Motor City Is Burning

Brothers and sisters, I wanna tell you somethin' I hear a lot of talk by a lot of honkeys, sitting on a lot of money Tellin' me they're higher society But I'll let you know somethin' If you ask me, this is the higher society This is the higher society It's truth You know, the Motor City's burning, babe There ain't a thing in the world that they can do You know, the Motor City is burning people There ain't a thing that white society can do My home town burning down to the ground Worser than Vietnam Now let me tell you how it started, y'all It started on 12th and Clairmount that mornin' It made the, the pig cops all jump and shout I said, it started on 12th and Clairmount that mornin' It made the, the pigs in the street go freak out The fire wagons kept comin', baby But the Black Panther snipers wouldn't let them put it out Wouldn't let them put it out, wouldn't let them put it out Now! Get it on Well, there were fire bombs bursting all around the people You know, there was soldiers standing everywhere I said there was fire bombs bursting all around me, baby You know, there was National Guard everywhere I can hear my people screaming Sirens fill the air, fill the air, fill the air, fill the air Your mama, papa don't know what the trouble is You see, they don't know what it's all about I said, your mama and papa don't know what the trouble is, baby They just can't see what it's all about I get the news, read the newspapers, baby You just get out there in the street and check it out Whoa yeah! I said, the Motor City's burning, people I ain't hangin' 'round to fight it out I said, the Motor City's burning, baby Just not hang around to fight it out Well, I'm taking my wife and my people And they're on TV, yeah-yeah-yeah Remember that Before I go, baby, let me tell you my lesson Fireman's on the street, people all around I guess it's true, I'd just like to strike a match for freedom myself, yeah I may be a white boy, but I can be bad too, yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah Yes, it's true now, yes, it's true now, yeah Yeah Yes, come on, baby (let it all burn) Let it all burn, let it all burn