JEAN PHILIP DE TENDER

Dan zit je in de wagen en dan gaat alle woord & muziek je ongemerkt voorbij. Tot Lou Rawls je plots een verhaal vertelt.

Soms kan muziek échte storytelling zijn. Sluit je ogen, luister en beeld je het verhaal in.

You know I was in New York City a few months ago

And the garbage and the trashmen were on strike I’m tellin’,

the maintenance people of the city

What they were tryin’ to do

They were tryin’ to get a little more money You know,

get a little raise in pay

But at that particular time the city was broke

They were about to declare default I tell you,

the garbage in some places Were stacked up two, three stories high

At night, haha Boy, at night it weren’t safe to walk the street

‘Cause they caught the rats, the roaches and the waterbuff I

‘m unable hustlin’, baby Tryin’ to get somethin’ to eat, see?

And let met tell you somethin’ It was stinkin’

And it was all kind of diseases in there, you know?

But it only brought to mind the fact that You can no longer depend on the man downtown

To take care of business like he’s supposed to When he’s supposed to

If all of us would get it like it’s supposed to be

As far as cleaniness, you know, and safety

We gotta get together and do it for ourselves

That’s the only way it’s gonna be done

And you know what I’m talkin’ about?

Let me tell you what I mean Clean it up, clean it up

(Well, y’all) Clean it up, clean it up

(You gotta get it) Clean it up, clean it up

(Yes, gonna get it) Clean it up, clean it up Ghetto!

Talkin’ ‘bout the ghetto! Ghetto is our home

That’s where we live, where we live

Get some paint, fetch your hammer, your nails

If you broomed, you mop and you pails

We’re gonna wash it, polish

And make it all clean

Let’s wash away all of the sins

Time for a new life to begin

In the ghetto I said (Clean it up, clean it up)

I said we’re gonna (Clean it up, clean it up)

Because the (Ghetto) I said the (Ghetto) (Ghetto is our home)

That’s where we live, where we live

Let’s paint the signs everybody can read

Let’s get rid of everything we don’t need

Pushers, the dealers

The pot, crook, snatchers and thieves, aha

Let’s make the streets safe for women to walk

Let’s get rid of all the faul talk

We gonna do it

And all of us shall survive

I said we’re gonna (Clean it up, clean it up)

Do it We got to (Clean it up, clean it up)

Hey! (Ghetto) Said the ghetto (Ghetto is our home)

That’s where we live from day to day (Where we live, where we live)

All of your brothers that live on the mainline

You lived in the ghetto once upon a time

We need everybody to lend a hand

No you’ve helped everybody else

Now’s the time for you to help yourself

We can’t depend, depend on the people, no, no

Well, well, get it up, get it up

Clean it up, clean it up (Well, well, ya)

Clean it up, clean it up (Hey, hey, hey)

Ghetto, ghetto Ghetto is our home

Yeah, that’s where we live, where we live I said