"Freedom" is a Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix

James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...

 song released in 1971 from the album The Cry of Love

The Cry of Love

-Personnel:Band members*Jimi Hendrix – lead vocals, guitars, backing vocals on tracks 3 and 9, piano on track 1, production on all tracks except 5*Billy Cox – bass on all tracks except 5 and 10...

. The album was released posthumously in 1971 and became a major hit. This was the only single released from the album and was somewhat successful on the charts, reaching number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100

Billboard Hot 100

The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...

 singles chart. It is now one of the more popular songs in the Hendrix collection, and is a staple in many compilation works. It was later featured on the 1997 album First Rays of the New Rising Sun

First Rays of the New Rising Sun

First Rays of the New Rising Sun is a "concept compilation" attempting to recreate the album Jimi Hendrix was working on at the time of his death in 1970, as closely as is feasible to how he would have wanted it...

.

Interpretation

The lyrics "Keep on pushing straight ahead..." towards the end of the song are most likely a reference to the Curtis Mayfield

Curtis Mayfield

Curtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...

 song "Keep On Pushing" from the album of the same name. Mayfield was a major influence on Hendrix, from whom he borrowed much of his R&B rhythm guitar style, as heard on recordings such as "Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)

Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)

"Have You Ever Been " is a song by psychedelic rock band The Jimi Hendrix Experience, featured on their 1968 third studio album Electric Ladyland...

" and "Little Wing

Little Wing

"Little Wing" is a song written by Jimi Hendrix. It was first recorded by The Jimi Hendrix Experience on their 1967 album Axis: Bold as Love...

". "Straight ahead" is a phrase which features on several tracks from the period- and it was one of the titles considered for his final studio album.

Covers

In 1994, Steve Lukather

Steve Lukather

Steve "Luke" Lukather is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, arranger, and record producer best known for his work with the rock band Toto. Lukather has played with many artists, released several solo albums, and worked as a composer, arranger, and session guitarist on more than 1,500 albums...

 sang this song for his album Candyman

Candyman (album)

Candyman is the second solo album from Steve Lukather. It was a collaboration of musicians who were for the most part also in Lukather's band Los Lobotomys. Toto familiars Simon Phillips and David Paich participated as well as David Garfield, John Pêna, Chris Trujillo, Lenny Castro, Larry Klimas,...

.

Guitar Hero World Tour

As of March 19, 2009, the song, as well as "Angel

Angel (Jimi Hendrix song)

"Angel" is the name of a song written and recorded by Jimi Hendrix, first released in February 1971 on the posthumous LP The Cry of Love. In April it was released as a single, which failed to chart...

" and "Foxy Lady

Foxy Lady

"Foxy Lady" is a song by The Jimi Hendrix Experience from their 1967 album Are You Experienced. It can also be found on a number of Hendrix's greatest hits compilations, including Smash Hits and Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix...

 (Live At Woodstock)" has been released as downloadable content for Guitar Hero: World Tour in the Jimi Hendrix Track Pack 2.