Let Robeson Sing


"Let Robeson Sing" is a song by Welsh alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. It was released in September 2001 by record label Epic as the fourth and final single from their sixth studio album, Know Your Enemy. It reached number 19 in the UK Singles Chart.

Content

The song is a tribute to the black American actor, singer and civil rights campaigner Paul Robeson. It shares its title with a book by Phil Cope and others, published jointly by the Paul Robeson Cymru Committee and the Bevan Foundation in 2001, with a reprint being published by the National Library of Wales in 2003. All three members of the band – James Dean Bradfield, Sean Moore and Nicky Wire – share the writing credits.
The CD includes the B-sides "Masking Tape", "Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel" – previously sung by Robeson – and the promotional video. The 12" vinyl edition contained "Fear of Motion" as well as two remixes of the title track, one by Ian Brown and the other by Felix Da Housecat.

Release

"Let Robeson Sing" was released on 10 September 2001 by record label Epic as the fourth and final single from the band's sixth studio album, Know Your Enemy. The single reached number 19 in the UK charts on 22 September 2001, and was their lowest-charting single since "She Is Suffering" reached number 25 in 1994.
On 17 December 2011 "Let Robeson Sing" was the tenth of thirty-eight songs performed at the one-off A Night of National Treasures live performance at The O2 Arena. The lead vocals were performed by special guest Gruff Rhys of the Super Furry Animals, with James Dean Bradfield explaining to the audience that Rhys had been set to perform the song at the band's 2001 performance in Havana, Cuba, but circumstances had prevented this from happening.

Track listing

All music written and composed by Nick Jones, James Dean Bradfield and Sean Moore.
; CD single 1
  1. "Let Robeson Sing" – 3:46
  2. "Masking Tape" – 4:11
  3. "Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel" – 2:07
  4. "Let Robeson Sing"
; CD single 2
  1. "Let Robeson Sing" – 3:46
  2. "Let Robeson Sing" – 5:01
  3. "Let Robeson Sing" – 6:17
  4. "Let Robeson Sing"
  5. "Let Robeson Sing"
; 12" vinyl
; Side A
  1. "Fear of Motion" – 2:46
  2. "Let Robeson Sing" – 5:01
; Side B
  1. "Let Robeson Sing" – 6:17

    Charts

Chart Peak
position
UK Singles Chart19

; UK chart performance