Song of Freedom (1936)

Paul Robeson: John 'Johnny' Zinga

Photos 

Quotes 

• John 'Johnny' Zinga : [singing]  Joshua fit the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho, Joshua fit the battle of Jericho, And the walls come a-tumbling down, Up to the walls of Jericho, He marched with spear in hand, "Go and blow them ram horns," Joshua cried, "'Cause the battle am in our hand." Then the lamb ram sheep horns begin to blow, Trumpets begin to sound, Joshua commanded the chil'n to shout, And the walls come a-tumblin' down...

• John 'Johnny' Zinga : Bert, you're just like the rest of us. The women starts talkin', we jes got to do what they say.

• Ruth Zinga : I wouldn't even give a penny for your thoughts, John.

  John 'Johnny' Zinga : Wouldn't you?

  Ruth Zinga : No. I know what they are.

  John 'Johnny' Zinga : Met a fella in the pub comin' home. Sailin' for Africa tonight. Be castin' off about now. In a week or two he'll be on the coast.

  Ruth Zinga : Africa. It's always Africa, isn't it John.

  John 'Johnny' Zinga : After all, that's my home. That's where we come from. I wonder which part? I'm always wonderin'.

• John 'Johnny' Zinga : You mean everything to me.

  Ruth Zinga : Not everything, John.

  John 'Johnny' Zinga : Now, now.

  Ruth Zinga : I - I can't take you to Africa. But - but if there's anything in this world I can do for you...

  John 'Johnny' Zinga : There's one thing you can do. Right now.

  [kiss] 

• John 'Johnny' Zinga : [singing]  There's a sleepy river I know, Down that sleepy river we'll go, Under a crowd of stars in the sky, We'll watch the clouds roll drowsily by, Where the breezes murmur a song, While the moonlight dreams, We'll keep driftin' lazily on, Down a river of dreams, Down a river of dreams...

• John 'Johnny' Zinga : [singing]  I've been trampin' all the day, Underneath the skies of gray, But the home I'm headin' seems far away, Lonely Road...

• John 'Johnny' Zinga : If they want me to sing, I gotta be free. Not dressed up like a chicken.

• John 'Johnny' Zinga : Can I sing you a song instead of la-la-la?

• Ruth Zinga : Do you think he'll ever go to Africa?

  Gabriel Donozetti : Someday, even Africa, perhaps. Its quite possible. Your home.

  John 'Johnny' Zinga : Somewhere out there. I don't know where. Don't even know which people I belong to. But, I've always wanted to go there. I might be able to find out.

  Ruth Zinga : This may be your chance, John.

  John 'Johnny' Zinga : Big doors. Big rooms. Big houses. Big countries.

• John 'Johnny' Zinga : I'd like to sing you a fragment of a song which I've never sung in public before. I really don't know it; but, I'll try and put some words to it.

  Gabriel Donozetti : [off stage]  What's he doing? I told him to make a speech.

  John 'Johnny' Zinga : [singing]  I hear the voice of my people. I hear the voice of my people, There's a call from the south, That shall ring over mountain and sea, They are calling for freedom, They are calling for freedom, And the forest are filled with whispering sigh of their song, And to the heart of a wanderer, And to the heart of a wanderer...

• Sir James Pyrie : You're probably a direct descendent of Queen Zinga.

  John 'Johnny' Zinga : You mean, I come from Casanga?

  Sir James Pyrie : Undoubtedly! When Queen Zinga died and her son disappeared, the witch doctors gained ascendency over the island. They sold their trees to the unscrupulous slave traders and, ever since, they island has suffered a terrible drought, because there's nothing to attract the clouds. The people still dominated by these witch doctors - were never allowed the white man to come near them and so, they are still backward, uncivilized, impoverished.

  John 'Johnny' Zinga : But, if I'm their King, they would let me help them, wouldn't they?

  Sir James Pyrie : If you could prove you are their King. Heaven knows they need someone to help them in their ignorance.

• John 'Johnny' Zinga : Can we have a hut? My wife is tired.

• Sir James Pyrie : Boss, if I wasn't here, there's one thing I'd do?

  John 'Johnny' Zinga : What?

  Sir James Pyrie : Resign.

• John 'Johnny' Zinga : I am no stranger. I am of your race, your blood, and even more than that, I am your King.

  Native Leader : Our King? You think you are a King because you come to us dressed up in white man's clothes.

  Ruth Zinga : But, he brings you knowledge from the great countries over the sea. Its not for himself that he wants to be King. For all his life, his face has been turned towards this island. There's so much he wants to do for you.

  Native Leader : So, we shall see what he can do for us.

• Native Leader : If he is Zinga, he is in deed a King.

  John 'Johnny' Zinga : But, I am Zinga!

  Native Leader : That I believe. Yet, the heart of Mandingo is heavy, because, you have come.

  John 'Johnny' Zinga : Should not a King come to bring help to his people?

  Native Leader : You are a stranger to them. Although you are of our color, you are not of us. A lion whose not bred in the jungle, does not know the jungle well.

  John 'Johnny' Zinga : You speak truly. But, I have more than jungle ways to bring to you. I have learned much from the people across the sea. Their wisdom, their government, their medicine.

• John 'Johnny' Zinga : Now, you can tell them. Tell them that all this is finished. Tell them that I am their King. That I bring them a better magic. A magic which they can all learn. Tell them that if they will trust me that there is much we can do together. That we can become a great people.