Black Steel lyrics

Song information

Artist: Tricky
Album: Maxinquaye

Lyrics

(C. ridenhour/w. drayton/e. sadler/h. shocklee)

I got a letter from the government
The other day
I opened and read it
It said they were suckers
They wanted me for the army or whatever
Picture me given' a damn -- I said never
Here is a land that never gave a damn
About a brother like me and myself
Because they never did
I wasn't wit' it, but just that very minute..
It occured to me
The suckers had authority
Cold sweatin' as I dwell in my cell
How long has it been?
They got me sittin' in the state pen
I gotta get out -- but that thought was thought before
I contemplated a plan on the cell floor
I'm not a fugitive on the run
But a brother like me begun -- to be another one
Public enemy servin' time -- they drew the line y'all
To criticize me some crime -- never the less
They could not understand that I'm a black man
And I could never be a veteran
On the strength, the situation's unreal
I got a raw deal, now I'm lookin for the steel

(Tricky: many switch in, switch on, switch off (x5))
Nevertheless they cannot understand
That I'm a black man, and I could never be a veteran
On the strength of situations, I'm real
I got a raw deal, so I'm lookin' for the steel
Lookin for the steel

[from http://lyrics.doheth.co.uk]

"Maxinquaye" album track list