Sections

Personal tools

You are here: Home → Knowledge Base → Arts → Mad Music → Die gedanken sind frei

Upcoming Events: Panel on life of R. D. Laing, dissident psychiatrist Point Park University, Pittsburgh, PA,
Mar 30, 2012; Boycott Until 5/5/2012 (and Beyond!) Global,
May 05, 2012; Alternatives 2012 Conference Portland, Oregon, USA,
Oct 10, 2012; Upcoming events…

Background on "Thoughts Are Free"

This "free thought" anthem called "Die Gedanken Sind Frei" has a history that is many centuries long. There are lots of resources here so that your local group of friends and colleagues can start singing this stirring song, and keep the spirit building! [updated June 2011.]

Historians know the idea of this song about free thought was around since the 12th century.

Since the 16th century, peasants and rebels have sung a song about the power of a free mind, free thought, free speech.

Nazis tried to ban this song unsuccessfully!

You will often find this ancient song sung at MindFreedom and other Mad Pride events!

Learn how your group can join in the fun!

The title is "Die Gedanken Sind Frei" in German, and it roughly translates to mean "Our Thoughts Are Free" or "All Thoughts Are Free."

You may read a version of the lyrics in English that MindFreedom uses on this web site by clicking here.

You may download a PDF version of the one-page lyric sheet by clicking here.

Or you may download an MS Word version of the one-page lyric sheet by clicking here.

Want the chords? Here's a link to the music, chords and lyrics:

http://unitedireland.tripod.com/die_gedanken_sind_frei_lyrics_chords.html

Here's another version of the English lyrics here:

http://www.diegedankensindfrei.com/

For a quick history see the wiki page:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Gedanken_sind_frei

For more historic background you can google the title and set the advanced search to English.

To hear the tune on the Internet there are several places to go.

You can read both the original German and English, plus download a midi of the tune here:

http://members.aol.com/masksfaces/whiterose/free.html

Or you can hear the tune here:

http://home.alphalink.com.au/~jperkins/HumanistSongs.htm#DIEGEDAN

On iTunes you can get a few versions of the song. There's a short version by Pete Seeger.

Also, the Brazillian Girls have made up their own modern tune with fun percussion to sing the lyrics. You can view a video on YouTube of this group performing the song live in New York City's Anamorphic by clicking here.

No matter what, the song is still provoking discussion, as one can see in this online chat here:

http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/1185.html

With the above resources, you can help any group sing this song. For special occasions, you may want to print out ENORMOUS song sheets. MindFreedom has PDF's of the lyrics in 30 inch high by 42 inch wide version (seven sheets). To download those PDF's so you can e-mail them to your local photocopier to print, click here.

Document Actions

Join, Renew, Donate to MindFreedom International.

Mad Market Books & Gear

We are MFI

Peter Lehmann, editor, author, psychiatric survivor activist

Peter Lehmann of Berlin, Germany serves as one of the MindFreedom International representatives with the United Nations, and is a long-term supporter of MindFreedom campaigns and activities. Peter is a psychiatric survivor who has worked passionately for decades in Germany, Europe and internationally with a variety of groups for significant change in the mental health system. Peter is editor and publisher of a variety of books challenging human rights violations in the mental health system and promoting alternatives. His most recent book (co-edited with Peter Stastny, MD) is called "Alternatives Beyond Psychiatry." This book provides chapters from 61 leaders in changing the mental health system, and is available in the MindFreedom Mad Market.

Facebook Like Box