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