Adiós Hermanos

It was the morning of October 6th, 1960

I was wearing my brown suit

Preparing to leave the house of D

Shook some hands, then adiós Brooklyn amigos

Maybe some of them had hopes of seeing me again

Some even said that my judge, Judge Gerald Culkin

Wouldn't play it by the book

Maybe let us off the hook

But whoa ohh, I knew better

Afraid to leave the projects

To cross into another neighborhood

The blancos and the **** gangs

Well, they'd kill you if they could

Angel of mercy, people are suffering all over the world

Spanish children are taught on their knees to believe

Angel of mercy, people are suffering

All over the island tonight

Mothers weep

Sisters grieve

Well I entered the courtroom, state of New York count of New York

Just some spic they scrubbed off the sidewalk

Guilty by my dress

Guilty in the press

Let the cape man burn for the murders

Well the Spanish boys had their day in court

And now it was time for some fuckin' law and order

The electric chair, for the greasy pair

Said the judge to the court reporter

Afraid to leave the projects

To cross into another neighborhood

The newspapers and the TV crews

Well, they'd kill you if they could

Angel of mercy, people are suffering all over the world

A Spanish boy could be killed every night of the week

But just let some white boy die

And the world goes crazy for blood, Latin blood

I don't lie when I speak

Well they shackled my hands

A heavy belt around my waist to restrain me

And they shackled my legs

Hernandez, the umbrella man, chained beside me

Then we rode that Black Maria

Through the streets of Spanish Harlem

Calling old friends on the corners

Just to lay a prayer upon them

Crying adios hermanos, adios

Adiós, hermanos, adiós