from the debate, concerned about Biden's mental state and age as he prepares to face Trump again.

Before Biden withdrew from the race, the president and his administration countered that Biden was in good mental health and did not suffer from dementia, Parkinson's disease or any other concerning illnesses. Harris' office told Fox News Digital on Tuesday morning that they believe Biden is currently able to carry out the duties of the presidency.

Trump says Biden 'unfit to be president': 'Who's going to run the country for the next five months?'

President Biden and Vice President Harris (Getty Images)

Biden's intellectual acuity first came to national attention in February 2024, when former special counsel Robert Hur released a report investigating the president's handling of classified documents after he left the Obama administration as vice president.

According to the report, Heo called Biden a “caring, well-meaning but elderly man with a limited memory” and said he would not recommend criminal charges for possessing classified materials.

'Proud of our president': Democrats praise Biden's decision to end 2024 campaign

President Biden salutes as he arrives at an event at the White House on November 27, 2023. (Michael Reynolds/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Biden's mental health came under renewed scrutiny earlier this year when The Wall Street Journal published a story based on interviews with dozens of lawmakers and administration officials that described Biden as losing his mental edge and looking aged in meetings. The White House denounced the story as a partisan attack piece.

Harris' chances of taking the White House are unclear as VP 'never demonstrated her core beliefs', says Democratic strategist

After Biden dropped out of the race, the president endorsed Harris as the Democratic nominee (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

“Our nation remains faced with malign forces with global ambitions,” the Republicans wrote in the letter, and despite divisions “tearing apart the Democratic Party,” they said “acting during the prolonged lame-duck period” could benefit America's enemies.

“Notwithstanding the current administration's responsibility in contributing to each of these developments, continuing to have Joe Biden in office could further diminish our ability to respond to the threat of Pace. He lacks the capacity to meet the challenges of the modern presidency, and if he is unable or unwilling to step down, we urge him to act now,” the statement concluded.

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While the White House has said Biden's withdrawal from the race was not due to health issues, the president has endorsed Harris as the Democratic nominee.

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Beyonce gives Kamala Harris permission to use 'Freedom' during election campaign – Music News

Beyonce has reportedly given US Vice President Kamala Harris permission to use her song “Freedom” during her presidential campaign.

The politician came out to the tune of the 2016 song during his first official visit to his campaign headquarters on Monday evening.

A source close to Harris told CNN that Beyoncé gave Harris permission to use “Freedom” just hours before the event, and the pop superstar, who is strict about permission to use her music, quickly gave her approval for the song to be used throughout her presidential campaign.

President Joe Biden dropped out of the race on Sunday and endorsed Harris to run in his place. Harris went on to win the Democratic nomination in August and secure enough delegate support to face Republican Donald Trump in November's election.

Beyoncé has not yet formally endorsed Harris, but her permission to use Freedom is a sign of her support. Her mother, Tina Knowles, voiced her support for Harris on Instagram on Sunday.

“New. Young. Sharp. Energy!!!!” she wrote next to a photo of herself and Harris. “Putting aside personal ego, power and fame. That's the definition of a great leader. Thank you, President Biden, for your service and leadership. Vice President Kamala Harris, please run for President. Let's go.”

Beyoncé has previously endorsed other Democratic candidates, singing the national anthem at President Barack Obama's inauguration in 2013 and performing at Hillary Clinton's pre-election concert in 2016.

“Freedom,” featuring Kendrick Lamar, appears on the singer's 2016 album, Lemonade. Harris comes on with the lyrics: “Freedom, freedom / Where are you? / 'Cause I need my freedom too / I'll break the chains alone / I don't want my freedom to rot in hell / Hey! I keep on running / 'Cause winners don't give up on themselves.”

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