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City of Blues

by Zettel 

Posted: 06 September 2005
Word Count: 191


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City of Blues

The city of blues is cryin'
bitter tears of shame
it's the rich that gets the buses
the poor that gets the blame
White WASP's buzzin' bull shit
disgracin' America's name

The city of blues is dyin'
black is now death's name
the rich escape to safety
the rest just lose the game
the WASP is posin' lies
the poor die just the same

The city of Louis Armstrong
Is givin' up his soul
blowin' up a storm in heaven
an angry trumpet call,
at God's act of destruction
payback for the Fall

Tenessee is cryin' for his home
no streetcars just impotent desire
five days the dead and dyin'
been comin' under fire
the Dream is now a nightmare
America's conscience on the pyre

Truman's heart is breakin'
blood in gutters runnin' cold
the stench of death the stain of shame
as the reluctant tourist strolled
through photo opportunity
his lie of competence is sold

This nomansland's no island
our brothers still ain't free
they just been livin' in the shadows
unseen by you and me
the shame ain't just America's
it's a human tragedy


Zettel 2005







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Comments by other Members



Jumbo at 23:29 on 06 September 2005  Report this post
Hi

Strong words and images.

I think a lot of 'blues' are going to come out of what is happening in the southern United States.

jumbo

Zettel at 02:43 on 09 September 2005  Report this post
Jumbo

For sure.

Thanks

Z

Shika at 08:38 on 01 October 2005  Report this post
Zettel, I liked the poetry in this and the references to Martin Luther King, A streetcar named desire, mixed in with the blues. What sort of music would you set it to? S


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