Crime in the City

Lyrics

[Chorus] All you see All you see is crime in the city All you see All you see is crime in the city All you see, all you see All you see is crime in the city All you see, all you see All you see is crime in the city [Verse 1] I was sittin' on the platform, visually nil and void Reading about the times square show in village voice The fives rolled by like visions of joy Psycho analysing citizens like Sigmund Freud B-Boys congregated in Keds and Clydes Recognised Lee talkin' to Freddy Five Lady Pink rocked the tight jeans extra high Denim jacket with a back piece seventy-nine Black books gettin' signed in red devils White styles were being born and conceptualised DONDI's gettin' high tokin' a small spliff Fillin' a pilot pen with grocery store ink Blade's talkin' to Tracy, Doze is drawin' Cap's looking over his shoulder with caution A dozen or more kids surround Martha Cooper Transfixed on a strange whole car by Futura Super kool looked up at something perplexin' him Like children of the grave runnin' through Lexington Turned around saw Phase2, coppers arresting him Silhouettes jump the third rail [Chorus] All you see All you see is crime in the city All you see All you see is crime in the city All you see, all you see All you see is crime in the city All you see, all you see All you see is crime in the city [Verse 2] Public enemies since the summer of seventy-one When Taki spawned a new generation of love Black Benji's death was a revelation for some In December at the ho avenue boys club Where sixty-eight presidents signed a gang treaty And ten-thousand members combined the family You might've seen it in the warriors movie But this is real life, that started a movement The streets of New York got a chance for peace Block parties got thrown, kids danced in the streets At Cedar Park a Grand Master Flash to be watched Kool Herc merry the apache beat And on the break down baby skulls moved to James Brown The man with a thousand moves pulled the ace out Melle Mel swayed the crowd to say it loud And violence dissipated in the concrete play ground [Bridge] All you see is (crime) all you see is (crime) All you see is (crime in the city) All you see is (crime) all you see is (crime) All you see is (crime in the city) [Verse 3] Bambaattaa, the black spade campaigned for unity Beyond the walls of a bronx river community Across the apache line of promiscuity Like the Kool Lady blue opportunity Savage nomads roamed the ghost yard Graduatin' from dope tags to throw ups Painting political statements on whole cars The transition of renegades of culture [Chorus] All you see All you see is crime in the city All you see All you see is crime in the city All you see, all you see All you see is crime in the city All you see, all you see All you see is crime in the city