Motor City Is Burning

(album: Kick Out The Jams - 1969)

Brothers and sisters, I wanna tell you something
I hear a lot of talk from a lot of honkeys, sitting on a lot of money, saying they're the high society
But if you ask me, this is the high society, this is the high society

Ya know, the Motor City is burning, babe
There ain't a thing in the world they can do
Ya 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
Let me tell you how it started now

It started on 12th Clair Mount that morning
It made the, the pig cops all jump and shout
I said, it started on 12th Clair Mount that morning
It made the, the pigs in the street go freak out
The fire wagons kept coming, 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
Ya know there was soldiers standing everywhere
I said there was fire bombs bursting all around me, baby
Ya know there was National Guard everywhere
I can hear my people screaming
Sirens 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, 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, aw yeah

I said, the Motor City is burning, people
I ain't hanging 'round to fight it out
I said uh, the Motor City is burning, people
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
Well, just, just before I go, baby, let me teach you my lesson
Fireman's on the street, people all around
Now, 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
Yes, it's true now, yes, it's true now yeah

Yes, let it all burn, let it all burn, let it all burn