Riot in the Streets

2 am, bars were closing

heard the news on channel 4 and

the TV anchor tried to say

what she thought really happened today



But, words are dangerous like the gun

takes away a mother’s son

a lot of people have had enough

just waiting for this time to come



ohhh, gonna be a riot

ohhh, gonna be a riot in the streets tonight

gonna be a riot in the streets tonight

gonna be a riot in the streets tonight

gonna be a riot tonight



Right or wrong, battle lines are drawn

like the difference tween dusk and dawn

black and white in the light of day

but at night there’s only shades-of-grey



preacher speakin’, fist raised singin’

Barely missin’, tear gas whistlin’

Walking down west Florissant Road

It feels like this city is gonna explode



ohhh, gonna be a riot

ohhh, gonna be a riot in the streets tonight

gonna be a riot in the streets tonight

gonna be a riot in the streets tonight

gonna be a riot tonight





Painted signs, a megaphone message

you can feel it St. Louis to Los Angeles

These words written on a door:

it ain’t just about the rich and poor



our past won’t go away

it haunts us to present day

there’s so much left to learn

as the bullets fly and the buildings burn



ohhh, gonna be a riot

ohhh, gonna be a riot in the streets tonight

gonna be a riot in the streets tonight

gonna be a riot in the streets tonight

gonna be a riot tonight